Texas Champion Saves Something For The Finish And Becomes Second-Fastest Sophomore Winner At Foot Locker

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

John Nepolitan photo (finish), Ken Martinez photo (hills)

Elizabeth Leachman had a week to think about the lessons that she learned at Nike Cross Nationals. 

The sophomore from Boerne, Texas was rewarded for her patience Saturday and won the Foot Locker Cross Country girls championship race in 16:50.7 on the 5-kilometer layout at Balboa Park in San Diego. 

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Leachman became the fastest sophomore winner at the historic race since Julia Stamps in 1994, but the clock was not on her mind. Winning was. 

"I really tried to focus on what I took away from last week and letting my emotions get the best of me," Leachman said. "I trusted that I would be able to pick it up when I needed to, instead of going out and dying."

Last week, Leachman led for 10 minutes at Nike Cross Nationals and she pressed hard in the first half of the race in difficult, muddy conditions. But she wore herself out and was ultimately caught and she finished 15th.

That result took a toll on her confidence after what had been up to that point a flawless season. 

 "I've had a good season and I'm lucky for that. I've run most of my races on pretty nice courses with pretty decent conditions," Leachman said. "So, to not feel like I could run as well under harder conditions definitely made me doubt this a little, knowing this is a very challenging course."

Meanwhile, Rachel Forsyth was also attempting to recalibrate her strategy for a winning effort in San Diego. 

Forsyth bolted out into the lead at NXN, and Saturday in San Diego she went out even harder in an attempt to break the entire field. 

The Midwest regional champion from Ann Arbor, Mich. went out at a ripping 2:23 first for 800 meters and 5-flat though the mile to build a 10-second lead. 

In Portland, Forstyth led the first few minutes until Leachman went by. In San Diego, she led for 10 and a half minutes before Leachman caught up. Forsyth surged again, but couldn't shake Leachman. 

By 12 minutes, nearing the base of the hill on the second go-round at Balboa Park, Leachman had forged into the lead for good and was separating. 

"A couple of weeks ago, I was looking to run a certain time," Leachman said. "After last week, I learned that going out fast can kill you."

Credit the two national championship events with offering a chance to learn how to win high stakes races. For Leachman and Forsyth, who typically beat local high school competition by minutes, national events brought out their best and required them to think. 

"That's kind of what I've been hoping for all season is a chance to duel it out with her like that," Leachman said of Forsyth. "She's just such an amazing runner and had a great season."

Even in defeat, Forsyth gave herself a better chance to win. She dominated the first half of the race and did her best to respond to the challenge when Leachman caught up. 

"I feel like I was able to keep my composure a little bit better (this week)," Forsyth said. 

Besides the final three minutes and 20 seconds of NXN, which was won by Addison Ritzenhein of Niwot CO, Leachman or Forsyth led every second of the two national championship races. 

The two national champions -- Ritzenhein and Leachman -- are both sophomores. 

Forsyth and Leachman went through two miles in 10:43.0 and 10:43.8, respectively. By that point Allie Zealand from Lynchburg, Va. was the only runner within 20 seconds of them. Zealand crossed the 2-mile split at 10:57.0. 

Leachman had enough energy left to navigate the final hill and began to pull away.

Zealand tracked down Forsyth within sight of the finish line and took second place in 17:04.5. Forsyth reached the finish line in 17:08.3. 

Mary Bonner Dalton from Charlotte, N.C. finished 20 seconds later, in 17:28.1. Addison Knoblauch of Fort Wayne, Ind. was another 15 seconds back and fifth in 17:43.0. Ruth White of Orono, Maine (17:43.1) was sixth and Jaynie Halterman of Thompson's Station, Tenn. was seventh (17:43.4).

Five of the top eight in the race came out of the South, which won the team title with 22 points, securing the third crown in meet history for the regional girls lineup, including the first since 2016. 

Leachman, who burst onto the elite national running scene last spring when she ran a 9:57.65 2-mile, became the second Texas winner, and the second in three years, joining former Flower Mound star Natalie Cook, who won the 2021 race in 17:15 after capturing the title at the Garmin RunningLane Championships in Alabama the week before. 

Leachman's fitness comes by a heavy dose of cross-training versus a high volume of running miles, something Cook, the honorary South coach, relates to.

NCAA champion Parker Valby uses cross-training tools, such as an elliptical machine or stationary bicycle, as well. 

"For people who are injury-prone, I feel like cross training is a great way to supplement," said Cook, a sophomore at Colorado.