Rory Leonard, a sophomore at Oklahoma State representing Great Britain and runner-up at the Big 12 Conference cross country final Oct. 28 in Lubbock, Texas, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to reflect on the Cowboys capturing their third consecutive men's team title with 21 points. Leonard covered the 8-kilometer layout at the Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course in 24:10.6 to improve from an 18th-place performance as a freshman. He examines Oklahoma State placing five scorers among the top seven finishers and seven athletes in the top 12 overall in their first road competition of the season after hosting three meets at the Greiner Family Course in Stillwater, the site Nov. 19 for the NCAA Division 1 Championships. Leonard, whose parents Tony and Sharon competed for Arkansas at the 1982 NCAA Championships, speaks about contributing to the tradition and legacy that has been built at Oklahoma State and the Cowboys pursuing a fifth men's national title, including the first since 2012. He revisits competing Sept. 24 against fellow conference champions Stanford, Brigham Young, Northern Arizona, Tulsa and Wake Forest at the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, and how valuable it was to square off against several potential podium contenders at the national final. Leonard explains how focused both Oklahoma State's men and women have been on training at the Greiner Family Course and learning what it takes to execute on the hilly terrain, especially with the men running the 10-kilometer course instead of only the 8-kilometer layout during the regular season. He shares how instrumental coach Dave Smith has been in not only the preparation of both teams, but also Leonard's development after a challenging freshman year and learning to make the adjustment from racing in Great Britain, along with providing strong support while being away from his family. Leonard expresses gratitude for the support of coaches, teammates and the Stillwater community and shares his excitement for being able to race in front of a home crowd Nov. 19 at the NCAA championship meet. He also credits teammate Alex Maier, the Big 12 individual champion, for being an exceptional leader and role model for the Cowboys, who will compete Nov. 11 at the Division 1 Midwest Regional at the Gans Creek Course in Missouri. And Leonard explains how proud he is of the success of many British athletes competing in the NCAA system, many racing at the European Under-23 level, and the opportunity to compete against Charles Hicks of Stanford, among others, at the Division 1 final.