Class of 2026 Mid Distance and Distance Runner Recruits

That's not how it works. Once you have officially committed there is no more interest from other schools. They leave you alone.

Of course it's a mutual decision. It's just not a good one.

Lily Alder to BYU

https://www.instagram.com/joshua.grenade/p/DHYp_3jROmG/

10:06 two mile at NIN

And Caden Leonard to UNC

I will rephrase. Bigger problem is kid who commits to a school early, then senior spring is top 3 in nation, suddenly running times fast enough to now be attractive for Oregon, Washington and NAU.

I was thinking of Stephens, who switched commitment from FSU to NC St. (coaching change freed her from NLetofIntent) and Natalie Cook, who quickly transferred from OSU to CU. (Could add the Brosnan files transfers of Barnett, Frias and McDonnell to UCLA/Oregon)

That still makes no sense. National signing day is in November. If a senior skips national signing day and gambles that they will be running faster in June, then they risk a school not having any more spaces or any more scholarships for them.

I know a senior who last September hadn't contacted their favorite college because they thought they could wait until May or June. I educated them that's not how it works. So they contacted that favorite college in September, and when the coach responded they said "I'm so glad you contacted me now. If you had waited a few more weeks we would have given out all of our scholarships."

Waiting until the spring of your senior year is a risk not worth taking for most seniors. The only time it might be worth a risk is if someone clearly had a ton of talent but had been dealing with injuries their sophomore and junior years and so they weren't able to run fast times, and they were keeping their fingers crossed that they could be healthy and run really fast the spring of their senior year.

But that is a very unusual situation. For most seniors it's best to choose a college no later than the fall of your senior year.

Correction... For most seniors it's best to choose a college IN the fall of your senior year & not before. The only time you should commit before November your senior year is if one of the top top distance programs wants you... otherwise there is no need to do so.

As someone who went through this for 2025, I would advise kids to commit their Junior year. When you commit your junior year it is only a verbal commitment. There is no signed Financial Document. So the scenario that Runner X commits JR year and then becomes Top 3 in the country has ZERO relevance to this process. Runner X has a couple of options: 1) de-commit if not at preferred school or program; 2) continue scholarship discussion if not already receiving what is value. Super simple.

and as a person who goes through this every year, I advise these kids not to.

there is simply no benefit... they can do exactly what you suggest without committing..

the only reason to early commit is if it's for a top top distance institution like byu, standford, nau, etc... otherwise... they can do it in November

Oddly, that advice was great two years ago, but times are unfortunately changing, the roster limits coming next fall to most D1 schools are going to limit spots. You will see a lot of schools filling limited spots earlier in the process with little flexibility once they fill their spots. How many mid level kids in 2025 have struggled to find a D1 spot that was the top of their list this year? it won’t get easier in the future with transfers, internationals, potential 5th year of eligibility…

Yes, it’s verbal commits and kids can back out, track/XC is about to become a lot more like soccer/softball etc… with early commits. you see a lot of big schools getting 2026 commitments, they aren’t going to have spots and the next level schools will fill up and so on down the line.

There will be more kids developing and transferring up if that is their goal in the future, but finding a good initial fit athletically and academically should be everyone’s priority so you find a place you want to be and starting earlier is going to become the new normal.

Remember, 10-15 years ago before early signing in Nov. started a lot of kids did visits in Jan/Feb. and made decisions in Feb. or later. Then it shifted earlier for Nov. signing with schools and kids wanting to make decisions before championship XC season started their senior year. This will be a new recalibration to decisions being more common in Junior spring/summer before senior year. It’s not great for late developing kids or borderline kids that used to be able to get a spot at a top program as a developmental kid, it might suck, but it is what it is…

You claim to do this every year but you still don't understand how it really works. National signing day in November is ONLY the announcement of the commitment, it is NOT the actual commitment. The actual commitment happens well before that for good runners. Scholarships are allotted well before November. And with roster spots being very limited going forward, it's going to be more important than ever to commit to a college early.

What you don't seem to understand that if it's not in writing the school can change their mind too so you are not actually securing anything... that is until November when you sign a contract.

I am not saying people aren't committing early I am saying it's not useful.

There is no benefit for a HS junior to verbally commit unless they are committing to a top top program... that's it.

Claire Guiberson to Vanderbilt

Quentin Nauman to Oregon

Macy Wingard, Denton TX, 10th at Footlocker, to BYU

Emily Cohen 10:08/10:11/14th FL to Wake Forest