As the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships get ready to kick off on Thursday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, there are a few representatives from Middlebury and one Vermont native set to make history. Harrison Leombruno-Nicholson, a native of Underhill and graduate of MMU, will be competing in the javelin event at the national meet. This is actually his second time qualifying for the championships, but he had to withdraw last year due to injury.
Leombruno-Nicholson attributes his success to his experience as a multi-sport athlete at Mt. Mansfield, crediting coaches Bill Eschholz and Edward Kusiak for guiding him towards track and field and javelin in particular. He fell in love with the sport after trying it for the first time and has been dedicated to it ever since.
In 2020, like many athletes, Leombruno-Nicholson faced challenges when his freshman season was cut short due to COVID. However, he used the time off to refocus on javelin and returned to competition with a renewed determination. He decided to focus solely on javelin, quitting football and putting all his effort into the sport. His hard work and dedication have paid off, leading him to qualify for the national championships.
Leombruno-Nicholson’s event is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m., where he will compete against some of the best athletes in the country for the national title.
