Leana Goldman '17 Recruiting Profile

Since my freshman year, I have been a team leader on and off of the race track or course. My understanding and value of a strong work ethic, perseverance, and team work is what has made me such a strong teammate and competitor.

I am involved in Metea Valley High School’s community on the track as well as in the classroom and through other extracurriculars.  Honors and AP classes every year have ensured that I practice time management and go above and beyond expectations to be successful. Through Key Club, I serve throughout my school and community in volunteer opportunities and further demonstrate leadership as the 2016-2017 Metea Key Club President. I am also a cross country and track representative for my high school's first ever Student Athlete Leadership Team. Additionally, I have leadership roles as an editor for my school's yearbook.

Being a student athlete is very important to me. I know my strengths and weaknesses because I love to work at becoming the best I can be. I have and will continue to raise my GPA every year.  Facing an early season injury my sophomore year that prevented me from having a more successful cross country season has made me a much stronger runner and knowledgeable of how to prevent this from happening again. After that injury, I gave my winter and track training everything I had, and was able to come back and qualify for the IHSA State track 1600m race. I am in my senior cross country season. So far as a high school athlete, I have accomplished goals such as: receiving academic all-conference every year, qualifying for the IHSA state track meet in the 1600m event(sophomore year- 2015), receiving all-conference, all-regional, and all-sectional recognition in my senior cross country season, being a part of my high school's first ever IHSA state qualifying cross country team in history where we placed 14th in the 2015 3A race as a team, and recently being my team's lead runner to guide us to another state qualification. This has all showcased the determined and hardworking teammate, competitor, and runner I am.

I am a smart and fierce competitor in every race. I know there is nothing better than finishing a race knowing I gave everything I could. I run because I love it and I love it because I know the harder and faster I push, the better I am becoming for myself and my team. Running has not only given me amazing friends and role models, I have found and developed a part of myself that has made me become a better person overall.

My work ethic for running, school work, and other extracurriculars has given me the confidence that I will be able to fit in and have an awesome experience as a college athlete. I am excited to find a college that best fits my athletic and academic abilities and goals. I love training, racing, and being a teammate; I am looking forward to a life after high school that involves being the athlete of a college team that I can contribute to on and off the track.