College cross country/distance programs on the up

jerz wrote:

They seem to be a lot better at cross than track though.

It helps when the regional is on your home course. Good developing team though.

Keeping with the SUNY programs, Binghamton is going to be really good in the upcoming years. A 4:07 freshman miler and an 8:19 3k freshman leading their tremendous class.

And they redshirted a 29:30ish 10k guy in XC, who should have two full years after this outdoor season I believe.

The coach has proven to be able to handle top level talent, bringing Van Ingen along to 3 All-American certificates between indoors and outdoors and one near miss in XC.

Look out for [X]. I went to [X] and/or know a bunch of guys on the team there, and they've been getting a lot better in the last few years. They haven't turned too many heads yet because of injuries and/or bad luck, but they just got a great recruiting class and/or new coach and now the program is really on the rise.

Calling it right now -- [X] as a sleeper team to make nats next fall. And look out for their token stud [y] to make some waves in the 1500 and/or steeple and/or 10k this spring.

Gonzaga.

Mizzou??? Some D2 schools in Missouri like Central Missouri and Missouri Southern and even D3 Washington University are better than them

Mizzou and Alabama both have huge recruiting classes this year. Look for both teams to qualify in the next couple of years.

Dartmouth Ladies. Watch out for them in XC next year solid recruiting class and with Miss Abby D....

TigerTail wrote:

Mizzou??? Some D2 schools in Missouri like Central Missouri and Missouri Southern and even D3 Washington University are better than them

I'm not a Mizzou fan but that is just a ridiculous statement.

Pretty sure that Wash U would've beaten Mizzou in xc easily. Wash U's women were the D3 National Champions and their men were 3rd.

Check your ego at the door.

Minnesota has to be an up and comer. Coach Plascensia just was named the Team USA Mens and Juniors Cross Country Coach. He loses Mead and Blankenship, but holds a huge talent base in MN to recruit from and has garnered attention from his recent success.

Don't know if he'll ever get them back to the glory days of Rono, Kimobwa, Kimeto, et al, but Pete Julian at Washington State is doing a great job, primarily with Washington and Oregon kids...he might be a couple of years away on the women's side, if Metcalf or Tyson slip up.

Late to this post, but Binghamton also has Andrew Roache from FM who redshirted last year and Collin Frost, top freshman in conference last year who went 907/415 in HS.

Wouldn't expect anything immediately, but I think University of Kentucky will only get better in the coming years. The new outdoor facilities are incredible, and they still have a great indoor facility in Nutter. UK athletics has made it clear that they want to be successful across the board, extending contracts of successful coaches (Volleyball, Baseball) while being less hesitant to get rid of those failing to succeed (Mens Soccer) and drastically improving facilities across the board (new soccer turf, plans for new baseball stadium, etc). Now that they finally have a coaching staff that knows what they're doing and isn't stuck in the 1980s Kentucky's program should be decent in a couple years and I wouldn't be surprised to see them as contenders in the SEC in 3-5 years. If only I could say the same about our football program...

Southern Utah!! Lost Levins but returns a solid, young team... Watch out Mountain Region

The Top 4 international medals machines of USC, UCLA, Stanford, and Cal will continue to dominate the Olympics and IAAF Outdoor WC competitions.

You know I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Texas A&M. top 20 at nationals this year and scored points in the DMR at indoor nats. For a program that is very sprint heavy they are starting to be an all around balance program. Not to mention their coach has to have big things planned. Getting a girl to runner-up at the olympic trials is no joke. I used to run cross country at Oklahoma State and I saw Texas A&M suffer for the 5 years I was competing in the Big 12. Now it seems like their new coach is doing something right!

runn wrote:

I wanted to donate but they said I couldn't specify where the money would go. I didn't want the 2 and infinity basketball team to get it.

Unless your donation is larger than the annual budget, you don't help any by holding back because you want to specify where it goes. If your donation is $XX and their budget is $YYYYY, then after your "specific" donation, their new budget is $YYYYY - $XX. So any donation effectively goes to the same place; making a donation with a specific dedication is either useless (because it doesn't matter) or so obscure (and not within the normal budget) so that the donation itself is useless.

FL Runner wrote:

Kinda feel that Stony Brook has risen pretty strongly over the last 5-7 years...granted they are doing it with New Zealand girls/guys (and some Irish thrown in for good measure), but it has a pretty strong academic reputation internationally...becomes a very easy sell...the Van Dalen twins (what's Holly doing lately??), Eric Speakman, Leonara Joy, Patricia Barry, Oilvia ???

New $3 million dollar track facilty

One of my NZ friends ran at Stony Brook and graduated two years ago or so. Heard from his brother that Holly Van Dalen is injured at the moment.

Lol, Gavin Kennedy doing something: He would have to be in the same place for more than a year for us to know if he can coach.

Bigglesworth wrote:

Southern Utah!! Lost Levins but returns a solid, young team... Watch out Mountain Region

If Levins stays then I could see that being a recruiting draw for them.