Sailing in her hometown of Newport, R.I., in 1999, Leerssen became the first Stanford athlete to win the Janet Lutz Trophy as the individual national champion in sailing. She won 15 of 16 races to capture the ICYRA Women's Single-handed sailing championships, becoming the first athlete to win that many races at a national event. In a sport where low totals win, Leerssen’s 23 points (15 points for each win and eight points for an eighth-place finish) cruised past runner-up from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy by an astounding 38 points. Her fast start stunned the field as she won the first 11 races before recovering from her eighth place finish to win the final four. Her commanding victory was only potentially eclipsed by the Sportsmanship Trophy bestowed upon her by the competitors following the event.  

Leerssen was not a one-race wonder, however. The senior captain helped Stanford to two team national titles (1997 and 1999) and placed sixth individually in 1998.

Leerssen, who graduated from Oregon with a law degree, is currently an Assistant Attorney General for the Oregon Department of Justice in the Natural Resources Section. Leerssen advises various state agencies including the departments of Forestry, Fish and Wildlife and Environmental Quality.