Gabriela Leon is an American track and field athlete who competes in the pole vault. She is the NCAA champion and her personal best is 4.61m.
Gabriela Leon was born on June 17, 1999, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. She started in athletics as a kid but developed her skills at East Kentwood High School. Later she attended the University of Louisville, where won the NCAA outdoors pole vault title in June 2022. It was the first outdoor track and field title in the school’s history.
Gabriela Leon started her competitive career in 2015. She competed at the Rockford MI LP D1 State Meet, finishing 5th in the pole vault with a result of 3.35m.
During the next two seasons she competed in the pole vault and the long jump, winning the bronze at the 2017 Reno Pole Vault Summit in pole vault, as well as the gold at the 2017 Greensboro New Balance Nationals in the long jump
In 2018, Gabriela Leon competed at the prestigious pole vault competitions at the Austin Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Eugene NCAA Div. I Championships, and Bloomington USA U20 Championships, but missed the medals. However, she earned gold at the Notre Dame Invitational and Champaign Illini Classic, silver at the Ann Arbor Michigan Power 5 Invitational and Bloomington Hoosier Hills Invitational, as well as bronze at the Tempe Baldy Castillo Invitational. In the long jump, she earned the gold at the Nashville Vanderbilt Black and Gold.
Gabriela Leon competed again at the NCAA Div. I Outdoor Championships in 2019, but again missed the medals finishing 19th in the final. She earned the gold at the Louisville Invitational, Notre Dame Invitational, and Power Five Invitational, but also the silver at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. Gabriela Leon continued competing in the long jump, winning the gold at the Ole Miss Classic and the bronze at the Gene Edmonds Open.
In 2020, Gabriela Leon made a strong indoor pole vault season, winning the gold at the Gene Edmonds Invitational, Notre Dame Invitational, and Meyo Invitational, but also the silver at the Power Five Invitational and Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. However, the outdoor season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Gabriela Leon continued performing strongly in 2021, winning the gold at the Clark Wood Invitational, Tennessee Relays, Notre Dame Invitational, and Lenny Lyles Cardinals Invitational.
In 2022, Gabriela Leon made her biggest achievement winning the pole vault gold at the NCAA Div. I Outdoor Championships. She also finished 4th at the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, which qualified her for the Eugene World Athletics Championships, where she finished 12th in the final. Meanwhile, during the season, she finished 6th at the NCAA Div. I Indoor Championships, but earned the gold at the Indiana Invitational, Clark Wood Invitational, ACC Championships, UAB Blazer Invitational, and PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational.
Gabriela Leon started the 2023 indoor season with great achievements at higher class events, winning the silver at the American Track League – Hawkeye Pro Classic and New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, as well as the bronze at the Birmingham World Indoor Tour Final 2023. During the outdoor season, she failed to earn some honors, but finished 4th at the International Rottacher Stabhochsprungmeeting and 5th at the Spitzen Leichathletik Luzern and Ed Murphey Classic.
Gabriela Leon photos
