The top returning boy for this year’s edition of NXN is Carroll High School (TX) star senior Caden Leonard. Leonard improved from 21st at this race in 2023 to third last December, and has put together a flawless senior campaign thus far. His most recent outing came in College Station, where he won his second-consecutive NXR South title.

Leonard sat down with CITIUS MAG to discuss how an injury during the track season impacted his summer training, the importance of what the Carroll boys are aiming to do this weekend, and the pressure (or lack thereof) that comes with entering this meet with a target on his back.

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Paul Hof-Mahoney: For the second year in a row, you won the NXR South Regional. We’re a couple days removed from race day, a couple days closer to NXN, how’re you feeling right now?

Caden Leonard: Feeling pretty good. Body was a little sore after the race, always kinda is with the spikes and stuff like that, but feeling good now. Did some workouts and stuff like that, so pretty pumped with the guys. We’re excited to go to NXN for the 17th time.

Yeah, your Carroll squad is such an impressive, historically great team and took the win there at NXR South with 80 points. Individually for that race, it was tight for the first two miles and then it seems like you put the hurt on the field going towards the line. Can you talk us through that race a little bit?

Going into the race, there’s so many great guys in the field, and it’s hard to get out front and put the pace on people early. I just wanted to get used to what NXN racing is gonna be like. There’ll be guys together and you’re gonna have to respond to surges, so just practicing what that’s gonna be like. Just wanted to stay attached and make the last move.

Where exactly did you make that move, because you ended up winning by five seconds?

It was right with like 600m to go, that long straight. It’s hard to time it right, but I was planning on somewhere around 800m to go or something. With 100m to go, I kind of knew I had it, so I brought it back in to get through the line, because no one really cares how much you beat someone by.

How important is a national championship-style race like this one?

I think it’s very important. Some guys that take the race from the gun and never feel surges that are in a race or fully tap into what it’s gonna be like closing the final 800m—it can be tough for them, especially when they see guys that are right with them. When I opened up this season at Districts, all my races have been not taking it from the gun and learning what that’s gonna be like. I feel like I’ve done either. Sophomore year I used to just take it from the gun, and a little bit junior year, so I’m familiar with what everything’s gonna be like. You never know what championship races are gonna be, because there could be someone that wants to take it out from the gun and you gotta go with them. It just depends on how the race unfolds and how I’m gonna race it this coming Saturday.

You mentioned the fact that you started your season a little late this year, this was only your fourth race of the fall. What went into the late start to the season and how fit do you feel now a couple days out from NXN?

My final month of track, I had a stress reaction. It was kind of getting through that in summer training and not pushing anything too early, but cross training was real hard. I felt the fittest I’ve ever felt. My legs are back under me, I felt good. I’ve had my best workouts I’ve ever had, no questions about that. Preparing for this race, everything has been directed towards this meet, just like a lot of the top guys in the country are too. It’s gonna be a battle with all those guys.

Where was that stress reaction and what kind of cross training were you doing this summer?

It was in my tibia. I was basically only swimming. I tried to bike a little bit and it would make things tighten up in my tibia area—I didn’t really like it. I was just in the pool and got very uncomfortable because I basically had to learn to become a swimmer. It was not very fun, but being able to picture in my mind what the ending result was gonna be, it was all worth it.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s meet now, this is going to be your fourth-straight appearance at NXN. You’ve gotten better each time—135th to 21st to third—what have you learned each time you’ve taken to that course in Portland?

I’m still kind of salty about freshman year, I had pneumonia and a broken arm when I raced it. I had a bootleg cast on my arm for that race, but it was very important to me and my dad to help the team as much as possible and get familiar with the course, because I knew sophomore year I was gonna come in there and play a role in the race and help our team get podium.

Sophomore year was another step of learning what the front is. I wasn’t really in the front but I was 21st, so getting used to that. And then junior year was the year of running in the front, running with such a great team. Honestly, all four years have been focused on placing the highest I can for the team. I find myself, when I’m running for the team, having less pressure on myself.

