Leonard among country's best
Grady Leonard spins before releasing his shot put in the 5A Region 1 track meet last week at Coeur d’Alene High School. Leonard recorded a throw of 66 feet, 7 inches. LOREN BENOIT/Press
COEUR d’ALENE — At 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, Grady Leonard has the aesthetics of a capable thrower.
Not an elite one, though.
But Leonard, Coeur d’Alene High’s record-shattering senior, currently owns the country’s fourth-best heave in the shot put.
Nobody in the Gem State has come within about 8 feet of his 67-foot throw in April, a mark which seemingly dwarfed his previous school record of 60 feet, 7 inches — the same throw which won him a 5A state title in 2016.
“I am pretty weak for a thrower,” admitted Leonard, who’s piqued the recruiting interest of such high-major programs as Penn State, Indiana and Nebraska.
Sure, his measurables aren’t as imposing as Yuma, Ariz.’s Tyson Jones (6-5, 260) or Jordan Geist (6-3, 260) out of Pennsylvania, who share the same tier as Leonard among the country’s best prep throwers.
Technique and the right tutelage have been the biggest boons for Leonard, who will be aiming for a repeat today at the state 5A track and field meet at Dona Larsen Park in Boise. He is also the overwhelming favorite in the discus, an event in which he placed third a year ago.
His father, Neil Leonard, is a former Post Falls High throws coach who, in his heyday, tossed collegiately at the University of Nevada and San Jose State.
Grady’s sister, Kristine (Leonard) Rothwell, took home a 4A state shot put title for Lakeland in 2008 before shining at both the NAIA and NCAA Division I levels at Concordia of Portland and Idaho.
She’s now Grady’s coach and believes her one-sport brother is still nowhere near his ceiling.
“He just has the passion to improve. It’s not work for him,” said Kristine, who once won a Western Athletic Conference title in the discus. “We’re both rotational shot putters. Mentally, we’re both the same, but he is more dedicated than I was.”
The sage wisdom of his other decorated throwing coaches — Bart Templeman of the Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp and former college coach Bob McKay — has also played into rapid growth.
The often-reserved Leonard has a way of getting the most out of himself, too. Before most of his throws, Leonard will begin to start a group clap before he steps to the circle, an attempt to evoke a little more power into his attempts.
“I hope that doesn’t come off as cocky,” smiled Leonard, his neck powdered with throwers chalk. “It’s something I picked up when watching others throw at big meets.”
Leonard believes 70 feet is a feasible goal this weekend. The country’s top throw belongs to University of Texas signee Adrian Piperi out of Houston at 74-11.
“I’d love to go 70, that’s always a goal,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about it. The 67 felt really easy. It came off right. Everything lined up. My coach was even seeing that it wasn’t pretty. But I think there’s still more there.”
Leonard also owns the Coeur d’Alene High record in the discus (188 feet). Currently, Idaho state meet records belong to former Post Falls sensation Ian Waltz (64-0 shot, 203-9 discus).
In the event he earns a pair of state titles in his respective events, he would could put Coeur d’Alene’s boys team in trophy contention.
That’s what his sister expects.
“He performs his best at the big meets,” Kristine said. “He’s surprised people all year.”
Local title contenders
Classification rank per Athletic.net
5A BOYS
Name: Nate Burch
School: Coeur d’Alene
Event: 110 hurdles
Time: 14.75
Rank: 1
Name: Alex Ayers
School: Lake City
Event: 300 hurdles, 400
Time: 39.62, 48.8
Rank: 2, 3
Name: Zac Magee
School: Coeur d’Alene
Event 400
Time: 48.46
Rank: 2
5A GIRLS
Name: Emily Hernandez
School: Lake City
Event: Shot put
Mark: 42-1.5
Rank: 1
Name: Keara Simpson
School: Lake City
Event: Discus
Mark: 134-10
Rank: 1
Name: Jocie Osika
School: Lake City
Event: Discus
Mark: 131-9
Rank: 2
Name: Melody Kempton
School: Post Falls
Event: High jump
Mark: 5-7
Rank: 2
Name: Mackenzie Morris
School: Post Falls
Event: Pole vault
Mark: 11-6
Rank: 3
4A BOYS
Name: Cooper Hanley
School: Lakeland
Event: 3,200
Time: 4:26.99
Rank: 2
4A GIRLS
Name: Whitnee Skalski
School: Lakeland
Event: Triple jump
Mark: 36-3.
Rank: 3
3A BOYS
Name: Brayden Menti
School: Timberlake
Event: 800
Mark: 2:02.2
Rank: 3
Name: Landon Chang
School: Charter
Event: 1600, 3200
Mark: 4:35.25, 9:54.32
Rank: 2, 3
Name: Landon David
School: Timberlake
Event: 1,600
Time: 4:35.33
Rank: 3
3A GIRLS
Name: Kassidy Hammond
School: Timberlake
Event: 1,600
Time: 5:27.73
Rank: 3
2A BOYS
Name: Donavin Rottini
School: St. Maries
Event: Shot put, discus
Mark: 47-6, 146-11
Rank: 2, 2
2A GIRLS
Name: Karli Trueman
School: St. Maries
Event: Shot put
Mark: 35-1
Rank: 3
1A GIRLS
Name: Madison Napierala
School: Kootenai
Event: Pole
Mark: 9-6
Rank: 1