STEVE MOORE

2026 CHAMBERSBURG ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

This ought to paint a picture of how dominant Steve Moore was in the high jump in his senior year at Chambersburg, in 1979.

At the District 3 Championships, Moore did not even attempt a jump until the bar was raised to 6 feet, 6 inches. He cleared that height on his first attempt, and nobody else in the field could manage a clean jump at 6-6.

So, Moore competed against himself, finally setting a district record of 7 feet and ¼ of an inch.

He cleared that same height the following weekend in the PIAA Championships, 7-0.25, to win a state title and set a PIAA mark that lasted for many years.

Steve Moore

Moore will be one of 9 individuals and one team to be inducted into the Chambersburg Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 18-19.

Other individuals are Paul Kaiser, Terri Yeager, Jack Mull, Kellen Williams, Carla (Shearer) Christian, Craig Helmuth, Brooke (Jacobs) Lombardozzi and Norm Snowberger, and the 1989 state champion girls cross country team. Stories on each of them have been or will be published this summer.

Because his father was in the military, Moore lived in several different places while growing up. While in El Paso, Tx., Moore was introduced to the high jump in the fifth grade, and it took hold. In the seventh grade, he switched from the scissors-style jump to the Fosbury Flop, which is the style most-used today.

The family moved to Germany and Moore kept improving. As a sophomore, he reached 6 feet, 2 inches, was a national age-group champion and was named to the All-European team.

By the following year, his father got stationed at Letterkenny Army Depot, and Moore was welcomed to the Trojan track & field team in 1978.

“The town of Chambersburg welcomed me so kindly,” Moore said, “for not being a local kid.”

In 1978 as a junior, Moore jumped a height of 6-8 to win a District 3 gold medal, and at the PIAA meet, his 6-8 effort earned him a tie for second place.

He improved even more before his senior season, and in a dual meet on April 18, Moore cleared 7-1, setting a school, stadium and league record, which turned out to be his top height in high school.

After breezing through District 3, Moore won the PIAA title – just the second-ever for Chambersburg (Tim Cook was the first) – with his effort of 7-0.25, beating David Clayton of Derry, who managed 6-10.

In all that spring, Moore hit jumps of at least 7-0 on 10 occasions, and he was named a H.S. All-American.

Moore said, “I’m really thankful to coach Dick Nye, who raised money for me to travel and compete in big national meets,” such as the Penn Relays, the Atlanta Classic and the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento, CA.

Moore, who stood 6-foot-5, was also a quality basketball player for the Trojans. Memorably, he was one of several players to try to guard Lebanon’s 6-11 Sam Bowie – a future NBA player – in a District 3 playoff game.

Moore had numerous offers to compete in college, and ended up choosing the University of Georgia over Kentucky. While there, he was an All-SEC honoree eight times (4 indoor, 4 outdoor), won an SEC title and set a record, and competed on the USA Junior team.

His personal-best jump was 7-5.25.

By Ed Gotwals

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