You’ve been the top guy in the Class of 2026 each of the last two years now and this year you’re the top returner. Do you feel like there’s any pressure on you? How do you handle that mantle headed into these championships?

No, I don’t really feel any pressure about that. I feel like in this season, people have kind of doubted what they think I can do. They haven’t seen what I’ve done in practice. Even watching the NXR race back, the announcers were talking about how I wasn’t fit or something like that, and that stuff kind of sticks with me. I guess we’ll see on December 6th. Honestly, no pressure about that just because I don’t really look at what I’ve done in the past as a negative, it’s only a positive for me. It’s such a great experience to do that. The team that has done it with me has helped me so much, just focusing on the team.

Did you ever have any doubts in where your fitness might be after this summer while you were coming back from the injury and cross training, or were you pretty confident with the work you were still able to put in?

My dad is the guy that helped me so much, just because there’s tough days where I didn’t know if I’d be back and the same. Being able to talk with him and texting my teammates, leaning on my teammates so much, I wouldn’t be in this spot any of my four years of high school without any of them. Each year’s had its own thing, but this year was really important for them. They picked me up when I needed it and they helped me when I was getting back into running, challenging me in workouts and stuff like that. It was hard at points for sure, I feel like anyone who goes through something finds it hard, but it’s been good for me in the sense that I’ve learned to enjoy running more and not take it for granted.

You’ve talked so much about your team, how would you best describe the culture of this year’s Carroll boys team?

It’s very strong. Once the varsity group is made, kind of by the District meet, that’s when we start dialing in with each other. We start doing top seven guys hangouts, team dinners every Saturday, going to someone’s house and watching a movie. It really builds a bond so much, especially on those long bus rides we have. When we’re going to Lubbock, it’s a four-and-a-half hour drive and we’re all laughing, talking, hanging out. It’s a very strong culture and it’s a team-first mentality, where the team’s bigger than the individual, but you have to have individuals that make up the team to get the lowest points possible. We know that the brotherhood is gonna make us run for the win a lot better than just individualistic mindsets.

What is the mentality and what does this week look like for you guys headed up to NXN?

We’re super excited. We talked to college guys, our assistant coach Reed Brown, and he said you get more gear at NXN than you do for the NCAA Championships, they treat you better than what the NCAA does. This is kind of the pinnacle of a national championship so we’re super pumped to go in there and enjoy it. I remember specifically my freshman year, we went in there and we did not talk to any other teams, didn’t hang out, and I think we got second-to-last in the race. The next year, we’re like, “We can’t do this again, that was miserable.” So we hung around other teams, talked to them, and came in with the mindset that we’re just as good as these people, and we ended up getting third. I think it’s a mixed mindset of staying locked in but also enjoying the moment and not changing anything just because it’s NXN. Just coming there with a calm mind and knowing that there’s so many great teams there, but you can compete with them.

Finally, you’re signed to head to Chapel Hill next fall and become a Tar Heel. What stood out to you most about that program and in your conversations with Coach Chris Miltenberg?

North Carolina is the best place in the country where any American distance runners want to go to. It’s a place where you take cross country as serious as possible and then you flip into indoor and outdoor track and it’s taken just as seriously. I love that. The team environment they’ve built there, the culture, is like our Carroll mindset. It reminded me a lot of home and I’m super pumped. Coach Milt, when we have called, he’s a super knowledgeable guy to learn from and super blessed that he’s let me come into the program.

We’re excited for that and excited to watch you race again this weekend. Congrats on everything going well so far this year and best of luck on Saturday!

Thanks for reading! This interview is part of our 2025 Nike Cross Nationals Series, where we’re catching up with some of the top high school athletes in the country as they prepare for the biggest meet of the fall. Stay tuned for more Q&As with the rising stars of high school distance running.