Leah Okuda, a cross country and track runner for Shadow Ridge High School, poses with her granfather Gerry, left, and father Cody after signing a letter of intent to run for UNLV during a ceremony at her home Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Leah Okudas grandfather Gerry Okuda played baseball for UNLV in 1974-1976. Her father played for UNLV baseball in 1999-2000.
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Every Christmas, some 30 members of Gerry Okuda’s family know what they’re going to be unwrapping when it comes time for gifts.
The size and shape may vary from year to year, but rest assured, it’s going to be Scarlet and Gray and it’s going to say UNLV in big block letters.
“I get something for everybody,” Okuda says. “It’s either a T-shirt or a hoodie or a jacket, but it has UNLV on it. It goes to the little grandkids, all the way up to my kids, and all the adults.”
Okuda was a shortstop for the UNLV baseball team from 1975 to 1976, and the school pride still runs deep. His son, Cody, followed in his footsteps both as a UNLV baseball letterman (1999-2000) and as a UNLV superfan.
Now, it’s Leah Okuda’s turn to don the family colors.
On Jan. 12, Gerry’s granddaughter and Cody’s daughter signed a letter of intent to run track and cross country at the old alma mater, making the Okudas the first third-generation family of student-athletes at UNLV.
Leah Okuda is the second of eight siblings and has received more than her share of UNLV gear over the years, but she had no idea she was going to be making school history by pledging to her hometown university.
“I didn’t really realize I was going to be third generation,” Leah says. “But when I did make the decision, my dad expressed he was proud I was going to be a third-generation UNLV athlete. It made me proud of my family.”
Leah was homeschooled through high school but ran for Shadow Ridge, and when UNLV began to show interest in recruiting her, she could feel the pull of her family legacy. She had heard all of the stories.
She had heard about how Gerry brought newborn Cody, at just 2 weeks old, to Earl Wilson Stadium to watch him play.
She knew that her dad had met her mom, Austin, while at UNLV, and when he asked her out on their first date, his choice of venue was a romantic basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“They’re probably the biggest fans of UNLV,” Leah says. “I’ve never met bigger supporters of UNLV. I definitely grew up always in UNLV gear, always going to UNLV events.”
Gerry and Cody took different approaches when it came time for Leah to make her college decision, but it hardly mattered — Leah knew which way their hearts were pulling.
“My dad was definitely biased,” Leah says with a smile. “He told me flat-out he would love for me to run for UNLV. My grandpa didn’t say much, but I could tell he would like me to go there too.”
Leah’s campus visit was a stroll down memory lane for Cody, who raved about the improvements since his playing days.
“I love the facilities now,” he says. “The facilities are so much better than when I was there. I think the resources are much better, so it’s an incredible opportunity for any student-athlete who has an opportunity to go there.”
Leah was leaning toward UNLV from the beginning, and Gerry and Cody got their wish when she made it official, signing on the dotted line at her kitchen table in front of two dozen family and friends.
Breaking the news was a moment Leah will never forget. “My mom seemed very happy and proud,” she says. “My dad was going crazy.”
The Okudas have maintained season tickets for UNLV basketball and football for decades, and Leah says one of her earliest memories is the pregame fireworks show at the Mack. That got her interested in sports at a young age, and when she was in the fifth grade, Cody started a youth running club, partly to consolidate how many different sports practices he’d have to juggle with his ever-expanding family.
Cody, who works as a sports physical therapist, let the coaches do the hands-on training. Leah took to distance running and has steadily worked to develop into a college recruit.
“Being a Division I collegiate athlete takes another level of commitment,” he says. “Leah definitely has that. She has the desire. She’s OK with long practices, with road trips, with taking constructive criticism from coaches. She loves that. But it’s tough. I don’t know how many of my other kids will want to do that.”
UNLV is getting a good one. Leah has already accrued more than 50 college credits due to advanced-placement work, and she teaches piano to children on the side. When she’s not running or tickling the ivories, she mostly likes to hang out with her friends.
Austin says Leah is a generous person, the first to congratulate someone on a win, even if it’s a competitor from the other team.
When cross country season begins in September, expect the Okudas to show up in big numbers to support Leah as she becomes the family’s third generation to wear the Scarlet and Gray.
“To see her put on a UNLV kit will be nostalgic,” Cody says. “I’m really looking forward to it. I have so many great memories from UNLV. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”
And of course, it will be up to Gerry to outfit the entire family for the occasion.
“I’m glad she’s going to UNLV. I’m proud. We’re so happy for Leah. I’m glad I’m alive to see it,” Gerry says with a laugh.
