College Recruit Rankings Profile: Five-Star T.J. Leon, Class of 2010

PHOENIX, Arizona, July 16. T.J. Leon, a five-star prospect from the Class of 2010, is up next in this summer's series of Swimming World College Recruit Rankings Profiles. Leon represents UMS-Wright and the City of Mobile Swim Association in Alabama.
Leon maintains his profile in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks, and is looking to make an impact collegiately in the sprint events. He has top long course meter times in the 50 free (23.37) and 100 fly (54.60).

When and where did you start swimming?
I began swimming at age 5 in summer league. I swam summer league and part-time for my club team (CMSA) until the eighth grade. I played baseball until age 11 and football and basketball during the fall and winter through the seventh grade. In the eighth grade, I began swimming year round.

Who would you name as the most influential person and coach in your swimming career?
I have been influenced by all of my coaches. They include Brian Haddad and Allison Beebe, who were my age group coaches, and Tom Herder, who coached me at age 13 and 14. Since that time, my coach has been Billy Doughty. He and I get along great, and I have learned an amazing amount from him about swimming and specifically my strokes.

What, to this point, is your best moment in the sport and why?
I have had a number of great swimming memories, but my two favorites are coming from sixth place to first place on the final leg of the 400 free relay at our short course LSC meet when I was 14, and winning the 100-yard fly at the NCSA Junior Nationals in March 2008.

Walk us through a day of practice:
Usually get up at 4:15am, drive 25 minutes to practice. In the summer, we practice from 5 to 7:30 am on M-F and 6:30 to 10am, which includes an hour and a half weight workout, on Saturday and also 4-6:30pm on MWF. During school, we practice from 5-6:30am and from 4 to either 6 or 7pm in the afternoon. Saturday is usually from 6:30 to 10am. We do 5 to 7,000 meters per day during conditioning, and my taper is usually about 1 month in length. We generally do a warm-up set, sometimes we do drill and stroke work but more often than not, we do freestyle conditioning sets and occasionally IM sets. Additionally, I lift weights twice per week.

What is your favorite set?
I like to do sprint 50s or 100s test sets on long intervals from the blocks. Those sets help to gauge where I am in my training and if I am improving.

What is your least favorite set?
Long freestyle sets in excess of 5000 yards per set.

What are your short-term goals?
It is my goal to be ranked first in my age group in the 50 and 100 free and 100 fly during the next short course season. It is also important to me that I improve in the 200 free, 100 back and 200 IM, so that I am nationally ranked in those events as well.

What are your long-term goals?
To win an NCAA team championship, an NCAA individual championship, and make the 2012 Olympic team.

What colleges are you interested in so far?
I have narrowed my list to (in no particular order): Auburn, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

What has the recruiting process been like so far, now that you are allowed to be called by coaches?
To this point, I have enjoyed the recruiting process. I have had a lot of help, and been given a lot of good advice from my coach and my parents.

Is there anything else interesting that you'd like our readers to know about you?
Swimming was always my third or fourth favorite sport as a kid growing up, but I began to realize around the fifth or sixth grade that it was the one that I was the best at.

RECRUITS: To make sure we have the most updated information on your recruiting, and to earn the highest star ranking you deserve, please either create a new profile, or request to take over your admin-created account in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks. Then make sure to update your profile with your top times. Click here for information on how to do so.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x