Who’s That Bulldog? – It’s Allison Leddy

MHS senior Allison Leddy says she is a farm girl who loves to run. “I’ve lived on a farm all my life and have been running since I was little.” Her ah-ha moment came when she was in sixth grade and ran in a 5K race with her aunt. “When I got done, I said I really wanted to try cross country.  My parents said go ahead, so I bought some running shoes and got started.” She found she liked the feeling of running. “When I get done, I feel like I did something good. It’s a good stress reliever and a good time to think.”

The next year, Allison began competing. “I ran a few junior varsity races,” she says. “But I was moved up to varsity and ended up going to State. I’ve been on varsity ever since.” 

She qualified and ran at State in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. She says the Roy Griak meets at the University of Minnesota were another exciting part of belonging to the cross country team.  “The races were amazing. So many runners and it was so much fun to watch the college races. We also spent the night and it was a great way to bond as a team.”
 

“The team,” she says,” is like family to me.” “We’ve all gotten close over the years and this season was the same. This year, she and Amaya Street were team leaders and she gives credit to Taylor Thue and Danica Schulte for showing her the way last year.  “They were inspiring. They made sure everyone was included, gave great speeches before and after races, and always tried to stay positive.”

But, she says the best part about being on the team is being a Bulldog. “When you put the uniform on, you know you’re not just running for yourself, you’re running for the team, the city, and the school. You’re running for something bigger than yourself.”

Allison is the daughter of Wade and Lori Leddy and the family farm is another key to her personality.  “It’s our way of life. I don’t have typical summer days of sleeping in. I get up early, do chores, and wash and feed the calves in the afternoons. A lot of my weekends are taken up with projects on the farm. I missed out on a lot, but it also helped me with time management. I knew I had to get stuff done before I could do other things, and it has taught me to be more responsible.”

She’s also involved in the Grant County 4H program and usually shows cattle, but has shown meat goats, too. She says, “I do even more chores because of 4-H. I work with my animals and have to make sure they are ready for shows.”

Somehow she has carved out time to run track and join HOSA, choir, FCA, and student council. She also enjoys Core Kinetics dance, spending time with her family and friends, eating chicken quesadillas, listening to country music, and being outdoors. She says, “I’m definitely not shy. It’s important to me to talk to as many people as I can.”

Allison plans to attend South Dakota State University next year to major in exercise science. “I eventually want to go to physical therapy school. My goal is to come back to Milbank. I’d like my kids to grow up here.”

Photo by VPD Studio