8th grader, Maurice Leon, earns 5th place in Middle School Track and Field State Competition
8th grader, Maurice Leon, continues to Middle School Track and Field State Competition
Published May 11, 2017
Maurice throwing the Discus at a Track & Field Meet
8th grader, Maurice Leon, was the only Farragut athlete on the Middle School Track & Field team that will compete in the statewide competition this weekend.
For Maurice to qualify for states in discus, he had to a throw 105′ or more. During the Saint Petersburg City Track & Field Championship, Maurice threw 124′ 11″ which put him in 2nd place in the city and 4th place in the state for Middle School Boys in discus.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Maurice said. “I feel special, and I’m really proud of all my work. I’m definitely nervous, but I feel prepared.”
Maurice will compete at IMG Academy in Bradenton this Saturday, May 13.
Maurice with his mother, Cynthia
“Coach Nick has been a huge help getting Maurice prepared and has been working with him daily,” said Maurice’s mom, Cynthia Hawkins DeBose.
Maurice started track and field during his 7th grade year and earned 1st place in discus at the 2016 Middle School St. Petersburg City Track & Field Championship.
Maurice running relay last year
“I was out at practice one day watching my friend throw discus,” Maurice said. “I was a runner at the time. Coach Nick told me to go and try it, and I threw it like 80 feet. My friend had only thrown it 60 feet. I just kept working at it and kept getting better at it. My favorite part about it is all the technique that goes into it, it’s really complicated. Anything you do differently can mess up your throw. Just watching it soar out in the air is really cool, you can see the results of your work.”
True to his sport, Maurice is showing no signs of slowing down. “I definitely want to keep going with it in varsity level, and join Coach Prather’s team,” he said.
Maurice is already thinking about what he will do in college. “After I graduate high school, I want to go to school for medicine to become a cosmetic surgeon.”
And as Admiral Glasgow Farragut said, “God Speed” Maurice!
