Millennium runner Landen LeBlond fulfills childhood dream, commits to University of Oregon

From the trails of White Tank Mountian Regional Park to the streets of Wigwam Boulevard, Millennium senior Landen LeBlond has been dreaming about being an Oregon Duck since elementary school.

LeBlond spent summers in Lincoln City and Newport on the Oregon coast, where she first fell in love with the state. She kept that dream as she began her track and field career in Arizona. She started running very young, joining a club when she was 8.

“One of the sprint coaches on my club team, he actually ran for Oregon,” LeBlond said. “I remember that he watched me do a 1,500-(meter race), and he was like, ‘She’s going to run for Oregon.’ So that’s when the thought came, ‘Oh, yeah. That would be pretty cool.’”

Now, LeBlond’s childhood dream is being fulfilled as the Goodyear Millennium senior last week announced her commitment to Oregon to compete on the cross-country and track and field teams on scholarship.

The club coach who made that prediction was Muhammad Oliver, a decathlete who also played football at Oregon in the early 1990s and later went on to the NFL.

The Arizona Rising Suns, based in Peoria, were the first track and field club that LeBlond competed for, where Tawnie Martin coached. Martin, who is the sprint coach at Sunnyslope, has been watching LeBlond compete since the beginning.

“Everyone was surprised that her little tiny self was able to accomplish what she was doing,” Martin said. “She was always a hard worker even back then, and her work ethic showed in times at that young age and what she was willing to do to get further and faster. A lot of those kids that age are just trying to have fun. She knew what she wanted to do.”

Martin, also a certified coach with United States Track and Field, added: “I knew this was going to happen for her.''

But in order for LeBlond to take that next step, she needed a more focused approach. With the Rising Suns being a sprint club, there wasn’t too much of an emphasis on distance running.

LeBlond moved to Next Level Club, where she trained under Jim Rafferty, who she still works with at Millennium. It was with Rafferty that LeBlond began to develop.

Like Martin, Rafferty knew that he was working with something special.

He started looking at the big picture for LeBlond when was she around 10. With a history of so many young, phenomenal female distance runners burning out, Rafferty wanted LeBlond to have a long career.

“I had a plan for her that was long-term,” Rafferty said. “My concern was to make sure she got the best opportunity to go to the next level with lots of meat left on the bone and not having her reach her ceiling, as well as letting her physically develop and not pushing her too hard..”

With a methodical build-up, Rafferty expected the plan to evolve as LeBlond became ready to handle it. In her sophomore season, LeBlond ended the year as the fastest underclassman in the state for the 1,600-meters.

But she hadn’t burst onto the national scene yet. That happened earlier this year during her junior track season last spring.

At the Arcadia Invitational in Southern California, LeBlond put it all together and ran 4:44.60 in the mile to finish in third place. That time put LeBlond at No. 3 in state history for the event.

It was after that race that LeBlond sent an email to the recruiting coordinator at the University of Oregon. She was the one who initiated contact with the school. The next morning, coach Shalene Flanagan emailed back and the two talked on the phone. LeBlond soon went on a visit. The rest of the process was straightforward after that.

The decision to commit to Oregon actually was a tough one for LeBlond, who strongly considered staying in-state and heading up to Flagstaff at Northern Arizona University.

Eugene, Oregon is called “TrackTown USA” and is a host site for the Olympic Trials and World Athletics Championships.

“It means everything to me,” LeBlond said, about representing the state at the prestigious program. “Arizona hasn’t been very competitive in the past. It just means the world to me to lead Arizona. I’m honored.”

For her parents, it’s been special to watch their daughter grow into one of the nation’s top distance runners. Her father, Rich LeBlond, has played the role of co-coach alongside LeBlond’s primary coaches.

“It’s crazy,” Rich said. “There are times I was just happy that she finished a race healthy. It’s part of the process, these peaks and valleys. You have these great performances and you have these valleys. When you have these time periods where we are in a valley, when we have an injury or doubt, you just focus on the moment and don’t see the big picture.”

And now Landen is one of the fastest prep runners in state history on her way to Oregon, where she plans to specialize in the 1,500-meters for the outdoor track and field season. She's also interested in trying out the 3,000-meters for the indoor season.

At Oregon, LeBlond will be coached by Flanagan, who is one of the most storied distance runners in American history.  Flanagan made four Olympics and set numerous American records during her time as an athlete. She is the third-fastest American in marathon history.

For someone who grew up idolizing Flanagan, it’s a pinch-me kind of moment for LeBlond.

“She’s awesome,” LeBlond said. “It’s crazy that her contact is even in my phone, and that she's going to be my coach. I’m excited for her to take me to a whole other level. I think I have so much more to give. She’s been through it. I’m excited to learn from her because I want to do the things she has done.”

Rafferty envisions grand things for LeBlond.

He reached out to Jeff Messer, the former Xavier Preparatory and Desert Vista coach who is one of the winningest in state history for cross-country and track and field, for advice as LeBlond was developing. Messer used to work as a faculty member in exercise physiology at Mesa Community College and now lives in Connecticut.

With Desert Vista, Messer coached Dani Jones, one the greatest female prep runners to ever come out of Arizona. She still holds the state record in the 1,600-meters at 4:39.88. Jones went on to win three individual NCAA championships while at Colorado and runs professionally for New Balance.

“Honestly, she’s very comparable to Dani. And that’s not just my opinion, but Coach Messer who has gotten to know Landen very well, has seen her race and as we talk regularly about Landen in particular,” Rafferty said. “He feels she is, in his words, as good as Dani — perhaps better. That’s a big statement to make. That’s loaded with lots of ifs, and buts, and things like that. Dani is a remarkable talent and has achieved a tremendous amount, and Landen is still climbing the ladder a little bit.

“But I think her ceiling, especially the way we have developed her to this point, there’s still potential to be a national champion in college. There’s a long way between the potential and reality. She has not just the potential, but the likelihood to be a professional athlete if she desires to after her collegiate career.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Millennium's Landen LeBlond fulfills lifelong dream, commits to Oregon