After winning the Class 6A individual state title and helping the Dragons to the 6A team championship, Carroll sophomore Caden Leonard was named Gatorade Texas Boys Cross Country Runner Of The Year on Jan. 26.
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and
in the community, distinguishes Leonard as Texas’ best high school boys cross country player.
The 6-foot-1, 140-pound sophomore peaked admirably this past season, breaking the tape at the Class 6A state
meet in a time of 15:00.1 and leading the Dragons to the team title. Cementing his campaign as the top sophomore
in the nation, Leonard notched identical 21st-place finishes at both the Doug Speck Sweepstakes Race at the
Woodbridge Classic and the Nike Cross Nationals Final, the latter of which earned Carroll third place as a team. In
qualifying for NXN, he clocked a personal-best 14:55.8 to walk away with bronze and First Team All-Region
recognition at NXR South.
Leonard has also volunteered locally on behalf of the Young Men’s Service League, a non-profit organization that
initiates and encourages young men and their mothers to pursue philanthropic involvement in their community. He
has also donated his time to the local branch of the Special Olympics and has served in youth ministry at White’s
Chapel Methodist Church.
“Caden Leonard lifted his team to a bronze medal at the Nike Cross Nationals Final with a Third Team All-American performance on the heels of taking the individual bronze at the NXN South Regional,” said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. “His state title-winning run was the jewel of the Dragons team championship.”
Leonard, who also excels in the classroom, joins recent Gatorade Texas Boys Cross Country Players of the Year Kevin Sanchez (2022-23, Vandegrift High School), Emmanuel Sgouros (2021-22, St. John’s School), Judson Greer (2020-21, Melissa High School) and Ryan Schoppe (2019-20, La Porte High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
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