Hamstring injury jeopardizies track season for Spoto’s Moate

Posted Apr 12, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Apr 12, 2012 at 11:04 PM

Another standout Hillsborough County sprinter has gone down to a hamstring injury.

Following the loss of Alonso star senior Brandon Holloway, who suffered a season-ending hamstring strain at the start of the 2012 campaign, Spoto junior Eric Moate could be lost for the remainder of the spring.

Moate collapsed to the track in the finals of the 100-meter dash at Thursday’s Class 2A-District 10 meet at Spoto. Lakewood swept the boys and girls team titles. The injury not only kept Moate from advancing to the regional meet in the 100, it also knocked him out of the 200.

Moate did advance to regionals in the high jump, where he finished third. But depending on the results of an MRI slated for early next week, he might be finished for the season.

‘‘Losing Eric like that was like a punch in the gut,” said Spoto coach John Rhodus. “We’ll have to wait and see if he can keep going this season.’‘

The loss of Moate after the 100 Thursday made it a relatively easy job for Lakewood to win the boys team title over the host Spartans 165-135.

Also hampered by a hamstring injury part of this season has been Hillsborough senior Anthony Brown. He tweaked a hamstring at last month’s qualifying meet for the county championships and has been limited since. He’s hoping to be fully recovered for his district meet next week.