Has anyone ever qualified for NCAA DI's in both running and swimming?

Nope

Lisa Weidenbach Larsen Rainsberger would be a possibility. FInished 3rd at the trials in swimming, 4th in the trials on the track in the 10,000 I think it was the 10.

luv2run wrote:

Lisa Weidenbach Larsen Rainsberger would be a possibility. FInished 3rd at the trials in swimming, 4th in the trials on the track in the 10,000 I think it was the 10.

Close, but there's much more to the story. Lisa Larsen Weidenbach Rainsberger qualified for the 1980 (boycott year) Olympic trials in swimming and was All-America in swimming at the University of Michigan. She switched over to running and earned All-America honors in both track and cross-country, won the Boston marathon once (still the last U.S. runner, male or female, to win Boston), won the Chicago marathon twice, finished fourth (first alternate) in three consecutive Olympic trials marathons (84, 88, 92), and finished fifth in the Olympic trials 10,000 meters in 1988. An amazing career.

luv2run wrote:

Lisa Weidenbach Larsen Rainsberger would be a possibility. FInished 3rd at the trials in swimming, 4th in the trials on the track in the 10,000 I think it was the 10.

She was an NCAA all-american in XC, track, and swimming.

luv2run wrote:

Lisa Weidenbach Larsen Rainsberger would be a possibility. FInished 3rd at the trials in swimming, 4th in the trials on the track in the 10,000 I think it was the 10.

She was an NCAA all-american in XC, track, and swimming.

Why do you list all his accolades without listing his times? Just list the times. Also, how is running for an hour not "dry land training"?

How would Lisa Weidenbach Larsen Rainsberger's swimming and running times hold up compared to today's athletes??

I'm just not sure this could really happen anymore given the academic demand of a school like Michigan and the life commitment that follows joining an NCAA D1 powerhouse athletic program.

1st class wrote:

How would Lisa Weidenbach Larsen Rainsberger's swimming and running times hold up compared to today's athletes??

I'm just not sure this could really happen anymore given the academic demand of a school like Michigan and the life commitment that follows joining an NCAA D1 powerhouse athletic program.

You have no idea who Lisa is, do you?

Gwen Jorgensen

might be wejo wrote:

Why do you list all his accolades without listing his times? Just list the times. Also, how is running for an hour not "dry land training"?

100y freestyle: 46.3

200y freestyle: 1:41

500y freestyle: 4:33

1650y freestyle: 15:52

** Non-competitive for DI swimming at back/breast/fly

1600m: 4:20

3200m: 9:20

Regarding your question of dry land training, yes I suppose the running is in the category. In addition to running, many of his teammates do plyometrics, calisthenics, medicine ball training, weightlifting, etc. which he hasn't done at this point. We've focused on him doing lots of daily stretching, and the basic swimming and running I mentioned above. No injuries, no chronic pains, no shin splints, no swimmer's shoulder, etc... very flexible and healthy kid.

1st class wrote:

I'm just not sure this could really happen anymore given the academic demand of a school like Michigan and the life commitment that follows joining an NCAA D1 powerhouse athletic program.

This is the main reason we steered him towards a smaller DI mid-major closer to home (and looked at DII/DIII), are encouraging him to take a lighter academic load in the fall and spring, and have found coaches who believe student-athletes are students first and athletes second. In our recruiting sit-down with several schools, we made it clear that if a paper or assignment or lab came up that needed extra attention, he'd prioritize his school work over swimming or running, even if it meant missing practice or meets. Luckily we found a school where the swim coach, cross country coach, and track coach were all totally OK with it, which I'm not sure would have been the case at a major DI school.

