D1 male distance running recruiting

Don't contact coaches until the summer before your senior year. They really can't do anything (ncaa rules and stuff) until then and if you keep improving to sub 4:20 as a junior, then they will be interested.

You absolutely want to be on a coach's "short list" before the end of your junior year. Right now is a very good time to let coaches know you exist and are interested in their school. Fill out the recruit questionnaire and follow it up with an email to any school you are interested in. Give periodic updates, don't go overboard. Updating after major invites and post season meets is a good idea. "Division I" is so vague when looking at schools. If you want a top ten-twenty team, you need to be under 4:15/9:10 as a junior to get looks. Almost all other schools will put you on their radar if you sub 4:20/9:20 junior year. Hit either NXN or FL this fall. Those races as a junior are HUGE assets if you run well.

mehhh wrote:

Don't contact coaches until the summer before your senior year. They really can't do anything (ncaa rules and stuff) until then and if you keep improving to sub 4:20 as a junior, then they will be interested.

You could wait until your Junior XC season ends to have some results to share (going to a state championship meet, etc.). Then you would have one more season before college to connect the dots. A lot can happen to HS runners in their final 2 years of training and competition that a college coach isn't going to be too interested in sophomore season results.

I don't see any problems with that. Probably wouldn't hurt anything. Those are solid times for a sophomore. I sent stuff out to coaches after my junior year...times, basic training info (I didn't run much so I thought that showed I still had a lot of potential...not sure how this was viewed in their opinion), and major awards (state championship/member of all state relay team, etc).

I think what others mentioned above about getting on a coach's radar is important. I probably sent out 100 emails to just about any D1 school I was interested in. About 25 of the coaches eventually got back to me with form letters, etc, and some started calling my house (I don't think they're allowed to do this until a certain date because of NCAA rules, can't remember when that date is). Eventually I was able to narrow things down after speaking to the coaches once a week or so. Made some visits. Ended up going to a upper level ACC program.

Go ahead and send some emails. Don't some will get back to you, some won't. It never hurts to ask. Also, you run a PR, re-send that. Let them know you're improving, even if they haven't responded yet. In my experience, especially in a sport like track, you have to do a bunch of the recruiting yourself unless you're a foot locker type guy (even with a handful of state championships under my belt the vast majority of the coaches had never heard of me until I reached out to them).

Fill out the on-line questionnaire for each school you are interested in over Christmas break of your Junior year. We filled out 20, heard back from 19 and narrowed it down to 8 or so at the end of Junior year track season. Schedule and execute unofficial visits and camps summer before Senior year. Once you can talk with coaches openly, get to know them and get your visits lined up.

Make sure YOU lead the communication with the coaches. Some don't like when the parents lead it. Best of luck and make sure your grades are strong. They don't need to be perfect but strong. My son was a 3.8+ with many AP classes and scored a 35 ACT in his one attempt. We didn't pursue Dartmouth because they insisted on SAT subject tests whilst Yale said they didn't need them!