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Chasing Legends: Tim Leonard’s Sprint Surge Has NEPA Buzzing And the Ismail Brothers Are Watching

Chasing Legends: Tim Leonard’s Sprint Surge Has NEPA Buzzing And the Ismail Brothers Are Watching

By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | April 23, 2026 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus

A 10.4 flashes on the stop watch, and suddenly history feels within reach. Wilkes-Barre Area’s Tim Leonard isn’t just winning races, he’s stepping into a conversation that hasn’t been touched in decades, with encouragement now coming from the very names that built it.

There’s speed and then there’s this kind of speed.

Wilkes-Barre Area senior Tim Leonard is making the most of his final season, turning heads across Pennsylvania as he gears up for the biggest meets of the year. His recent 10.4 in the 100-meter dash has placed him firmly in elite company and within striking distance of one of District 2’s most iconic marks.

That’s where the names start to carry weight.

Raghib ‘Rocket’ Ismail set the standard back in 1988, blazing a hand-timed 10.2 that converts to 10.44 FAT, still one of the most respected sprint marks in the region. Alongside him, his brother Qadry ‘Missile’ Ismail carved out his own legacy as one of the fastest to ever come through Meyers.

Now, they’re watching the next one up.

Following Leonard’s recent school record performance, Qadry “Missile” Ismail shared words that hit both as praise and perspective:

“If he’s running those times now… It’s a matter of staying healthy and being fresh for districts! And then mentally ready for the rounds of sprinting and competing at States!”

It’s the kind of insight that only comes from someone who’s lived it.

Leonard showed he belongs on the big stage last season, capturing the District title in the 100-meter dash with a 10.6. But this year, everything feels elevated, more explosive, more consistent, and building toward something bigger.

With the Wyoming Valley Conference Championships and District meets approaching, the spotlight only gets brighter.

This is where Fully Automatic Timing (FAT) takes over…no conversions, no questions. Just pure, certified speed.

And if Leonard hits that 10.4 again under FAT conditions, he won’t just be chasing history, he’ll be sitting at the top of the Pennsylvania leaderboard.

From Wilkes-Barre Area to the state stage, the next few weeks will define the run.

The competition gets deeper. The rounds get tighter. The pressure ramps up.

But with legends taking notice and momentum building, Tim Leonard isn’t just part of the conversation anymore.

He’s leading it.