Mahmoud Moussa tranfers from Arcadia to Gig Harbor

Preppy Runner wrote:

Does it ruin Arcadia's chances of a national title?

I think firing me is what ruined those chances.

Doesn't Mark Wieczorek coach at Gig Harbor?

Why do high schoolers think they're hot sh!t and transfer schools.

If his parents are moving there for a job that's a different story.

If he's transferring because he doesn't like the school then he's a big pus$y.

He has respectable but unremarkable times. Probably a move for family reasons.

http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=2621985

Gig Harbor has a couple strong 3200 meters runners. I suppose Mahmoud could help their chances for a state 4a cross-country title.

http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/MeetResults.aspx?Meet=167662#506

ooooooo a 15:20 5k runner! is that considered a national threat nowadays?

Not an individual national title, a team national title. Team's have to have #4 runners ya know? He was the #4 runner for the natuonal championship team last year.

dfsfsdfg wrote:

ooooooo a 15:20 5k runner! is that considered a national threat nowadays?

Umm, why are people so stupid? His parents moved. End of story. And yes, Mark Wieczorek coaches at Gig Harbor.

Howzat? wrote:

Umm, why are people so stupid? His parents moved. End of story. And yes, Mark Wieczorek coaches at Gig Harbor.

Maybe ... but that's a pretty big coincidence that in ALL western Washington he lands up there.

*Gig Harbor has what some rankings say is the best top3 in all HS XC and just needs 1-2 more decent runners to make them legit.

*Western Washinton is 25,000 square miles. But his family just "happens" to move to the few miles that go to Gig Harbor.

*There are only 3 schools in all of western Washington that can realistically claim to hope to finish in the top 25 in the nation ... Gig Harbor in Tacoma and Nathan Hale and Seattle Prep both in Seattle. But like I said, they don't have Gig Harbor's top3 punch.

*Maybe his family did get a job in Western Washington, but why in Tacoma and why at Gig Harbor? There are 10 schools in Tacoma alone plus more nearby.

Its not a coincidence if that is where his Dad and/or Mom got a job. If so, why wouldn't where your son would fit in best be a consideration? I suspect that the school's academics are fine. Your post make it seem like its some evil plot by Gig Harbor or the Kids parents to steal a championship. This isn't college football and I highly doubt Gig Harbor has a recruiting budget. Its most likely that they had to move and so chose the best place to go based on school, proximity to job, housing and all the other normal decisions people make when uprooting their family.

If this is true, you can expect to Gig Harbor to be a top 10 team at Nike Cross Nationals. They had a solid 1-3 last year (All returning) but struggled because their 4th and 5th man were a little above average. If they just got a solid 4th man all they need is that last guy to step up.

This team could be very scary and could give NW powerhouse, North Central, a run for their money.

Can anyone please reach out to Gig Harbor or the Moussa family to see if this is true?

It's true he's going to Gig Harbor. His parents have a home up there and they moved away from Arcadia in June.

To the person(s) making it seem like this is ridiculous or a terrible thing, lighten up buddy. He went from a team that just won the national championship and only lost 1 of their top 7 runners. If their coach is reinstated, they should win the national championship for the 3rd time in 4 years. Even if O'Brien isn't reinstated, a former assistant coach under O'Brien will take over and keep the team running at (hopefully, for their sake) that same level.

Moussa left a team THAT good for another, admittedly, good team (but nothing near as good as his original school).

Maybe because Gig Harbor is a really nice place near a decent sized city. I am actively seeking a job that would allow me to live there and it has nothing to do with Gig Harbor having a great running program. If I had a kid who was pretty good at running I'd probably make sure to live where he could go to Gig Harbor rather than Peninsula though.

Washington Guy wrote:

Can anyone please reach out to Gig Harbor or the Moussa family to see if this is true?

This is true. At New Balance Nationals last month, my coach asked Rich Gonzalez about it and he confirmed it. I guess that's where the family used to live a few years ago.

No

Right stuff wrote:

Washington Guy wrote:

Can anyone please reach out to Gig Harbor or the Moussa family to see if this is true?

