Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.

That’s not the story for Bureau Valley senior Maddox Moore.

Moore changed his approach to running, learning how to raise his level of competitiveness in cross country to a higher level.

“I feel like I learned it at the end of my sophomore year or junior year when I realized that instead of trying to go off hard and go as fast as I can, I should focus on a pace and calm my breathing and keep it calm and cool until that last bit,” he said.

That approach led to five top-10 finishes (seven top-12) this season. He was fourth at the Forreston and Panther invites, seventh at the Lincoln Trail Conference meet, earning all-conference honors, and ran a personal record of 16:43.7 to place fourth in the Patriot Invite at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

He led all Bureau County runners with a 10th-place finish at regionals and 45th at sectionals.

For all of his accomplishments, Moore is the 2025 BCR Cross Country Runner of the Year. He is the first Storm runner named since Elijah House in 2022 and 11th dating back to the start of the award in 1997.

BV coach Bob Benck said the Storm will miss Moore in many ways.

“Maddox’s consistency at summer workouts, strong work ethic throughout the season, and calm under pressure set a terrific example for his teammates,” Benck said. “I think he was a big part of learning the most important lesson of the season: the amount of work and dedication it takes to be successful at a regional-level meet, and that we will need to take things to the next level to be competitive at the sectional and beyond.”

The best part of cross country Moore enjoys the most are the friendships formed.

“I like the camaraderie with the other people in the sport,” he said. “Everyone is just kind because everyone knows three miles is hard to do, especially running it fast. Feel like everyone knowing it’s for the run and we all appreciate it we can all do it.”

And Moore said, running three miles is not as easy as the runners make it seem.

“It’s kind of hard, if you think about it, especially in college because – if I’m not wrong – you have to do five to eight miles, which I’ve heard from (Bureau Valley grad) Nathan Siri is even harder. Still to run three miles fast is an accomplishment (and) is something you should be proud of,” he said.

Moore aims for a mile pace of 5½ to 6 minutes, ready to pick it up the last mile and going “all out” near the end at about 400 meters.

His favorite races this season, he said, were the Panther Invite and the Storm’s own Dale Donner invite when he broke 17 minutes for the first time.

Moore, who was named after Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux (his dad Matthew is a Cubs fan), is most appreciative of coach Benck and how he has prepared him to be the best runner he can be.

“He’s a really good coach,” Moore said. “He encourages his team. He doesn’t pick favorites. He makes everyone feel the same, especially the team. The team works together.”

Moore will be running track next spring in the 4x800, mile and maybe the 800. He feels there’s not much difference between the two sports other than the people and the coach, who “are both very good.”

While he has run his last cross country meet for BV, he has left a lasting influence on the program. His sister, Gemma, a junior who played volleyball as a freshman, came out for cross country as a sophomore, largely in part to her brother. She was the BV girls No. 1 runner this season and will carry on the family tradition next year.

Moore’s future plans are to go into the Navy and be a culinary specialist.

He said running cross country will help prepare him for whatever comes his way in the Navy.

“(I learned) being stern and mentally strong because running three miles you have to be mentally strong, because it’s a quitting game if you’re aren’t stern. Endurance, durability there’s a lot (you learn),” he said.