Some athletes are good students, while others perform well on the playing field. It's not often you find a good student, who is an exceptional athlete. The demands on student-athletes requires them to be strict with their time management. FAMU track star Leon Hunt has mastered them both, graduating from FAMU in May with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration, and this past weekend qualifying for the NCAA National Championship meet in Des Moines, Iowa in June. This follows winning the long jump in both the MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
The St. Croix,Virgin Islands native is as cool a customer as you'll ever meet. The lanky 6'3" sprinter/jumper has been constantly improving since coming to FAMU, and is the model athlete for his focused demeanor. Hunt explained his focus saying, "I'm happy to be going to the NCAA nationals and happy to represent FAMU. All of my family has been calling me for the last four days. My island, the Virgin Islands, has been contacting me and they are very happy and it feels good," Hunt said.
With his regional tournament leap of 7.64m (25.00-. 75 ft) last week, he was able to qualify for the nationals without taking his last remaining leap. He set his country's record earlier this season for indoor and outdoor in the long jump. He reached a personal best at the Niswonger Invitational Meet at Middle Tennessee State, where he leaped 7.75m (25'4"). His Virgin Islands coach Wallace Williams makes no qualms about how excited he is about Hunt's accomplishments. "He's very focused," Williams said of Hunt. Hunt's marks have qualified him for the Pan-American games this October in Guadalajara, Mexico.
FAMU men's track coach Wayne Angel feels a rejuvenation in Hunt's performances. "I feel very excited for the opportunity for Leon Hunt heading into the nationals. I'm really excited about this next step for Leon and FAMU. When you can make it at a national level, it means you've put a lot of work in, commitment and dedication and that they're a touch above the best," Angel said. Angel attributed Hunt's increased success to training. "I think his fitness level was much higher and technically, he's just much better," Angel concluded.
Hunt points directly to his regimen for his increased success. He added, "If you want to jump as far as you would like to jump, me personally trying to jump 26 feet now, you've got to put in the time. Time is the key. It took me a while, but I found some missing pieces and we got it together."
Hunt graduated in May from FAMU's prestigious School of Business and Industry, and feels that graduation was a solid accomplishment for him and his loved ones. "Graduation was a very special day. My family came down from northern America and from the Virgin Islands and they were very proud," he said.
He added, "Its pressure to have a whole country behind you. It's good pressure and good stress all at the same time, because when you've got somebody behind you, you feel like you've got something extra in your stride on the runway."