For sprinter Leonardo Seymore, change is nothing new. The junior’s first taste came when he transferred to Florida from Rend Lake College last year.
Although the transition from athletics at a junior college level to a Division I university may be tough, Seymore has proved that he can handle the competition and is on to his next transition.
Despite having four top-10 performances, including a win running in the 200 meters during the indoor season, Seymore found his stride in relay events. During the outdoor season, coach Mike Holloway decided to add Seymore into the rotation, joining Dedric Dukes, Hugh Graham and Tony McQuay in the 4x400 meter relay and Jeff Demps, McQuay and Dukes in the 4x100 meter relay.
“It’s been fun,” Seymore said. “When I first got on there it was kind of tough. I was like ‘Wow, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this.’ But the more you put me in something, the better I get.”
Although Seymore still competes in the 200 meter, his transition to relay teams has seemed to be effortless.
“Coach (Holloway) had changed my workout plan,” Seymore said. “That helped me build my endurance to finish races and be strong to do what I had to do to help my team out.”
Seymore opened up his outdoor season competing at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. That weekend he helped secure a fifth-place finish in the 4x100 and a third-place finish in the 4x400.
Since then, Seymore has gone on to get three wins in the 4x400. The latest victory came last weekend at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships.
“It was kind of tough, but I was in a better position than I was last year because last year I tore my quad and didn’t get a chance to run,” Seymore said.
In addition to his wins in the 4x400, Seymore had a second-place finish at the Pepsi Florida Relays in the 4x100 and a win at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic where the team’s time of 38.67 seconds is still currently the second-fastest collegiate time this season.
Even though Seymore excels in both relays, he enjoys the pressure and competition that comes with the 4x400 more.
“The 4x1 is exciting, but I don’t think it’s as exciting as the 4x4,” Seymore said. “The 4x4 is the last event of the day and everybody’s there, standing on their feet and it’s just more challenging. You get the stick and you’re like ‘Oh man, you got a whole lap to run.’ But when you get the stick in the 4x1 it’s just over so quick.”
With the Gators using their off weekend to prepare for the NCAA Preliminary Rounds starting May 24 in Jacksonville, Seymore is looking forward to competing in the meet and is confident in his team’s ability to succeed.
“I’ve never been to a NCAA meet, so I’m very excited and hoping that everything works out well,” Seymore said.
“I think we’re going to do pretty well. If everybody just sticks together, puts their heads together and does what they got to do, we should come out with a victory.”
Contact Katie Agostin at kagostin@alligator.org.
Leonardo Seymore hands the baton to Dedric Dukes in the 4x400 relay at the Tom Jones Classic on April 21, 2012. Dukes won the men's 200m at the Florida Relays on Friday.
