One of the greatest middle distance runners in the history of Whitman track & field,
John Leier qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the 880-yard run to cap each of his last two seasons.
Leier placed sixth at nationals as a junior and was third as a senior in 1974. He clocked a time of 1:49.7 at the 1974 meet, beating Kenya’s Michael Boit, a bronze medalist at the 1972 Olympics, in the process.
Leier won the 880 at the NWC championship meets in both 1973 (1:52.7) and 1974 (1:52.2), and he still holds the NWC meet record at 1:51.5 (800-meter equivalent).
He also holds or shares Whitman school records in the 800 meters (1:48.5) and sprint medley relay (3:27.5).
Leier came to Whitman as a Washington state high school champion at the 440-yard distance, but hamstring injuries plagued his first two college seasons. His best 440 time (48.4) as a sophomore was faster than the winning time in that event at the NWC meet in each of his first two seasons.
Leier was the 1974 winner of the R.V. Borleske Trophy, given annually to the top male athlete at Whitman.
He majored in history and anthropology at Whitman and is an environmental resources specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla. He and wife Karen have four children (ages 23, 22, 17 and 17).
