Posted: May 20, 2020
Sophomore Harrier Leza Cassidy earned All State honors during cross country and has signed with CSU East Bay to continue her running career next season. Cassidy ran cross country for Cuesta in 2016 and 2019, additionally she was also running her first season of track when the season was suspended. Cassidy took a two-year break between her first and second cross country seasons, but returned to competition and led Cuesta Women's Cross Country back to CCCAA State Meet, while being named to the CCCAA's All State team.
A two-time CCCAA State Qualifier, Cassidy racked up the awards this season to complete her career at Cuesta. She was named to the 2019 CCCAA All State team after finishing 4th (18:40.4) at the 2019 CCCAA State Cross Country Championships and also earned all-Region for the second time after finishing 4th at the 2019 CCCAA Regional Finals. The Cougars competed in the toughest cross country conference in the State and the only harriers ahead of Cassidy in both championship races were also from the Western State Conference. Her 6th place at the 2019 Western State Conference (WSC) Finals earned her a second all-WSC First Team nod. In her freshman season, Cassidy finished 23rd at the 2016 CCCAA State Meet and her time of 19:11.5 marked the 8th fastest state time by a Cuesta runner, however this year she beat her time by more than half-a-minute. She now owns 5th and 9th fastest State Meet times in Cuesta History. She led Cuesta Women's Cross Country team to 7th place at the 2016 CCCAA State Championship as a freshman and, after her two-year break, returned this season to lead the Cougars to 18th place as a team. This Spring, Cassidy joined Cuesta Women's Track & Field and finally demonstrated her prowess in the lanes. She was the Cougars' top performer in both the 1,500 (5.00.96) and the 3,000-meters (10:50.29), where she posted the 9th fastest time in Cuesta History. This season ended two months shy of the 2020 CCCAA State Track & Field Championships, but after only two meets, Cassidy ranked 6th in the State for the 3,000-meters and 13th for the 1,500-meters.
Cassidy is a native of Ethiopia and was a star at nearby Arroyo Grande High School. She will be joining a CSU East Bay program that competes at the NCAA Division II level and in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). This past Fall, the Pioneers finished second in the CCAA and 9th at the 2019 NCAA II Championships.
Coach Brian Locher says, "Leza Cassidy ran back to Cuesta, in 2019, after her freshman campaign in 2016, and performed marvelously. Leza was the top finisher in each of the six races she competed in over the fall, finishing with the trifecta of awards; All-Conference, All Southern California, All State, a feat obtained by only five other women in Cuesta history. Leza's 4th place finish at State in a time of 18:40, marks the 5th best performance on the famed Woodward Park course in the Cuesta annals as well. Leza's success becomes even more stupendous after understanding that she had taken a two and a half-year hiatus from training."
