OATCCC Hall Of Fame
Cory J. Leslie

Cory John Leslie, a 2008 graduate of Perkins High School, competed in Cross Country and Track & Field under the guidance of his father and coach Paul Leslie. In 2007, after an already solid sophomore season in 2006, he emerged onto the state and national Cross Country and Track & Field scene. Racing for the Perkins Pirates, he earned 10 All-Ohio honors (2XC, 8 T&F), captured 4 Individual Division 2 OHSAA State Championships (Cross Country-2007, 1600M Run 2007 & 2008, 800 m, 2008), and was a member of the 2007 D2 OHSAA State Champion 4x800M Relay team. In addition to 5 state titles, Cory placed 8th in the 2005 OHSAA State Cross Country Championships, along with State Track & Field finishes of 5th in the 1600M Run (2005), 4th in the 800M Run (2006-1:55.38), 5th in the 800M Run (2007-1:54.6) and a 2nd in the 4x800M Relay (2007). In the history of the OHSAA Track & Field Championships, Cory is one of the few individuals, regardless of division, to ever win the 1600/800 double. Cory currently still holds the OHSAA D2 State Meet and overall D2 State record in the 800M Run with his 1:50.77 he established in 2008. In 2008, Cory placed 3rd in the U-20 USA National Championships in the 1500M Run in a time of 3:49.51 after placing 7th in the same event in 2007. Cory also placed 3rd in the Mile (4:13.49) at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships and 1st at the Penn Relays in the Mile (4:12.76). Upon graduation from Perkins High School, Cory chose to become a Buckeye after an already impressive high school career. As a collegiate athlete, Cory was quick to add to his running resume with multiple honors and accomplishments. He was a 3 x NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship Qualifier, a 3 x NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship Qualifier, a 2 x NCAA Cross Country Championship Qualifier, he earned 1st Team All-American honors in both the Steeplechase and Distance Medley Relay, a 5 x All-Big Ten Honoree, an Academic All-Big Ten selection and earned Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors four times. In 2012, at the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Outdoor National Championships, he placed 3rd in the 3,000M Steeplechase, at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, he placed 2nd in the 1500M Run and 3,000M Steeplechase along with a Mt. SAC Relays 2nd place finish in the 3,000M Steeplechase. While at Ohio State, Cory set school records in the Indoor 800M Run (1:48.11), 1,000M Run (2:22.48), Mile Run (3:56.85), and as a member of the Distance Medley Relay (9:32.17). The Indoor Records in the 1,000M Run, Mile Run, and Distance Medley Relay still stand as of 2024. Cory earned a spot to compete in the 3,000M Steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012, where he placed 9th, then again in 2016, where he placed 7th overall. Upon graduation from Ohio State, he continued to compete on the international level under the sponsorship of Nike. Cory was a member of Team USA at the 2015 Pan Am Games where he earned a bronze medal with his 3rd place finish in the 3,000M Steeplechase and represented Team USA at the World Cross Country Championships in the Mixed Relay. After an extremely rewarding and varied career competing internationally, Cory began his coaching career as a cross-country assistant at Furman University in 2012, helping head Coach Robert Gary turn the program into one of the top NCAA programs in the nation. In 2016, he became an assistant coach at George Mason University before moving to Arizona State University in 2017 as an assistant coach until he was promoted to the head Cross Country and lead distance coach position in July of 2019. Currentl,y he continues to coach professionally as the Under Amour head coach for the Mission Run Distance Team in Baltimore, Maryland. Cory Leslie, you are truly one of the all-time Ohio running greats. The Ohio Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches is honored to include you as a 2025 inductee into the OATCCC Hall of Fame. Congratulations Cory!