As senior Leon Beard Jr. crossed the finish line for the final time this past weekend at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet in Charlottesville, there was a great feeling of bitter sweetness.
“Running cross country for four years is a lot of work, and a lot of miles,” said Beard. “Realizing that I was not going to race anymore was very hard to deal with. It’s hard to realize that it’s all over.”
While dressed in his Longwood singlet, he set a multitude of records in races. He holds two of the top 10 times in the 10-kilometer race, while also holding the second and third best times in the 6-kilometer race.
“It feels good to hold these because I know my hard work and dedication has paid off. I have to give thanks to my coach and even my previous teammates for establishing consistency, and showing me what it takes to be good,” said Beard.
A large part of Beard’s determination came from seeing his head coach battle cancer, and still compete at a high level through triathlon competitions.
“It was really an eye opener to me," he said. "She is definitely a person who practices what she preaches, consistency and discipline.”
At home, Beard said he looked to his father as a role model during his childhood.
“He’s a really strong man, and a lot of the things instilled in me like my morals and character come from him," said Beard.
He noted the NCAA Regional Meet from his junior year being his favorite race when he set a new school record in the 10K event.
“Up to that point, I always knew I had to just give it that one extra push to get to that level, it opened my eyes to see that I can accomplish the results that I strive for,” he said.
Before races, he loved to listen to rap and electronic music to keep him even keeled and calm before a race.
Off the course, Beard loves watching sports of all varieties. His favorite athlete from the current generation is Oklahoma City Thunder player Russell Westbrook thanks to his never say die attitude, work ethic and the fact that with everything he does at full speed.
“I try to have the same mentality as Westbrook because like him every practice, every weekly, every race, and in all the steps of preparation I gave it my all," said Beard.
In the classroom, Beard studies business with a concentration in marketing. He has aspirations to one day go into the sports marketing field of course, sports are something that is very important to him.
When Leon Beard Jr. finishes his time at Longwood, he hopes to stay active and "will always be running," whether it's a half marathon or other recreational sports.
As Beard prepares to make his next step in life he said he wants to be remembered as someone who led by his actions, did things the right way and is a prime example of hard work paying off in the long run.
He said, “I treated people the same, and I just want everyone to know that I cared about everybody and everything.”
