Warrior Athletics Hall of Fame
Chelsey Leighton came to LC State in 2009 from nearby Lapwai after she was a standout in several sports for the Wildcats. She competed in both cross country and track for the Warriors and made her mark her senior year in 2014 when she won the marathon at the NAIA national outdoor meet in 3 hours, 2 minutes and 25.1 seconds. At that time, she was only the second LC State runner to ever win a national title.
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What was remarkable about the feat is that Leighton came to LC State as a sprinter before she changed to a distance runner during her sophomore year. She placed seventh at a cross country meet as a sophomore and then had a great junior year where she set the program record for the half marathon and then placed ninth in the marathon at nationals. She also placed 31st at nationals her senior year in cross country. Leighton resides in Ellensburg, Wash., with her husband, former LC Men's Basketball assistant coach Drew Church.
