Western Colorado University Athletics

Dennis Leck came to Western State in 1980. Leck was an outstanding distance runner that specialized in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, eventually winning the event at the 1985 National Championships to become the first-ever Mountaineer Track and Field National Champion. Leck's time of 8:55 was a national record at the time.
 
Leck was a seven-time conference champion in the mile, 5,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase. He won the later of those events three times.
 
Leck was also a gifted member of the cross country team. He finished fourth at the National Championships in 1984 to secure himself an All-American title.
 
"Dennis was at the fore of the great athletes who have competed in cross country and track and field while representing Western," former Western assistant cross country and track and field coach Joe Winegardner said. "Dennis strived to be successful in all of his endeavors while at Western, be they in the classroom, on the cross country course or on the track."
 
Leck was also an assistant coach for Western in 1986, when the Mountaineers won their first national championship in cross country. That team was inducted into the Mountaineer Hall of Fame in 2007.
 
Following his career as a Mountaineer, Leck went on to run professionally for Reebox, making the U.S. Cross Country National Team in 1990. He is the 1985 winner of the Citizen's race at the Bolder Boulder when he set the record that still stands today. Leck currently is the manager of Environmental Facilities at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado.