Boerne Champion’s Elizabeth Leachman races at U.S. Olympic trials

Boerne Champion’s Elizabeth Leachman’s had the opportunity that very few people in life experience – a chance to compete at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Leachman ran well enough at the Texas Relays in late March to qualify for the women’s 5,000-meter race at the U.S. Olympic trials last Friday in Eugene, Oregon.

Leachman’s coach Jenny Breuer was there with her in Oregon and said it was a great experience for the 16-year-old.

“It was equal parts incredible and overwhelming,” Breuer said. “The other 5K women were so kind and encouraging, which helped to keep her as calm as possible.”

Leachman ran in the second of two heats at the trials. The top six finishers in each heat automatically advanced to Monday’s finals. The next four fastest times, regardless of heat, also made it to the finals as wildcards. Only the top three finishers in the finals made this year’s Olympic team.

In Leachman’s heat, the pack ran together for a majority of the race until a group of eight separated late from the field.

The group pulled away and the 16-year-old Leachman came home 13th in her heat, with a time of 16:36.67. She was the only high school runner in the field and one of the few non-professional athletes in the race.

By finishing 13th in her heat, Leachman beat two runners in her race, and in the field of 30, she was 26th overall in the two heats combined.

Heat 2 favorite Elise Cranny – a member of the 2021 U.S. Olympics team and a three-time U.S. champion in the 5K – won the heat with a time of 16:02.33.

The sixth-place time of Emily Infeld was 16:11.64, nine seconds faster than the seventh-place runner and 25 seconds better than Leachman’s finish.

NBC’s broadcasting crew made mention of Leachman and her positioning within the lead pack of runners on several occasions, while rarely mentioning any runners who were not at the front of the pack.

One of the TV announcers said Leachman was handed a “very pedestrian race” and it was allowing her to hang close to the lead for a majority of the time.

It was indeed a slower pace in the second heat compared to the first. Only the top six automatic qualifiers from Leachman’s heat advanced to the finals. All four wild cards came from the first heat.

Breuer said Leachman just let the race unfold and did the best she could to maneuver.

“She didn’t have a lot of choice in how to run such a slow, strategic race,” her coach said. “She didn’t want to lead and push the pace when surrounded by a field of the much more experienced runners. She tried to cover their moves and hold on when they did ratchet up the pace.”

This was Leachman’s first opportunity to race on a grand scale, against top-notch world-class athletes. She will be 20 years old when the 2028 Olympic Games roll around four short years from now.

Breuer said the plan is for Leachman to rest up, continue her training and be ready when the high school cross-country season starts in August. She is the defending 5A state champion in cross country.