SOUTHERN SECTION CROSS-COUNTRY : Moreno Learns a Lesson From Olympian Billy Mills

In 1964, Billy Mills of the United States won the gold medal in the 10,000 meters at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Mills, who had placed second in the U.S. Trials, wasn’t expected to be a contender. As the race progressed, Australia’s Ron Clarke, the pre-race favorite and the world-record holder, and Tunisia’s Mohamed Gammoudi, were the leaders; Mills was seemingly out of the running. But as Clarke and Gammoudi battled on the last lap, Mills unleashed a startling kick that sent him bolting across the finish line with a three-yard victory.

It is a scene cross-country runner Mike Moreno of Katella has played over and over in his head. He also has watched it countless times. Moreno, 16, a sophomore, was born more than 10 years after Mills scored one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history. But Moreno, who will compete as one of the top individuals at the Southern Section cross-country finals Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, knows the story.

He has seen it in the movie “Running Brave,” which depicts the Billy Mills story, and he has heard it from Mills himself.

Moreno, who this season has taken turns with teammate Mike Love as Katella’s No. 1 runner, first watched “Running Brave” when he was in elementary school.

“When I saw the movie a long time ago, I liked it because it was about running, but I didn’t really understand it that much,” Moreno says. “Then I rented it a lot when I was 14 and 15. That’s when I started to get into him.”

Last year, Moreno’s interest in Mills grew; he wanted to know more about Mills. Moreno’s mother, Dolores, finally bought the film’s videotape for her son, and he watched it several times. Moreno noticed that at the end of the film a caption indicated Mills was living in Sacramento. He tried to reach Mills by phone, but instead reached Mills’ wife, Pat, who told Moreno he would have to call back later in the month because Mills was away on a trip. So Moreno wrote Mills a letter. When he didn’t get a reply, he called Mills again.

“He (Moreno) said, ‘I’ve written you a letter and you haven’t responded,’ ” Mills says. “I got out the letter and reread it and we talked about his training program and chatted.”

On that day, Moreno found an ally in Mills. The two have talked since. Mills, who says he gets 5,000 to 7,000 letters a year from kids, is an American Indian of the Dakota (Sioux) tribe. Moreno is also part Indian--he’s Apache on his mother’s side. Moreno has patterned his sprint at the end of his races after Mills’ and has taken some of Mills’ teachings to heart.

“Through communicating with young people, I hope to help them get in touch with the highs and lows of their emotions,” Mills says. “So once they get in touch, they can start feeling positive desires in their lives and use them for a pattern to success.”

Moreno, 5 feet 3 1/2, 106 pounds, didn’t place among the top 10 at the Southern Section finals last season. His goal this season is to qualify for the state meet Nov. 30 at Woodward Park in Fresno. Moreno is on track.

He was the top sophomore at the Orange County Championships Oct. 26. Moreno placed third behind Laguna Hills senior Chris Lynch, the top runner in the county this year, and his teammate, Love, who is a junior. Moreno took third at the Empire League finals Nov. 8. Saturday, in the prelims at Mt. SAC, Moreno was fifth, finishing a Division II-AA heat in 16 minutes 2 seconds over the hilly three-mile course.

Saturday, he hopes to reach his goal.

“I think I really have got to want it,” Moreno says. “. . . And I think if I try a little harder, work up the hills more, I can improve my time.”

Mills says Moreno should concentrate on himself, rather than his competitors, to achieve his goal.

“In the race, Saturday, he is going against incredibly tough competition,” Mills says. “If he worries about the competition, they are going to control him. The way to contradict that is to compete against yourself to the greatest that you are capable of that day.”

Moreno seems to have learned the lesson.

“I just want to do my best and what I do is what I do,” Moreno says.

And if he believes he can run well, the way Mills did 27 years ago. Then, the competition doesn’t matter.