Helena McLeod Becomes Just the Second Athlete in NAU History to Advance to the National Championships in the Long Jump

EUGENE, Ore - It isn't often that you see a Northern Arizona University women's long jumper advance to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships.

In fact, it is one of the rarer things to happen for such a storied track and field program.

For the first time since May Benzoor in 1984, the Lumberjacks will be sending a competing athlete in the event as Helena McLeod represents NAU in the finals of the women's long jump that is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. MST on Thursday at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.

The sophomore from Blaustein, Germany is also just the third women's long jumper in Big Sky Conference history to advance to NCAAs during outdoors.

The road to nationals wasn't easy as McLeod overcame a cold and windy day at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on May 24. Despite the conditions, she placed 11th with a 6.01-meter performance. She was ranked 48th entering prelims but handled the poor weather we ease as she advanced to the first national meet of her career.

And now she gets a shot to compete for the national championships.

GETTING RECRUITED FROM AROUND THE WORLD
McLeod arrived to NAU much differently than most of her peers. Being from over a half day's worth of travel on a plane from her current home in Germany she built a relationship with jumps coach Roderick Townsend at first through the video chat program Skype.

"I emailed her my first year here and she responded back rather quickly," Townsend reflected. "She sent me some videos of her competing and with her being in Germany we communicated through Skype. We were able to talk quite often through it as it was the primary means of communication."

"I only got to talk with Coach Townsend over Skype but I really liked him," McLeod said. "I was forced to look at all of the schools only based on what was online so it came down to the coaches for me and I picked NAU and Coach Townsend."

"Through those video calls she would bring her dad in, her sister, her mom, I could really see that family connection she had and that she would bring that to the track," Townsend added.
"Those are the type of athletes that we look for that want to be a part of something and it's really nice to see that she has a lot of those traits and qualities."

McLeod got her start in track after literally outgrowing her first sport of gymnastics. After shooting up in height, she decided to look towards a new athletic avenue. The transition didn't always come so easy.

"I was really bad in the beginning," McLeod said with a smile. "I remember my first official track meet. I was in a small village with my club and we had a lot of good athletes that year. We were competing for regionals and we could have won it but I was so bad at long jump that they had another girl long jump for me while I did the other events. I always knew I was better than that and I never wanted to be replaced again."

McLeod always wanted to come to the United States for school, but never thought it would be possible. After checking her marks both athletically and academically with those posted by American college athletes she realized she had a shot and started to contact schools.

Her resilience led her to excel at her new sport and the strong confidence she showed throughout the early part of her career along with how she started her time at NAU is something that jumped out to Townsend.

"Last year we definitely had some ups and downs and I think a lot of that had to do with her making the transition moving to the United States from Germany," Townsend said. "When she came to NAU she was a year removed from track and field as she is part of the military in Germany so that's one thing I thought was really cool. It really resonates well her personality and the type of person she is and it translates really well to the track."

"When I recruited her she said she was going to be a six-meter jumper and I knew that, we both understood that," Townsend added. "We know that even more is possible and it was just a matter of time before she started getting those big jumps out there."

WORKING TOWARDS HER DREAM JOB
Another big reason for choosing Northern Arizona was the fact that it would allow McLeod to excel both as a student and an athlete. Coming to America gave her the opportunity to study pre-med and still compete in the sport, something that wasn't going to be an option back in Germany.

After high school McLeod took a year off to go into medicine and was interested in joining the German military because of the opportunities it would allow for her to continue to learn in the pre-med discipline.

She enlisted and did three months of basic training in order to be prepared for her new role. Being pitted against mostly male counterparts, McLeod graduated from the academy with high maks and then went on to work in a military hospital as a nurse for the reminding of her gap year.

"It was a really great opportunity," McLeod said. "I really like it as well. I take a lot of satisfaction out of the job I get to do."

She will again go back this summer to work in hospital to continue her advancement in the field.

UNCERTAINTY AT PRELIMS
McLeod made it to the west regionals as the last athlete to make the cut. No. 48 out of 48 in.

Despite the rank Townsend and McLeod both knew much more was in store.

"The day before we left I walked up to her before while she was doing her warm up and I told her you're coming into this ranked 48th and you are definitely not the 48th jumper," Townsend said. "I know you can make it to the NCAA meet. She agreed and showed the tenacity she has. At these regional meets it just a matter of beating bodies and going out there and doing the best you can for that particular day."

