Leonni Griffin

Leonni Griffin’s running career started early. From the time she could run, she remembers joining her dad as he jogged laps around the neighborhood.

Little did either of them know that it was the start of a long and successful career in running.

At the time, Griffin would have described herself as a soccer player. But as time went on, it became clear that she had the greatest potential in running.

“I wound run the turkey trot every year with my family,” Griffin said. “When I was 10, I wanted to run the race with my dad. With a mile to go, I sprinted off ahead of him. I ended up with a pretty good 5K time.”

After he successful turkey trot performance, Griffin ran in some track meets when she was in elementary school. That caught the attention of the Shaker High School cross country coach, who sent a letter to Griffin’s sixth grade teacher. The letter, which was read aloud to her whole sixth grade class, was a formal invitation for Griffin to compete on the varsity cross country team the next year in seventh grade.

Now a member of the Shaker Bison varsity team, Griffin worked to find best event.

“I thought I was more of a sprinter,” she said. “But I naturally trained with the distance team at first when I ran cross country.”

While her 2020 season was cancelled because of COVID-19, Griffin said she hit the gym to get stronger. That strength and lifting pushed her towards shorter distances, where Griffin went from a good runner to one of the nation’s best.

Griffin won the New York State championship in the indoor 600 meters and owns 11 school records between indoor and outdoor. This success earned her two invites to the Millrose Games, an elite indoor track meet in New York City. In 2023 she competed with her 4×800 meter relay team and in 2024, she returned by herself to compete in the 600 meters. At the end of her high school career, Griffin announced she would continue her track career at Boston University.

Amidst all of this success on the track, Griffin held on to her love of soccer. She started playing when she was just four years old and did not stop playing competitively until her senior year of high school.

“It was difficult for me and my parents,” she said. “At first, my parents thought watching track was boring. But now they love it. They haven’t missed a single one of my races.”

Along with her exceptional athletic ability, Griffin spent the latter part of her high school taking college classes. She averaged a 95 GPA while earning fourteen college credits from the State University of New York.

“I’ll have almost a full semester of credits,” Griffin said. “Balancing academics and athletics was very important to me and my family. They always said you need both to be successful.”

Track may be known as an individual sport, but Griffin sees it differently. She consistently took advantage of opportunities to lead within the track program and support other athletes. This work earned her the award she says she’s most proud of, the Capital Distract Leadership Award for her school.

“When I was the seventh grader with seniors, they were great mentors and built me up with confidence,” Griffin said. “Now I want my teammates to recognize that that one performance doesn’t define them. I always say learning is the most important process to growth.”

“Her positive attitude, exceptional work ethic, and willingness to mentor and support her teammates highlight her role as a true team player and inspiration to others,” Shaker Athletic Director Sean Colfer said.

The Capital District Sports Woman of the Year award brings together everything that Griffin has done during her time in high school.

“It means a lot,” she said. “Being recognized for that shows that all the work and hours I’ve put in has paid off. It’s just a great honor, the other awards are great, but this brings together all three aspects combined.”