MSU’s Leon competes on the national stage

Following the Big Sky Conference (BSC) Indoor Track and Field Championships, in which the men’s team placed third and the women’s team placed fifth overall, one MSU athlete qualified to compete in the NCAA DI Indoor Track and Field Championships, March 9 and 10 in College Station, Texas. Senior Diego Leon qualified to compete in the mile after achieving his personal record of 3:57.37 during an MSU-hosted dual meet on Feb. 9. This was the 13th best mile time in the nation this season.

The mile was the first running event of the NCAA DI Championships. Leon ran in the first heat, hoping to qualify for the finals. He held the lead throughout the first half mile, eventually falling behind and finishing with an overall time of 4.08.34. Following the times in the second heat, however, it was determined that this time did not qualify Leon to compete in the final mile heat.  Leon placed 14th overall at the championships.

Leon is MSU’s seventh men’s All-American athlete, and holds the third all-time distance record for MSU with his Feb. 9 mile time. He is also sixth all-time in the MSU record books in the 5,000-meter run and eighth all-time in the 3,000-meter run.

The outdoor season will begin for the Bobcats with the Al Manual Northwest Dual Meet Invitational, March 30 and 31 in Missoula.