"I kind of just slipped in as the last athlete to make it, but Coach Townsend always told me you're not suppose to be the last person in there," McLeod added. "I knew that I could make it to nationals but then it was cold and windy so that played a small factor at first. But then I thought, conference was cold, a lot of other meets were cold and we train in the cold and wind sometimes in Flagstaff so I knew I was prepared for it."

With her first two jumps she posted marks of 5.90-meters and a foul. With one remaining she gathered herself and jumped 6.01-meters in the final round to take second overall in the first flight of the event.

"I felt good after my first two jumps and I knew if I hit the last one I had a shot to make it," said McLeod. "The last jump I got just over six meters and I didn't think I was going to make it at that mark. I thought it was a good end to my season and I was still happy with my performance."

It then turned into a waiting game with three more flights of 12 athletes still to compete.

Not thinking the mark would keep her in the top 12 of the event McLeod and Townsend headed back to the hotel. It wasn't until a little while later that they checked the live results from her phone and realized she still had a shot to advance.

"When I jump I don't pay attention to what everyone else is jumping," McLeod said. "In general, especially at big meets, I'm kind of just doing my own thing. So when I looked it up it said it said I was in eighth-place and I was shocked. I thought it couldn't be."

At the time, the event was still in the earlier flights and McLeod thought for sure she would still get bumped back. But as more athletes went that proved not to be the case.

"I looked a half-hour later and I was still in 11th," Mcleod said. "I was on the phone with my parents because my mom booked my flight back to Germany already and I was like I don't know, I might not be coming home."

The wait continued. A little while later she looked again.

"I saw the results but I didn't want to say anything as I wasn't sure if they were official," McLeod said. "I was in 11th and figured there could be something not updated or wrong but Coach Townsend called me and told me it's official and we're going to Eugene! It was a great moment."

Needless to say, McLeod wasn't returning home just quite yet.

"I called my parents right back and asked if maybe they could switch my flight," she said with a laugh. "My mom was not too happy about just because of the cost but in the end it worked out. My dad was really excited."

RETURNING HOME TO EUGENE TO TAKE A SHOT AT THE TITLE
McLeod was originally born in Eugene and her neighbor was a former physical therapist at the local University of Oregon. She has dual citizenship in both Germany and the United States and getting a chance to return to where she was born to compete for a title is a dream come true.

"It's a really special moment for me. Last year I got to NAU knowing the NCAAs were in Eugene and I was like man, maybe I could make it to there but I could not make it at all that freshman year," McLeod said with a laugh. "The fact it's in Eugene again of all places when it moves to Texas next season is incredible. I'll have a lot of friends that are going to be out there."

Townsend sees it as a special moment as well as he has watched over his first NAU signee turning into a national championship qualifier.

"A big part of why this year is so special is because Helena is the first athlete I ever signed as a coach and now she's the first athlete that I have helped get to the national meet and to see her progress from 365 days ago to today has been incredible," Townsend said. "If you would have told her a year ago next year at this time you'll be at the NCAA Championships, she probably would have looked at you like you were crazy but at the same time she went home with a goal in mind last summer, took care of business and came back ready to go. Now she's at the very least going to be a All-American honorable mention which is really exciting."

McLeod will look to continue her consistent season at nationals, one that already includes a Big Sky Indoor Championship in the long jump that she earned in late February.

"We definitely want to go out there and compete and she's a competitor. Even going into this weekend, there are 24 jumpers and she's ranked 23rd and I don't think there are 22 here that are better than her," Townsend said. "It's just a matter of going out there and competing and doing what she does best and if she's able to do that then I think the sky's the limit."

"All I want to see her do is go out and compete," he concluded. "She's a gamer and this is her first time at the NCAA meet and for her to be able to make it to the national meet this year without making it to regionals last season, it's just more than I couldn't have ask for. Getting a chance to see her go out there and seeing her handle her business is going to be a lot of fun."


The Lumberjacks will be back in action with day two of the NCAA National Championships on Thursday. Brooke Andersen will get the day started for Northern Arizona in the final of the women's hammer throw at 2:30 p.m. MST. Helena McLeod will then compete in the women's long jump final beginning at 5:30 p.m. MST. Ashley Taylor will close things for the Lumberjacks in the semifinals of the 800-meter race at 5:44 p.m. MST.

Complete information on the 2018 NCAA Outdoor National Championship, including streaming (ESPN) and ticket information, can be found here.