Nicole Leach and Rhonda Watkins have a lot in common.
They are both juniors, they were once roommates, they are both on the UCLA women’s track and field team, they are returning NCAA champions, and, if all goes according to plan, they will both be Olympians by the end of this summer.
The only difference is that Leach, a 400-meter hurdler from West Philadelphia, will have USA across her chest this summer in Beijing.
Watkins, a jumper, will be representing her homeland of Trinidad and Tobago.
Both have found a new home at UCLA. They were drawn to the school by the storied legacy of many track and field athletes and the promise of competing at the highest collegiate level.
“I kind of always wanted to go to UCLA because I would always see UCLA on TV,” said Watkins. “Then one of my county’s Olympic medalists went here. I looked at the history, and a lot of great people went here, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Starting young
Few athletes can claim that they began working at their sport when they were 2, but Leach can do just that. She said her church held races for all the young children, and even at an early age, her talent was apparent.
“It would be “˜All the 2-year-olds line up and race,’ “˜All the 3-year-olds line up and race,’ and you would just run to your parents,” Leach said. “Every year from when I was 2 to 5 I would win. Then my parents decided to get me involved in a track club, and the next year I was on the track.”
No slouch herself, Watkins started track and field when she was 11 years old.
While both were involved in track and field early on, it was not until high school that their event specialties began to develop and they were able to excel. From there, both girls were unstoppable, collecting both national and international accolades.
Leach, a four-time All-American, was a three-time USA Junior 400m hurdles champion and a two-time Junior Olympic 400m champion. She is a 10-time indoor Pennsylvania state champion as well as the indoor Pennsylvania state record holder in the 400m.
Watkins set the Trinidad and Tobago Junior record in the long jump and tied the national Junior record in the high jump. In 2005, before entering college, she became the national champion in both the high jump and the long jump.
Both Leach and Watkins committed to compete at UCLA in 2005.
Champions together
With postseason competition starting this weekend, Leach and Watkins will be looking to defend their NCAA titles.
As sophomores last season, Leach won the 400m hurdles in the outdoor championships, and Watkins took both the indoor and outdoor long jump championships.
This year the pair returns with a little more confidence but also the pressure to repeat their feats.
“I want to say that (defending my title) is more nerve-racking than going to the Olympics and Olympic trials. I am confident, but there’s just that target on my back,” said Leach. “I want to make the Olympic trials, and I plan to, but if it doesn’t happen I can always come back the next few years because I’m still young, and the opportunity is there. But to not be able to defend my title might be the worst thing that could possibly happen to me this year.”
Though both women say there is more pressure on them, coach Jeanette Bolden sees this as an opportunity for not only them but also the team.
“Going into this year’s NCAA, they are kind of veterans now,” Bolden said. “They’ve been through it. They know what to expect. They bring that assurance, that quiet confidence, that determination, that focus on achieving a goal. They bring that to the rest of the team that hasn’t been in that position.”
With such a long season ahead of them past the NCAA Championships, Bolden has rested both Leach and Watkins in several meets this season.
“I’m a little more cautious about their injuries and keep on top of things a lot more than before,” Bolden said. “I’m not running them a lot and not jumping them a lot.”
They were held out of the entire indoor season and have seen very minimal competition to make sure they stay at their healthiest and are not overworked.
Watkins, who has been battling injuries, has only competed three times, and Leach opened up her hurdling season two weeks ago at the USC meet.
On the national collegiate level, Leach ranks third in the 400m hurdles, while Watkins ranks seventh in the long jump.
Olympic dreams
For both, thoughts of the Olympics have been building since they were young.
“I remember watching the Olympics and Ato (Bolden, a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago). I think he got third in the 100m,” Watkins said. “Everyone was all disappointed, and I remember saying, “˜Don’t worry, I’ll get a gold for Trinidad one day.’ I didn’t know in what, but I always wanted to go to the Olympics.”
Leach has been thinking about being an Olympian for quite a while too.
“I used to always say I want to go to the Olympics, but when you’re young, you don’t really realize all it takes to go to the Olympics, nor did I really realize how big of a deal it was and what an achievement it was,” Leach said. “It wasn’t until I got here ““ I guess the past two years ““ that I realized, “˜Wow, you might really have a shot.'”
While it is not guaranteed that both will make the Olympics ““ as Jeanette Bolden said, “The fields are loaded” ““ they both stand a very good chance.
Leach and Watkins were each on their country’s World Championship team, and they are looking for better results this summer.
Leach finished 19th in the 400m hurdles and has “bittersweet memories about it,” not finishing as well as she would have liked.
Watkins made the Trinidad and Tobago team but was unable to compete because of injuries.
“That was a horrible feeling,” Watkins said. “Just knowing that I was so close, I was really disappointed.”
With another chance to compete on the largest international stage of all, the pair has new goals, and their eyes are set on success.
“I would love to be on the podium, definitely be on the top of the podium,” Leach said. “I really don’t want to leave without a medal: That’s my goal.”
Likewise, Watkins has set big goals for herself.
“I want to make it to the finals in the long jump,” Watkins said. “Whatever distance it takes to do that. First of all I want to get there, but once I get there I want to make it into the finals so I can say I was an Olympic finalist.”
Going it together
Although Leach and Watkins will be on different teams, they stress that there will be no animosity between them in Beijing.
Having a teammate there will only help ease the nerves and provide familiarity.
“It’ll just be great to have someone that you know and go to school with and that you see almost everyday there,” Watkins said. “It’ll be her first Olympics too, so we’ll kind of be going through the same things. We’ll be coming off competing for UCLA and everything, so it’ll be great to have someone going through the same thing so we can help each mentality, emotionally, everything.”
Leach explained that it is not the first time the two have been on separate teams, and it will not be the last. Anytime there is an international competition, they wear different flags.
“We went to Brazil last summer, and we hung out,” Leach said. “Every time we weren’t at the track competing, we were together, so it’s not going to be a problem at all. I’ll go see her compete and vice versa. I do want the U.S. to win overall, but I’ll definitely be cheering for Rhonda.”
Not only will they have each other in Beijing for support, but Bolden has been selected as the U.S. Olympics’ women’s track and field coach, giving Leach and Watkins another familiar face as a comfort to them both.
Bolden has done everything it takes to get both women ready for the trials.
She has high hopes for them and knows there will be at least one bond holding the women together at the Olympics, despite them competing for different countries.
“Once you’re a Bruin, you’re always a Bruin,” Bolden said. “Different jerseys, it doesn’t matter. They always have that kinship of being roommates, of being NCAA champions, and always being blue and gold.”