By Rachel Pinton ’01 |  Fall 2024

For most first-year collegiate student-athletes, the pressure to perform at a high level can be intimidating. It comes with challenging high-level juniors and seniors with more years of experience in training, competing and giving it their all to make it to the National Stage. But for some, stepping to the starting line as a young college athlete is just what they are meant to do. The pressure for them rolls off their shoulders as if the word intimidation is not welcome, or even existent, in their vocabulary. 

For first-year Dale Leonard, a student-athlete out of Hunterdon Central in Flemington, N.J., continuing her passion for long-distance running at the collegiate level was a no-brainer as a Roadrunner. “I chose Ramapo College because of the inclusive community and reputation of the track and field program,” Leonard said. “I knew it was where I wanted to be!” Leonard’s hunger for running was nothing of a surprise to the Ramapo coaching staff and her teammates. Leonard was a 12-time varsity letter winner for high school cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field. She was named Most Valuable Athlete in two consecutive seasons (2021 and 2022) while breaking the Hunterdon Central school record in the 1,000-meter run in 2:59. Leonard was crowned Sectional Champion in the 800-meter run during the 2022 indoor season.

Coach Justina Cassavell shared, “Dale made an impact right out of the gate in her first collegiate race as a Roadrunner. Watching her calmly step to the starting line, I knew she would be special for us.”

Leonard finished her first collegiate race in 1st place for the Roadrunners as she clocked in at 19:43.2 in the 5k contest and was one of only two Ramapo athletes to score points. She again finished on top of all Roadrunners at the Osprey Open with a 6k race time of 23:08.86 before pacing Ramapo and posting her best mark so far that season of 22:00 at the Border Battle in Glassboro, N.J. However, October 28, 2023 would be the first date as a collegiate athlete that Leonard would never forget. She spent the season training to make it to the National Stage, but first, on that day in October, she had another goal in mind. Leonard stepped to the starting line in her most important race of the season, the 2023 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship. Focused and ready to dominate, Leonard became the third straight Roadrunner to win the NJAC Championship crown. She controlled the race, winning by 25 seconds (22:59.2) over her competitors and punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships.

Leonard racing during the 2023-2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Leonard went on to win the NCAA Metro Region Championship in 21:41.9 with a new personal best time and became the program’s first NCAA Regional Champion. She earned NCAA Metro All-Region honors and, while competing at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships, earned the top spot among the NJAC.  As one of the highest-ranked first-years in the field, Leonard finished 7th among her rookie peers. She was named NJAC Runner and NJAC Rookie of the Year, U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Metro Region Athlete of the Year and went down in the college’s record books as the first female runner in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet, win the Metro Regional Title and be named Metro Region Athlete of the Year; all this in just her first season as a collegiate student-athlete.

Leonard’s competitive nature and winning continued into the indoor track and field season as she was named NJAC First Team All-Conference (mile and 3K) and NJAC Women’s Outstanding Track Athlete. She won the mile with a NJAC Championship meet record time of 4:55.95, and while competing at the 2023-2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the mile, she cut her program record to 4:53.59, placing 4th overall. Leonard was named NCAA All-American and before competing on the National Stage, won the AARTFC All-Atlantic Indoor Championships, was named NCAA All-Metro Region in the mile, 800m and 3K, and was a six-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and NJAC Runner of the Week honoree.

During the outdoor season, she won the 1500m with a NJAC Championship meet record time of 4:29.99, being named NJAC First Team All-Conference (1500m) and NJAC Second Team (800m). She once again took home the title of NJAC Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Year and was named NCAA All-Metro Region in the 800m, 1500m and 5K while competing as part of the 4x400m relay team who earned All-Region honors. A five-time NJAC Rookie of the Week for the outdoor season, Leonard made her third appearance on the National Stage, earning a ticket to compete in the 1500m race at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

“Dale had a tremendous rookie year and her improvement was exciting to watch,” Cassavell stated. “She has been a great teammate and we are excited for her continued success over the next three years!”