Eleven State Championships and twenty-one appearances at Nike Nationals. That's the
tradition the runners at Southlake Carroll High School protect every day. And if this past
weekend is any indication, the team is off to another stellar season. Southlake Carroll ran in
eight races at Marcus 1 Invitational. They came away with winning five.
So what's the secret to Southlake's continued success? How does the program reload every
year? According to the school's Head Cross Country coach, Justin Leonard, Carroll is very
fortunate to have kids that buy into their process. "Every year we graduate 3-4 of our top 7 and
we have a group of kids that are waiting for their opportunity to step in." Leonard goes on to
say the key is the kids putting in the work while waiting for this opportunity. "We value hard
work, patience and perseverance. The runners understand that distance running takes time
and we want them to run their fastest times as seniors."
Southlake Carroll's cross country program has 165 runners that range in all ability levels. Coach
Leonard says, "Our goal is to create an environment that is positive and supports hard work
within this program."
Leonard has coached nationally ranked teams and individual runners, most recently Reed
Brown who now runs for the University of Oregon. While not all his runners are All-Americans,
many will become elite runners. Coach Leonard says a lot of that comes from high
expectations. "The kids feel as if they are supposed to run fast instead of hoping they run fast.
Also the underclassmen have the opportunity to observe what others have done before them
and they know it's possible as well for them if they're willing to make the same sacrifices."
"One thing we believe is a great tool is we keep records from our past runners and teams that
track their progress from freshman to senior year. The kids are able to see that they too can
accomplish success if they have the same mindset and goals."
But with success comes pressure to keep producing top teams. Just ask Coach Leonard. "We as
coaches feel pressure to perform just as our runners do. Pressure is a part of life that you have
to deal with and can't run from so you better learn how to deal with it. You want pressure
situations and you want your coaches and runners to learn how to use that pressure to
perform. We want our runners to perform their best when the pressure it at its peak."
So when Leonard's teams line up at the starting line, know that these runners have their
school's motto in mind, "Protect the Tradition". Coach Leonard shares this means remember
and respect what others have done for this program before you and the history it has built.
"The kids feel a sense of responsibility to continue the legacy that has been set before them.
One of our favorite quotes is, "Those who run with the past never run alone." So when each
Carroll runner crosses the finish line, it's not just for them but for the school's legacy they fight
so hard to protect.