Mid season hs soph. pr 17:34

Several threads on here recently, one suggesting 14:40 was the target for a good D1 walk-on (track).

For XC, I wager mid to low 15s would be good enough for anything other than top tier programs. D2, maybe sub 16. I can't imagine that slower than 16 will be all that valuable when it comes to being recruited.

Cross country times are irrelevant. Guess why?

He should quit focusing on time and start trying to win the race, for himself and his team. That's why it's called a race and not a time trial.

P.S. My son's school has faster freshman. Your boy is a ways from getting recruited.

With a sub 16 you can walk on just about anywhere. Might get a scholarship to a D2.

Just do what the coach says, try to build up to 70+ mpw by senior year, don't try to do too much at once.

My son ran 17:30 as a soph. Two years later, he is at 16:15 and will almost certainly go lower before the end of the season. He also has good track times. He is of interest to mid-tier D1 teams, and D2 as well.

Is your son running indoor/outdoor track? If not, he has to. Can't just run XC.

Being "recruited" doesn't necessarily mean that a coach bangs down your door in junior year. It can also mean that you fill out the recruiting questionnaire on the school's Web site (let's say spring of junior year), and if the coach thinks you're worth talking to, he'll contact you at some point. Meanwhile, you visit schools in the spring and summer to see if you like them. You have to be proactive in identifying schools that are a good match both athletically and academically. Don't worry, there are plenty of schools out there where you don't have to be a Villanova-caliber runner to compete.

Tons of threads about summer training. Summer of Malmo is often cited, and is a good plan to help your son make a jump in junior year.

medicineman24 wrote:

He took up XC to help with his soccer and it turns out he is a pretty (fair) runner.

Learning to use parentheses will help his recruitment chances.

Thank you for the info. Good to know there are those like you that provide constructive, positive information.

Congrats on your son's freshman runners! Not sure how that is relevant to my request for advise..Guess what? My son enjoys running and Is NOT focused on time.. His PR was on a hilly course with shin splints and he is all about supporting his team. You know nothing about my son or adversities he has had to overcome to get to this point so I think your comments are totally unjustified.

Itdoesntfreakingmatter wrote:

Cross country times are irrelevant. Guess why?

He should quit focusing on time and start trying to win the race, for himself and his team. That's why it's called a race and not a time trial.

P.S. My son's school has faster freshman. Your boy is a ways from getting recruited.

Thanks..we need to increase the MPW..good info.

This is an article that is often cited here. Helps your son decide if he really wants to run in college. I have read that only around seven percent of high school XC runners go on to run in college. But he still has plenty of time. As long as he enjoys running and nobody has to force him to practice, he'll be fine.

http://www.runningwritings.com/2011/12/should-you-think-about-running-in.html

my advice would be to just focus on improving every year, and worry about times as he hits junior/senior years of track if he's serious about wanting to run in college. you could try researching walk-on times, or even email the coaches(however I wouldn't reccomend this as he's only a sophomore)

Don't let yourself get riled up by the trolls on here. Just ignore them, respond and they will get worse as you give them ammunition. They're just a part of letsrun.