Leah Falland (; born 30 August 1992) is an American

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

runner and NCAA DI indoor track and field championships record holder in the mile run.

Biography

O'Connor was raised in

Croswell, Michigan Croswell is a city in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,447 at the 2010 census. History The settlement, originally known as Black River, was established in 1845. Later it was known as Davisville, after the town ...

where she first learned to run on her family farm. She attended Croswell-Lexington High School and was state champion in the

800 m The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the ...

and

1600 m The mile run (1,760 yards or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance foot race. The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races. It survived track and field's switch to ...

. She competed collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans track and field and cross country teams starting in 2011, and qualified for the

NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships The NCAA Division I Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships are the annual collegiate track and field competitions for women athletes representing Division I institutions organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). At ...

every year from 2012 to 2015. Her best NCAA finishes were 1st in the steeplechase at the

2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were the 93rd NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 33rd NCAA Women's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships held for the second consecutive year ...

, and 1st at the 2015 NCAA Indoor championships mile run in a championship record time of 4:27.18. O'Connor competed in the 2016 United States Olympic Trials, where she won her semi-final of the women's steeplechase despite competing with a torn plantar fascia. She was 14th in the final the next day. In 2018, Falland set the Drake Relays record in the steeplechase with a time of 9:32.23. At the 2021 United States Olympic trials, Falland tripped and fell in the steeplechase final, finishing 9th and failing again to qualify for the Olympic team. From August 2020 to October 2022, Falland was a member of the professional training group

On Athletics Club On Athletics Club (OAC) is a training group of professional Distance running, distance runners sponsored by On (company), On. The team is coached by Dathan Ritzenhein and was founded in August 2020 with eight original members. OAC trains primarily ...

and was coached by Dathan Ritzenhein.

Statistics

Personal bests

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Falland, Leah 1992 births American female steeplechase runners People from Croswell, Michigan Michigan State Spartans women's track and field athletes Michigan State Spartans women's cross country runners Living people NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners 21st-century American sportswomen