This is true. At New Balance Nationals last month, my coach asked Rich Gonzalez about it and he confirmed it. I guess that's where the family used to live a few years ago.

You have the wrong message board pal! There's not a whole lotta use for the truth on this thread. Lets go back to the drumbeat where something nefarious is happening here and undeserving folk have conspired to make a kid move from sunny Southern Cal to rainy and dark Gig Harbor so the team can win state in WA 4A ('cause GH has never done THAT) and manage to be like 6th at NXN.

You DO know that when a kid's family moves, it's not a lottery where his new school/town is randomly chosen. Or do you?

It IS possible that this kid's family happened to choose the best school for him within range of his parents jobs. Which is, actually, how, it works in the world of those not wearing tinfoil hats.

*Gig Harbor has what some rankings say is the best top3 in all HS XC and just needs 1-2 more decent runners to make them legit.

*Western Washinton is 25,000 square miles. But his family just "happens" to move to the few miles that go to Gig Harbor.

*There are only 3 schools in all of western Washington that can realistically claim to hope to finish in the top 25 in the nation ... Gig Harbor in Tacoma and Nathan Hale and Seattle Prep both in Seattle. But like I said, they don't have Gig Harbor's top3 punch.

*Maybe his family did get a job in Western Washington, but why in Tacoma and why at Gig Harbor? There are 10 schools in Tacoma alone plus more nearby.[/quote]

Minor point here, but Gig Harbor High School, shockingly, is in Gig Harbor, not Tacoma. This only makes it more surprising that Moussa is going there, since GHHS is located in a small town, not within Tacoma, which is a more believable move based off job positioning. Few people would settle in Gig Harbor unless their job happens to be in town (far less likely than in Tacoma) or they found the high school somehow special.

So it was just a simple family move? Ok. I'm down with that. I never meant to suggest anything "nefarious" like some accised me. If you look at my OP, I just was asking. And personally I agree that when you move your family you want to send your kids to a school that will be good. And if they are runners, why not try to get onto a good team. I just think it would've been funny if the parents moved because of a job and the school's best eunner was a 18 minute guy. It seems to have really worked out for both Moussa and Gig Harbor. Leave a top team, go to a top team. It's just like the whole Arcadia/coach O'Brien thing, sometimes if you do some checking around you eventually find something different and more complex than what people were originally saying. I'm willing to believe it was a simple family move. I believe in Occum's Razor and that usually the simplist theory is the correct theory. My only concern is the that it seems some posters are overly defensive. Why be offended? If you know the story and you know it's on the up and up just spill the story that the family moved. I'm sure most people like me will tend to believe it. Some people will always want to believe in scandals however. One last question I have is, when the family last lived there was it the same house? Or a few blocks or miles or cities or counties away from Gig Harbor?

PeninsulaHSGrad wrote:Minor point here, but Gig Harbor High School, shockingly, is in Gig Harbor, not Tacoma. This only makes it more surprising that Moussa is going there, since GHHS is located in a small town, not within Tacoma, which is a more believable move based off job positioning. Few people would settle in Gig Harbor unless their job happens to be in town (far less likely than in Tacoma) or they found the high school somehow special.

As a Peninsula HS Graduate, I'm sure you can concede the fact that Gig Harbor is just on the other side of the Narrows Bridge from NW Tacoma.

Given that, and the realization that a 10-15 minute commute certainly isn't bad - especially compared to what many probably have to deal with in heavily populated areas such as SoCal or NYC - wouldn't it make sense to not be against living in Gig Harbor and commuting a few minutes to Tacoma, if you would rather not live in Tacoma proper?

Also, if you wouldn't mind, would you happen to have any facts to support your assertion that few people live (or would settle) in Gig Harbor while having a job somewhere else (such as Tacoma)?

I hate gig. Yes, they are a national threat. As a friend and rival of their team, I can say that they had a shot at the title before Moussa, but now look incredible. I really would love a dedicated team, but that is unrelated.