The 6-foot-2, 148-pound senior became the first Texas runner in history to win three UIL Class 6A state titles this past season, clocking a time of 14:42 at the state meet and leading the Dragons to a seventh consecutive team championship. Leonard took third at both Nike Cross Nationals and the Brooks Cross Country Championships, earning dual First Team All-American honors in the process. Now a three-time Gatorade State Player of the Year winner, he was unbeaten on Texas soil last fall and ran a personal-best 14:29 in winning the UIL Class 6A District 04 Championship before going on to break the tape at the Nike Cross South Regional.
Leonard has maintained an A average in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to run at the University of North Carolina this fall.
An avid hunter and fisherman, Leonard has volunteered locally on behalf of the Young Men’s Service League, a nonprofit organization that initiates and encourages young men and their mothers to pursue philanthropic efforts in their community. He has also donated his time as a counselor at youth running camps and with the Special Olympics in addition to serving in youth ministry at White’s Chapel Methodist Church.
