Leoule Degfae

  • Leoule
  • Degfae

  • Event
    Distance
  • Class
    r-Senior
  • High School/Other
    Thomas A. Edison
  • Hometown
    Alexandria, Va.

Updated: September 15, 2014

2014 Outdoor: Finished in 19th place at the NCAA Championships in the 5000... Qualified for the NCAA Championships after finishing in fifth place at the NCAA East Regional with a time of 14:09.86... Recorded a personal best in the 5000 at the Payton Jordan Invitational with a time of 14:03.21... Posted a ninth place finish in the 5000 and a fifth place finish in the 10000 at the ACC Championships.

2014 Indoor: Earned All-America honors after running the 1600-meter leg of the men's distance medley relay team at the 2014 DI Indoor Track & Field Championships... Ran a career-best time of 8:01.75 in the 3000-meter race at the Alex Wilson Invitational... Finished in sixth place in the 300-meter race at the ACC Championships.

2013 Outdoor: Ran the 5,000/10,000 double at the ACC Championship, finishing fifth in the 10,000 meters (30:17.69) and seventh in the 5,000 meters (14:09.90) ... Qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, finishing 31st in the 5,000 (14:31.21) and 15th in the 10,000 (30:13.77) ... Posted a time of 14:08.03 in the 5,000 meters at the Oxy Invite ... Clocked his best 10,000-meter time of the season with his only sub-30 minute time of the 2013, clocking in at 29:45.70.

2013 Indoor: Finished fourth in the 3,000 meters at the ACC Championship (8:09.85) in the team title clinching event ... At the Husky Classic, posted time of 8:10.29 in the 3,000 meters ... Ran a 4:07.69 mile at the VT Challenge.

2012 Cross Country: Finished the 82nd at the NCAA Championships (30:36.3), finishing second for the Hokies … Helped Tech earn its first ever ACC team title and first NCAA Championship birth since 1987 … Recorded his best 8k of the season at Pre-Nationals with a mark of 23:46.2 to finish 19th … Finished 22nd at the ACC Championship (24:32.0) … Was 30th at the NCAA Southeast Regional (30:54.66) … Finished third at the Charlotte Invitational as the Hokies won the team title … Was Tech’s second finisher in four of his six races.

2012 Outdoor: Finished 13th at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 10000 meters (30:40.70) … Finished runner-up in the 10k at the Roanoke Twilight in a season best and team leading 29:46.10 … Won the mile at the Cal Brutus Hamilton Invitational (4:05.17) … Finished 10th in the 10k at the ACC Championship (30:21.25) … Runner-up in section three of the 5000 meters at the Raleigh Relays in a season best 14:25.95.

2012 Indoor: Competed at the ACC Championship in the 3000 meters (8:29.69) and 5000 meters (14:35.87), setting a personal best in the 5k … Ran a personal best indoor mile of 4:10.99 at the VT Elite Meet … Posted a PR in the 3000 meters at the SPIRE Division I Invitational (8:10.20).

2011 Cross Country: Competed in five meets on the season … Ran third on the team and 34th overall at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet by finishing in a career-best 10k of 31:06.8 … Placed 35th at the ACC Championship Meet in a career-best 8k of 24:24.3, good for fifth on the team … Was 146th at the Indiana State Pre-National Invitational (26:06).

2011 Outdoor: Redshirted.

2011 Indoor: Redshirted.

Prior to Tech: Competed at the University of Tennessee during the 2010 season … Competed at the SEC Outdoor Championships in the 5,000 (14:32.53) and 10,000 meters (30:54.76) … Set a personal best in the 5,000 meters at the Penn Relays (14:25.07).

High School: A 2009 Foot Locker All-American with a 12th place finish at the National Championships … Took third place at the 2009 indoor Virginia AAA State Meet in the 1,000-meters … Finished fourth in the mile at the outdoor 3A State Meet … Anchored his 4x800-meter relay to an indoor state title … Became the second Virginian in 2008 to earn All-American honors at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships.

Personal: Born March 6, 1990 in Yirgalem, Ethiopia … Son of Degfae Setegn and Aselefech Elala… Twin brother Tihut is also a distance runner at Virginia Tech … Majoring in consumer studies.

Degfae's Collegiate XC Bests
8k: 23:46.2, ACC Championships, 2012
10k: 30:36.3, NCAA Championships, 2012
Degfae's Collegiate Track & Field Bests
Indoor Outdoor
Mile: 4:07.69 800m: 1:59.19
3000m: 8:01.75 1500m: 3:46.98
5000m: 14:35.87 Mile: 4:05.17
5000m: 14:03.21
10000m: 29:36.76