Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent

Four years ago, Lealond Hodges chose track as another option outside of baseball. Since then, he hasn’t regretted his choice.

“I started track and field during eighth grade,” recalled Hodges. “I played rec baseball up until that point. The reason I chose track and field was because baseball in middle school was very competitive, and I didn’t think I would be able to make the team.”

Hodges would eventually join the track team, but he decided to first test his running skills before he would forgo baseball. That proved to be more than a passing grade.

“I ran cross country during the fall of eighth grade,” said Hodges. “It went well , and I made it to state. I told myself that if I made the track team for middle school, I would stop playing baseball.

“I did, and I knew I had a track career ahead of me.”

Now, as a junior, Hodges has fully developed his running and has a full slate in his first year on the varsity squad.

Over the years, he has primarily run the 800, 1,600, and the 3,200, all in which he has achieved a steady stream of success. In addition, he is a member of the Wildcats’ 4 x 800 relay team.

This season, his best in the 800 is 2:03, and he has clocked a 4:36 in the 1,600, and a 10:38 in the 3,200.

Those numbers were in line with his personal best in the 800 of 2:01, a personal best in the 1,600 of 4:36, and his all-time mark in the 3,200 of 10:12.

He will have another season to further lower his times, as Hodges will concentrate on his performance in the 4 x800 relay, in which he set his personal record of 1:59 in a split at the sectional meet this season.

In spite of having a strong overall season, Hodges overcame a slow beginning. He regained his stride in mid-February.

“I had a rough start of the season because I had the flu,” noted Hodges. “But I started to feel and run better. I really felt confident after the Dual Alley meet at home.”

Looking back, Hodges gained inspiration from Elijah Fitts, a 2024 graduate, in his freshman year. Fitts played a key role in the school’s 2022 state championship team, and he also was a part of the record-setting 4 x 800 relay team.

His freshman cross country season helped him adjust during track.

“In my freshman year, I was disappointed in myself during cross country,” reflected Hodges. “ I wasn’t able to perform what I thought I was able to do.

“During track season I was able to show what I was capable of doing and my former teammate Elijah Fitts motivated me to push forward and find out my capabilities. That is almost the reason why I became comfortable with running. I had someone there that helped me push forward and reach new goals.”

In the meantime, Hodges will be part of the Wildcats’ 4 x 800 relay team next week at state. He has run the third leg of the race, and the relay team finished second at the GHSA 6A Region 1 regional meet last weekend.

Head coach Levi Sybert, who also coached Hodges during the cross country season, has been pleased with his development along the way. He is anxious to see his performance in his debut at states.

“Lealond is a great example of an athlete who continues to put it into work and is now qualified for state for the first time for track on the 4 x 800 relay,” said Sybert. “He is a very enthusiastic and hard-working kid. We’re excited to see him go from JV as a freshman to elements of success as a junior.”