A few decades ago I went to a major DI school, and my freshman roommate was the second fastest 100 yard freestyler in the nation coming out of high school that year. He also had a combined SAT of 840, needless to say academics were a killer for him. At the end of his first semester, he had a 0.8 GPA. He asked his coach for some leniency in missing some practices for additional tutoring time, and his coach told him that if he missed even one practice he'd be kicked off the team and lose his scholarship. Luckily his parents could afford the college costs, so he quit swimming and focused on his academics, and ultimately ended up doing OK. The whole experience was eye-opening for both he and I, and we've talked about it frequently as we've raised our kids.

ruffus ruff wrote:

Gwen Jorgensen

Gwen Jorgensen never qualified for a national NCAA championship in swimming.

NCAA Division 1 swimmers put in *over* 20 hours per week. Teams skirt the 20 hour limit with "optional" (wink, wink) workouts. The season starts at the end of September and ends, if you make it to the National Championships, in March.

When, exactly, would your son have time to train with the track team?

You should contact USA triathlon to make them aware of your son

well.... wrote:

NCAA Division 1 swimmers put in *over* 20 hours per week. Teams skirt the 20 hour limit with "optional" (wink, wink) workouts. The season starts at the end of September and ends, if you make it to the National Championships, in March.

When, exactly, would your son have time to train with the track team?

He'd basically keep up the same training schedule he has for the last three years -- swim before school, run at lunch (on his own), swim after school. No formal daily training with the xc/track teams, but compete at meets with them. We discussed this with xc/track coaches, and they were ok with it. His high school xc/track coaches were ok with this approach also.

Sorry Daddyo,

I fear your kid will burn out rather quickly as you steer his life. If you picked his school based on coaching staffs that agree with you but may be fired and replaced next week with guys without the same vision you have already screwed up.

I'm not a fan of your plan. Well, actually I should rephrase that. I like the IDEA that a kid in an endurance sport could enjoy two or more different sports on a competitive college level, but the reality is that this is a VERY tough road to follow.

Specialization is the mantra. I know that many will say that the swimming just complements the running and vice versa, but I'm not NECESSARILY buying that. I have seen many athletes on the high school level try to combine swimming with running, and so far without fail, one or both of their sports has suffered. Same with soccer being involved. Those that chose to drop a sport and concentrate only on running, well, they saw almost immediate running improvement. There are some who dropped running and went 100% soccer or swimming, but I don't know if they were any better then or not because I don't follow those sports.

Sounds like your son is an amazing athlete, but the demands for his time wit trying to do D1 running and swimming, well, that just seems not doable. Doesn't seem fun either, really. I mean hell, you have to study too and have a leisurely lunch with the ladies and have some fun in the evenings with some friends he will meet.

Best idea is to pick one (probably swimming since he's better at that it appears) and focus on that in college. Then, depending on his interests and ability when college is done, might be time to see if he can actually do a decent triathlon.

My two cents.

seven dollars wrote:

Sorry Daddyo,

I fear your kid will burn out rather quickly as you steer his life.

With regards to the burnout, we've had open and honest discussions on that topic. He's pretty grounded and discerning, but also humble enough to seek advice and counsel from trusted sources. Well rounded too, sports is not his life, just something he loves. And if coaches change, it's just another discussion point. No big deal.

One thing we've considered is red-shirting a year to allow him to adjust to the study/athletics/life balance of college. He'd basically be doing the same thing he is now, adding Saturday workouts, adjusting to college class/study schedule, and process how his mind and body feel over that first year in a new environment. If we go that route, we'll have to read up on what could inadvertently cost him a year of eligibility -- swimming or competing with local USA Swimming Club, running in a local road race, etc.? I don't know anything about college eligibility rules, so that's something we've discussed looking into.

To the posters above that discussed Lisa Rainsberger, thanks for the info. Great read, very inspirational life story. Awesome stories and interviews on the internet we've enjoyed since you guided us to her story. Thanks!

I had teammate that ran 1:57 800 and was all state swimmer too. He was a D3 all American in swimming and just dabbled in track. But he would run 1:57 or so and about 4:05 1500 with only a few weeks of training. Went on to do some triathlons and did well. I can look up some times.