* Boerne Champion's Elizabeth Leachman set a new Texas state record on Friday in the Class 5A girls title-race
Photo Credit: Gabriel Nieland/Texas MileSplit
"Just celebrating today. But moving forward, keeping the training going, so I can be ready for those next races." |
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By Cory Mull - MileSplit
ROUND ROCK, Tex. -- Elizabeth Leachman didn't wear a watch on Friday, so for stretches during the UIL Class 5A Texas State Cross Country Championships she had no clue just how fast she was going.
"It's hard without a watch," she said.
She did see the clock at two miles, though.
It read 10:31.1.
"I was feeling pretty strong," said Leachman, who came through the mile marker at 5:35. "I was happy to see that time. I had no idea how fast I was going. I was excited to see that and it gave me encouragement to push through to the end."
By the end of the UIL Class 5A girls state championship race at Old Settler's Park, however, Leachman had entered into another company entirely, flying through the line in a new overall course record of 16:25.5.
She surpassed Brynn Brown's former record mark of 16:25.8, which was last set in 2020. The 2021 Denton Guyer graduate is considered one of the best runners in Texas history.
A year ago, Leachman, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation by MileSplit, finished 20th as a freshman. But since that juncture last November, the Boerne Champion sophomore has unlocked a superstar version of herself.
Last June, she set freshman class records in the 3,000m (9:19.41) and 2-mile (9:57.69). She won a Texas state outdoor title in the 1,600m (4:47.28).
Her time on Friday was a new sophomore class best in cross country. She's broken 17 minutes a total of six times this fall. She ran 15:54 at the Patriot FEAST Invitational, which was 3.x miles, and 15:32.60 for three miles at Woodbridge.
At this point, Leachman is, without question, one of the best girls runners in the country -- if not the best.
* Leachman and her coach, Jonathan Tate, pose for a photo after her state championship win
Photo Credit: Cory Mull
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In September, she had given Brown's record a pass for the first time, clocking a time of 16:30.30 at Old Settler's Park.
On Friday, however, the conditions were almost perfect -- roughly 50 degrees without humidity at the start. Leachman wore arm-warmers and a headband during the race. She also adjusted her flats, adding slightly larger spikes.
"I think that was kind of the goal in mind," Leachman said of surpassing Brown's mark. "It's really hard to go for something like that without knowing how fast you're going. The ultimately goal was to run a good race, run a smart race and feel good doing it."
It also helped that Boerne Champion's girls team had qualified for state, too. Leachman and her teammates pulled together a seventh-place finish. The boys team reached the podium, finishing third.
Leachman said afterward that personal success paled in comparison to the team's accomplishments.
"For me, it was really about just being here with the team," she said. "They've come so far this season. We didn't know how it was going to play out at the beginning of the year, and they've just grown so much. Just being able to help them and do whatever I could to help them get a good place, that was the goal."
Next up?
Leachman is schedule to run at the Nike South Regional. She's considering adding another region, Foot Locker South, to the docket as well. That, however, will be determined sometime later.
For now, Leachman said, she's going to enjoy the moment.
"Just celebrating today," she said. "But moving forward, keeping the training going, so I can be ready for those next races."
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