J. DONALD LEEK

J. Donald Leek, a graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School began his journey from a remarkable high school athlete to a championship-winning coach and trailblazing athletic director who would solidify his place in the school’s and the community’s history.  At  Gary Roosevelt, he was a four-year letterman on the football team, where he played as a lineman with extraordinary skill and leadership earning the role of co-captain during his senior year.  He lettered for three years in track & field, specializing in the high and low hurdles, and helped lead the school’s 880-yard relay team to a State Championship Title in 1947.  That same year, Don was runner-up in the high-hurdles and received the prestigious honor of Gary Roosevelt’s Most Outstanding Athlete. 

After high school, Don was awarded an athletic scholarship to North Carolina Central College (NCCC) in Durham, North Carolina, where he continued to excel as a two-sport athlete in track and football.  In 1950 and 1951, he won the C.I.A.A. Conference Low Hurdle Championship, and in 1950, he claimed the Junior National High Hurdle Championship.  Recognized as one of the most promising hurdlers in the country, Don was invited to compete in the prestigious Penn Relays from 1948 to 1950, representing NCCC at one of the nation’s most respected track events.  His skills earned him an invitation to join the U.S. Track and Field Team and compete abroad in 1950, a remarkable recognition of his rank as a top hurdler. 

Don returned to Gary Roosevelt as the Head Track and Field Coach in 1956. Under his guidance, the team won nine city and sectional titles between 1959 and 1967.  In 1962, he was named Track Coach of the Year. In 1971, Don stepped into the role of Athletic Director for the Gary Public Schools, where he expanded his impact as a visionary leader.  He was instrumental in establishing the city’s first “Institute for Athletics and Education Conference.  He was inducted into the Indiana Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1974.  His lifelong commitment to athletic excellence, education, and his community has made an indelible mark inspiring generations of athletes and students.