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Leon Qualifies for Nationals
Nov. 12, 2007
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio's Craig Leon has qualified for the NCAA National Championship on Monday, Nov. 19 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., the NCAA announced Sunday night. With Indiana, Notre Dame and Ohio State earning team at-large berths from the Great Lakes Regional, joining automatic qualifiers Wisconsin and Michigan, Ohio's Craig Leon was ranked among the top-four individuals not on a qualifying team and earned a trip to Nationals next week. Runners from Notre Dame, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan took 11 of the top 15 spots on Saturday at the Great Lakes Regional competition so Leon's 15th place finish earned him the last of four individual automatic qualifying positions. The other three individual qualifiers from Great Lakes are Butler's Andy Baker, who took third at Regionals, Eastern Michigan's Josh Karanja, who placed eighth and Miami's Pat Sovocool, who finished 12th on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind. A former walk-on, Leon has been Ohio's top competitor this season. The graduate student in Ohio's sports administration master's program has finished first twice this season - at the season-opening Mel Brodt Invite and the Bobcats' own Ohio Invitational. Leon placed third in a pair of races and finished second at the MAC Championships to lead Ohio to a fourth place team standing. The Van Wert, Ohio native also captured Ohio's second fastest 8k mark all-time with a 23:58 finish at Pre-Nationals on Oct. 13. "Craig has put in five years of hard work and dedication and to go from a walk-on to a national qualifier is one of an athlete's greatest achievements," said Clay Calkins, Ohio's head cross country coach. Leon has a chance to become Ohio's first cross country national champion since Elmore Banton in 1964.
---------------------------- Joe Waltasti is the cross country contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at waltasti@ohio.edu and in the office at 740-593-0054. |
