I know I was just thinking that.

He's here!

Anonymous wrote:You don’t need to have the triumvirate as long as you hit elite in one distance. My 1:52 800 kid was recruited heavily his JR year and had multiple offers senior year from D1 programs, including the Ivy to which he committed and ran for. So SP JR outdoor times are super critical - with hopefully qualifying for New Balance or Nike nationals

Rosters are going to shrink. 1:52 is appealing to an Ivy because it could mean 1:47/48 a few years later. But rosters will be shrinking.

The 800 is tough on athletes. The talented guys may be able to run 46 on a 4 x 4 but only a few. It is all about conference points today. 800 guys generally don’t do cross country well making the roster spot squeeze a challenge. This is what is coming in the future. The Ivies, however may be better in terms of roster spots than the P4. They are not going to go to the limits on football.

I agree with your junior year assessment. As mentioned above, 4:10 mile as a 10th grader and 3:48 1500 as an 11th grader. I was heavily recruited and was a very good student and even in the 70’s received a number of 70 percent offers. I took one of them, turning down full rides at some lesser Big 10 and SEC schools. So it wasn’t necessarily easy in the 70’s in terms of scholarships. The big athletic schools are going to recruit foreign athletes even more than in the past. No room or time for development, and they need full rides squeezing the system even more than ever. (I was 4th in XC in my power 4 conference, and was the first American). Don’t take this wrong - there will be opportunities- but it underlines why a kid should go to school for academics and not its track program.

To the poster who asked how much mileage I ran to run a 4:10 mile in 10th grade, my coach was an Igloi disciple and we only ran 30-35 miles a week. Terrific speed work though. My equally talented late brother and I led our high school team to state championships in XC and were then called the best team of all time by the press.

I started in 5th grade but was forced to run, being beaten often and otherwise abused if I didn’t run. Sheer misery and never really liked running. My father thankfully abandoned the family my junior year, leaving my addicted mother destitute. Who knows how well I would have done if I had a stable home? Our high school this year invited us to the school’s inaugural hall of fame. I declined the invitation and also did so on behalf of my late brother as well. Abuse shouldn’t be rewarded. I wish the records would be wiped away, some of which just won’t ever be broken.

My grandfather (my mother’s father) died when I was one. He was a lightning fast tailback in the early years of the NFL. I never doubted that I was fast.

You don’t need to have the triumvirate as long as you hit elite in one distance. My 1:52 800 kid was recruited heavily his JR year and had multiple offers senior year from D1 programs, including the Ivy to which he committed and ran for. So SP JR outdoor times are super critical - with hopefully qualifying for New Balance or Nike nationals

enough about the girls 800 people,
let’s stay on topic pls

agree with pp, who put it simply but on point - can’t be an event specialist - need 2 if not 3 legit times. Coaches want to see speed even in their distance runners, dictates where the ceiling is

Which schools is the 2:22 runner girls getting offers from?

Girls track is very different from boys track and there are frankly more spots and teams.

D3 and not selective very different from D1 or selective. Also full pay is a big deal too. Also, being able to fit the academic or diversity profile.

But first, you have to have the times in 2-3 events. It’s not a charisma contest with coaches. Track is the one sport that shows people’s times very clearly.

Anonymous wrote:2:22 for an 800? that doesn't seem great. There are several FCPS sophomores/juniors running a 2:10 or lower.

My point was that her times are far from amazing and still has offers so you never know….

from what i hear you want legit times in hand when you contact coaches - and put them in subject line. Indoor track junior year is fine if you can get a time at a fast track like BU or Ocean Breeze in NYC. But now is likely too early as you only have sophomore year times- which are basically worthless. The holy triumvirate is T10 state cross country, sub 4:12, and sub 1:55. Put those times in subject line and you will get responses from Georgetown, Duke, Ivies, Cornell, Williams, Amherst, Bucknell, etc etc

Anonymous wrote:2:22 for an 800? that doesn't seem great. There are several FCPS sophomores/juniors running a 2:10 or lower.

not true. Only 2 in Fairfax were sub 2:10 last year. 4 in the whole state of Virginia. Of which only 1 wasn’t a senior.

Anonymous wrote:2:22 for an 800? that doesn't seem great. There are several FCPS sophomores/juniors running a 2:10 or lower.

I think that was her point. 2:22 with a great personality might mean the coach saw potential and was excited to work with her. Good for her!

Anonymous wrote:Reach out now to schools of interest.

Also, there is a lot of uncertainty right now with how many roster spots there will be for athletes.

Things will be tougher basically for D1.

Yes, now is a good time. Stay open to schools at any level. And help your DC stay as healthy as possible physically. Good luck!

2:22 for an 800? that doesn't seem great. There are several FCPS sophomores/juniors running a 2:10 or lower.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:good previous post but imo it’s tough because there are kids who can bang out a 15:30 5k but not be able to break 2 in the 800 - because of excessive summer mileage. Coaches want breadth with these kids. Excessive summer training and lying about mileage can’t help a kids 400 time hit 52 - and that’s a price of entry for upper tier D1 cc

NP, with son who is early in xc/track career, but doing well. Do you mean you need the 5k time plus 800 and 400? Or is 5K with 1600 and 800 okay? DS is starting his first indoor track season and it's interesting because he's training like and with the sprinters, despite being a middle to long distance guy. I am just trying to understand how it all works!

Most mid-distance/distance track runners will run XC for their college. So they need the XC 5k time and then either the 800 or mile time or both. They need to be successful in both track and XC.

I have seen several XC runners who are great in XC and have the times but then can't do the track standards.

this ^^ college coach interest will be much greater if kid - at a minimum - can hit a 1:55 800 junior year track, and then can run sub 15:30 on a fast CC course during fall of senior year. Assuming fast cc course to equalize times which can vary greatly based on course. A 1:55 800 / 15:30 5k is much more interesting than a 2:00 800 / 15:00 5k

There are also more women’s xc and track programs than men’s at the college level, usually to offset the many spots available to men only for football and to balance athletic opportunities to comply with title ix.

Anonymous wrote:You never know what a college coach is looking for. My daughter runs a 2:22 800 and a 62 400…huge positive personality. Has been offered small athletic money and a ton of merit at an American East college and a guaranteed walk on spot at an Atlantic 10 college. She wants to run and was aggressive in reaching out to coaches and marketing herself. Still talking to 2 other D1 coaches….all solid schools

those are solid times, but ur kid’s grit likely played a huge part - well done on her side