February Runner of the Month: Cory Leslie
with a time of 3:49.51. Corey was also won the Div II Ohio Cross Country Individual title his senior year with a 5k time of 15:33 and the Div II mile his junior year in 4:08.41.
Cory has transitioned into one of The Ohio State University's best middle distance runners of all time. In 2011, Cory set the OSU indoor mile record with a 3:57.97. He bettered that record this spring running a 3:56.85. He also holds the OSU indoor 1000m record in 2:22.48. He also qualified for the NCAA Track Championships in the steeplechase where he holds a best time of 8:40.49.
Cory has had a spectacular indoor?season thus far and the month of?February was especially excellent for?him. This past month Cory has set ?OSU school records in both the 800?(1:48.11) and the mile (3:56:85) and?is recently coming off of a great?showing at the Big Ten?Championships, placing 2nd in the?mile and 3rd in the 800. Cory has?secured an automatic berth to the NCAA Indoor Championship in the mile where he currently has the 7th fastest time in the NCAA, as well as a provisional mark in the 800 where he currently has the 11th fastest time in the NCAA. Gopherarun recently caught up with the OSU All- American:
1. Could you just provide a brief background of where and when your running career began and why?
My dad was a high school coach so I would always tag along with him on the weekends to watch his team's race. When I finally got to junior high I started running track in 7th grade and cross country in 8th.
2. You had a very good highschool career that included state records and multiple state championships. There must have been quite a recruiting battle going on for your services. What made you decided to go with Ohio State and how does it feel to continue to represent the state of Ohio?
It's an honor to be able to continue representing the state of Ohio at the collegiate level. Every year Ohio produces talented runners and I think we all enjoy the opportunity to represent our state no matter what school we choose run for.
The main reason I chose The Ohio State University was because of coach Gary. I was immediately drawn to the culture he has created and his belief in being able to take my running to the next level.
3. I would imagine this past month has been a major highpoint in your career, setting 2 OSU school records and once again dipping well under 4 minutes for the mile. It has to be hard to choose just one, but what is your most memorable running achievement and why?
My sophomore year at Ohio State we won the Drake Relays 4x800 race. In the race we beat some top teams in the country, set the school record, and ran the fastest time in the world at that point in the season. While our reign atop the world standings lasted less then 24 hours it was an exciting time and gave us a lot of momentum for the rest of the season.
4. Obviously you have your eyes set on the NCAA Indoor Championships coming up. What are your goals for that meet and following that meet, with 2012 being an Olympic year how does that affect your goals for the outdoor season?
With 2012 being an Olympic year it definitely forced us to look ahead as far as training goes. Everyone wants to be at their best for the trials in June and our training group here is no different.
However, our immediate focus is on the NCAA indoor meet just a couple weeks away. Going in goals are pretty simple, get into the final and be All-American, which is top 8.
5. For those of you that do not know, Cory is an elite volleyball player who happens to be able to run very fast. Your intensity on the volleyball court is unmatched. How do you carry that intensity to the track?
Most people don't realize it but I use cross country and track to keep me in shape for volleyball at camp (only somewhat joking). But, the intensity comes from the fact that I hate to lose..... at anything. I don't even let my little cousins beat me in connect four.
On behalf of www.gopherarun.com we wish Cory good luck with the NCAA Championships and beyond this year!