Colletgiate Career
Leer had a very successful college career running for Pomona College in Claremont, California. In his Junior year he finished 90th at cross country nationals with a time of 27:10. After a disappointing performance at cross country nationals, Leer won the NCAA Division-III indoor national title in the mile with a time of 4:09.42. At outdoor nationals, he placed second in the 1500 behind Nick Symmonds with a time of 3:49.70. He also competed in the 800, finishing eighth with a time of 1:52.82. In Will's senior year he finished 7th at cross country nationals with a time of 27:03 on a very slow and muddy course. During the indoor season, Leer repeated as national champion in the mile with a time of 4:08.19. Later in the meet he came back in the 5000, finishing third with a time of 14:34.24. During his 2007 outdoor season, Leer ran a 1:50.79 in the 800, 3:41.98 in the 1500, and a 14:23 in the 5000. All of his times put him in the top three of DIII performances. Will's 1500 performance was perhaps the best run of his collegiate career; his 1500 time of 3:41.98 converts to a 3:59 full mile. At the 2007 Division III National Championships, Leer won the 1500 and the 5000 on the same day. He is the only male Division III runner ever to win both titles in the same meet.
Post-Collegiate
Leer finished 10th in the 1500 meter event at the 2007 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet. He advanced to the June 24 final by running a personal best 3:40.06 in a preliminary heat. He qualified for the event by running 3:41.13 at the Prefontaine Classic in June 2007. He also ran a 1:49.37 800m at the USA Outdoor Track & Field West Region Championship meet.
In January 2008, Leer ran a 3:59.83 mile at the UW Indoor Preview for The Oregon Track Club Elite. Leer is the 297th American to break 4-minutes in the mile.
In the winter of 2008, Leer finished fourth in the 1500 meter event at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. At historic Hayward Field, the home track of the OTC-Elite, Leer advanced to the final for the 1500 meter event at the U.S. Olympic Trials by finishing third in his semifinal heat. In the finals of the Trials Leer ran 3.41.54, placing him 4th, ahead of the current one mile American Record-holder Alan Webb. A few weeks later he set a 1500m personal record by running 3.37.63 in winning a "B" race at Heusden, Belgium.
In 2009, Leer set a personal best in the Mile at the Prefontaine Classic and finished fifth at the 1500m U.S.A. Outdoor Championships in June, then set a 1500m personal best of 3:37.37 at the Ghent Flanders Cup in July.
Leer began his 2010 season with a personal-best 3:55.66 mile at the Boston Indoor Games. A week later, he ran the 1600m anchor leg for the Oregon Track Club team that set an American Indoor best (not a record due to technicalities) in the distance medley relay, breaking the previous record by 4 seconds. In May he lowered his 1500m personal best to 3:37.26, finishing third at the USATF High Performance Meet at Occidental College, CA.
Personal Bests
- 800 m – 1:47.69
- 1500 m – 3:37.26, 3:41.93i
- Mile – 3:55.66i, 3:56.63
- 5000 m – 14:23.28
- 8 km XC – 24:14.1