Rico Leijenaar Season 2025

Honors & Awards

Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar (Second Team, 2026)
Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2026)
Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, 2026)
Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2025, 2026)

2026
Indoor: Did Not Compete

Outdoor: Claimed second in the Open Division 5000m at the Drake Relays with a time of 14:32.33... Won the 1500m (3:48.34) at the Nebraska Spring Tune-Up...Finished 12th in the men's 10000m race at the Big Ten Championships, running 30:29.00.

2025
Indoor: Ran 4:15.28 in the mile at the Husker Holiday Open to place second.

Outdoor: Did not compete. 

Cross Country: Finished first on the Husker men's team at the Platte River Rumble 6k taking 11th with the time of 18:13.79... Placed 31st in the 8k at the Gans Creek Classic with the time of 24:14.2... Ran 24:23.0 at Pre-Natinals 8k, finishing in 72nd. 

2024
Cross Country: Led the Husker men at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a 39th-place finish and a time of 30:26.61…Ran a 24:07.90 at the Big Ten Championships to place 85th…Led the men at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational with a 10th-place finish and an 8k time of 25:04.00…Placed 40th at the Augustana Twilight with a 19:34.52 (4-mile)...Finished 69th at the Bill Dellinger Invitational with an 8k time of 24:28.10.

Before Nebraska 
Runner joined the Huskers from Potchefstroom North West, South Africa...Second at 2024 South African U20 Championships in the 5K (14:32.12)...23rd at 2024 U20 World Cross Country Championships with an 8K time of 24:30.

Personal
Parents are Cor and Ditri…studying physical therapy at Nebraska.