Leslie Maxie
Encyclopedia
Leslie Maxie is a retired American
track and field
athlete and subsequently a television presenter.
While still at Mills High School
, she set the still standing World Youth Best of 55.20 in the 400 metre hurdles on June 9, 1984 while finishing second at the 1984 TAC USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
, held at nearby San Jose City College
. That race at the age of 17 proved to be her personal best.
She did qualify and run at the 1988 Summer Olympics, running 57.60 to finish a non-qualifying 5th place in the heat of the 400 hurdles.
, Triple Jump
400 metres
and 100 metre hurdles. As a freshman at the 1982 CIF California State Meet
, she was in the top four in three events. To qualify, she won the CCS Section Championships and placed second to Wendy Brown
in both jumps. 1983, she won the 400 m, see the race, and placed second in the 100 hurdles. 1984 was her first year to experiment with the long hurdles race. A week before her World record saw her winning the state meet in meet record time. As a senior, she repeated her 300 hurdle championship. See the race A week before the 1984 state meet, in Berkeley, California
she set the National High School record in the 300 hurdles at 40.18 That performance is still ranked as the number three mark of all time
After high school, she studied Journalism at the University of Southern California
, where she is still ranked as the #2 400 hurdler of all time. She finished second in the 400 hurdles and was on the National Champion 4x400 relay at the 1987 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
s, thus achieving All-American status in both the 400 hurdles and the 4x400 relay. She was team captain in 1990
Over her career, she was ranked in the U.S. top ten in the 400 hurdles four times
During the 1990s and 2000s, Carol Lewis
was the primary female reporter in network coverage of the Olympics and Track and Field in the United States. Lewis continues to be known in track and field circles more for her flubs and mistakes, than for her sparkling coverage. When Lewis was not at an event, Maxie was the primary female reporter. Her insightful commentary and intelligent interviewing skills made her look like a shining star. Her sports interviewing skills took her into a variety of other sports. ESPN
took notice and found a place for Maxie as news anchor in 2003 when they started their new morning talk show, Cold Pizza
. However her skills reading from a teleprompter were less than exemplarary and as the show evolved into a sports journalism show, Maxie was dropped from the line-up. She was so popular on the show that a petition was started, calling for her return.
She has also done work as a motivational speaker
In 2009, Maxie joined NASCAR
as Manager of Communications for East Regional Media Outreach. She's involved with the NASCAR BET
show called Changing Lanes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete and subsequently a television presenter.
While still at Mills High School
Mills High School
Mills High School is a public high school in Millbrae, California. It is one of seven high schools in the San Mateo Union High School District....
, she set the still standing World Youth Best of 55.20 in the 400 metre hurdles on June 9, 1984 while finishing second at the 1984 TAC USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
, held at nearby San Jose City College
San Jose City College
San Jose City College, founded in 1921, is a community college located in the city of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.San Jose City College was originally called San Jose Junior College and operated in downtown San Jose, California...
. That race at the age of 17 proved to be her personal best.
She did qualify and run at the 1988 Summer Olympics, running 57.60 to finish a non-qualifying 5th place in the heat of the 400 hurdles.
Early career
As a tall youth runner she competed in what might have seemed an odd combination of events, the High JumpHigh jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
, Triple Jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
and 100 metre hurdles. As a freshman at the 1982 CIF California State Meet
CIF California State Meet
The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...
, she was in the top four in three events. To qualify, she won the CCS Section Championships and placed second to Wendy Brown
Wendy Brown (athlete)
Wendy Renee Brown is a retired heptathlete and triple jumper from the United States. She competed in the heptathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, finishing in 18th place behind teammate Jackie Joyner Kersee's still current world record...
in both jumps. 1983, she won the 400 m, see the race, and placed second in the 100 hurdles. 1984 was her first year to experiment with the long hurdles race. A week before her World record saw her winning the state meet in meet record time. As a senior, she repeated her 300 hurdle championship. See the race A week before the 1984 state meet, in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
she set the National High School record in the 300 hurdles at 40.18 That performance is still ranked as the number three mark of all time
After high school, she studied Journalism at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where she is still ranked as the #2 400 hurdler of all time. She finished second in the 400 hurdles and was on the National Champion 4x400 relay at the 1987 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Women's Outdoor Track and Field-By school:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship...
s, thus achieving All-American status in both the 400 hurdles and the 4x400 relay. She was team captain in 1990
Over her career, she was ranked in the U.S. top ten in the 400 hurdles four times
Journalism
As a young athlete she was selected to do some children's news stories for local KRON which led to her interest in journalism.During the 1990s and 2000s, Carol Lewis
Carol Lewis
Carol LeGrant Lewis is an American former track and field athlete who specialised in the long jump. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, she is the sister of former world record holder Carl Lewis....
was the primary female reporter in network coverage of the Olympics and Track and Field in the United States. Lewis continues to be known in track and field circles more for her flubs and mistakes, than for her sparkling coverage. When Lewis was not at an event, Maxie was the primary female reporter. Her insightful commentary and intelligent interviewing skills made her look like a shining star. Her sports interviewing skills took her into a variety of other sports. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
took notice and found a place for Maxie as news anchor in 2003 when they started their new morning talk show, Cold Pizza
Cold Pizza
Cold Pizza was a television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America than SportsCenters straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an...
. However her skills reading from a teleprompter were less than exemplarary and as the show evolved into a sports journalism show, Maxie was dropped from the line-up. She was so popular on the show that a petition was started, calling for her return.
She has also done work as a motivational speaker
In 2009, Maxie joined NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
as Manager of Communications for East Regional Media Outreach. She's involved with the NASCAR BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
show called Changing Lanes.