Top Ten of 2012-13 - #2 - Micah Leonard Finishes as Runner-Up in Triple Jump at NCAA DIII Championships
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College continues its countdown of the top 10 honors and moments of the 2012-13 season today with a look at our No. 2 highlight – Micah Leonard finishing as the runner-up in the triple jump at the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championships in May.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College continues its countdown of the top 10 honors and moments of the 2012-13 season today with a look at our No. 2 highlight – Micah Leonard finishing as the runner-up in the triple jump at the 2013 NCAA Division III National Championships in May.
Leonard, who was been part of three other moments in the Top 10 countdown, capped an outstanding career two months ago when she placed second in the triple jump with a school record distance of 12.47 meters (40 feet, 11 inches) at the NCAA meet hosted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on May 25th. It marked the sixth time in her career and second time in 2013 that Leonard earned All-America honors.
"NCAAs are always going to be in my special memories," Leonard said. "I took such joy in representing my school, family, team, coaches, hometown, and myself. The belief everyone had in me gave me the strength to go and compete with confidence."
Leonard, who qualified for nationals in both the long jump and triple jump but decided to focus on the triple jump, started the NCAA meet with an opening distance of 12.32 meters (40-5) before breaking the school record for a fifth time this season at 12.40 meters (40-8 ¼) on her second attempt. Despite a foul on her third attempt of the preliminaries, Leonard headed to the finals in second place.
She opened the finals with a distance of 12.06 meters (39-6 ¾) but fell to third place when Reny Colton from Claremont-Mudd Scripps jumped 12.47 meters in the fifth round right before Leonard's attempt. Leonard matched the distance for another school record and moved back into second place with a better second distance. Leonard finished the event with a mark of 12.22 meters (40-1 ¼) to secure her All-America honors.
"She was peaking at the right time, stated Head Coach Jesse Baumann. "She set a six inch PR at conference, then again improved another eight inches and broke 40 feet for her first time ever at a last chance meet at York. Going into NCAAs she could have competed in both the long jump and triple jump since she had qualified in both. In situations like Micah's where she qualified in two individual events, I have always left it up to the athletes to choose which events they want to compete in at NCAAs because they earned that right. With that said, my advice to her was to compete in both events because with it being her last meet ever, you want to fly back home from the meet with something to feel good about, which for her meant coming home with another All-American award. My logic was if you compete in two events it increases those chances, especially if something goes wrong in one of the events, however I still left the choice up to her.
"She had so much confidence at that point in the year that she said all she wanted to do was focus on her primary event, the triple jump, Baumann continued. "I was apprehensive going into the meet, but she obviously knew best and set another HUGE five inch PR in her last ever jump - that's something you just don't do when you've been jumping as long as she has been. The jumper she finished second to was the second best triple jumper in the history of Division III, so finishing second and setting an enormous PR was all she or we could have asked for and it was a storybook ending to one of the best athletic careers we've had with this track program."
Leonard earned a number of additional awards in her senior season including being named the Greyhound Female Senior Athlete Award winner. She was also honored as the Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Outstanding Field Athlete in track & field this spring and was Moravian's LVAIAW Outstanding Athlete for the school.
During the indoor season, Leonard earned All-America honors for the fifth time in her career as she placed fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 11.86 meters (38-10 ¾) at the 2013 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships hosted by North Central (Ill.) College. At the ECAC Championships, Leonard posted a school record distance of 11.95 meters (39-2 ½) while placing third in the event. Leonard was also named the Landmark Conference Indoor Field Athlete of the Year for the third straight season. She won the triple jump for the fourth straight year, and she captured the long jump for a third consecutive meet while placing second in the high jump.
In late April at the Landmark Conference Outdoor Championships, Leonard helped Moravian win its sixth straight team title, and she was named the Field Athlete of the Year. Leonard won the long jump with a mark of 5.69 meters (18-8), a career best that moved her to tenth place in the nation. Leonard then captured the triple jump for the fourth straight year with a Moravian and Landmark Conference record distance of 12.14 meters (39-10), a distance that moved her to third in the nation, and she was also the runner-up in the high jump.
A day after being honored with the Greyhound Senior Athlete Award, Leonard won the triple jump at the York Twilight meet with another school record of 12.34 meters (40-6), the first time in her career that Leonard surpassed 40 feet. A week later, Leonard was the runner-up in the event at the ECAC Championships.
"I almost can't explain what getting second place at nationals means to me," Leonard finished. "I almost didn't let myself believe it until I was on the stand. I knew the girls I needed to look out for competition wise but for the first time I wasn't nervous to compete against girls who were tough competition for me. I knew I deserved to be there and I had something big to give to the track and I did! Plus my mom and dad came out to see me. I had to show off for them. Getting that place sparked a new level of confidence in me. Now I know I have much more in me."
Number one on our countdown will be announced on Thursday, August 1st.
No. 10 - Donnie Noble Sweeps Landmark Conference Track
Athlete of the Year Awards
No. 9 - Women's Volleyball Wins School Record 29 Matches
No. 8 - Women's Basketball Wins Play 4Kay for 5th Straight Year
with over $16,000 Raised
No. 7 - Micah Leonard Sweeps Landmark Conference Field Athlete of
the Year Honors
No. 6 - Women's Track & Field Team Wins 2 More Landmark
Conference Titles
No. 5 - Dillon Farrell Wins Landmark Conference Men's Cross Country
Championship
No. 4 - Men's Cross Country and Track & Field Teams Sweep
Landmark Conference Team Titles for 2nd Straight Year
No. 3 - Travis King & Micah Leonard Honored as Greyhound Senior
Athlete Award Winners
No. 2 - Micah Leonard Finishes as Runner-Up in Triple Jump at NCAA
DIII National Championships
No. 1 - Baseball Wins Landmark Conference Championship
