Best college runners who never did anything after college?

Gerry Lindgren by far, clear winner. Unreal high school and college runner, quickly disappeared from the scene.

Matt Davis is a good nomination. Too bad he was so injured. Incredible talent. Finished 5th in NCAA X-C with minimal training.

I can't imagine anyone touching Lindgren in this category, however.

Wondering in the West wrote:

Gerry Lindgren by far, clear winner. Unreal high school and college runner, quickly disappeared from the scene.

Matt Davis is a good nomination. Too bad he was so injured. Incredible talent. Finished 5th in NCAA X-C with minimal training.

I can't imagine anyone touching Lindgren in this category, however.

Lindgren was so ridiculously good even in his HS years though that he is and always will be incredibly well known(and also for his craziness......*ahem*) but still a great great runner.

Pat Carroll

Katie Erdman, from Michigan, ran 1:59.xx for 2ND place at NCAAs -- lost to Alysia Johnson of Cal in an epic battle. I believe only 3 women broke 2:00 ever in NCAAs? (Johnson, Erdman, and Favor -- yes, that one).

Never attempted a pro career, as far as I know, and is now married (Katie Waits). I think she would have been a formidable 1500m runner had she kept at it.

Vicki Huber dominated the NCAA's, went to the Olympics, then graduated and went nowhere.

jrerewwqq wrote:

Katie Erdman, from Michigan, ran 1:59.xx for 2ND place at NCAAs -- lost to Alysia Johnson of Cal in an epic battle. I believe only 3 women broke 2:00 ever in NCAAs? (Johnson, Erdman, and Favor -- yes, that one).

Never attempted a pro career, as far as I know, and is now married (Katie Waits). I think she would have been a formidable 1500m runner had she kept at it.

She ran professionally

Good list. Most Stanford guys up until they destroyed nationals in 03 or 04. Hausers, Balkman, etc.

Augusto E. Perez wrote:

jrerewwqq wrote:

Katie Erdman, from Michigan, ran 1:59.xx for 2ND place at NCAAs -- lost to Alysia Johnson of Cal in an epic battle. I believe only 3 women broke 2:00 ever in NCAAs? (Johnson, Erdman, and Favor -- yes, that one).

Never attempted a pro career, as far as I know, and is now married (Katie Waits). I think she would have been a formidable 1500m runner had she kept at it.

She ran professionally

http://www.letsrun.com/photos/2009/usatfi2/thumbnails/tnWaits_Katie_USIndoor09_1.Jpg

I may have missed part of the conversation but Suzy Favor had a pro career.

Matt Withrow. The guy won USA xc nats as a 19 year old. Got 7th(?) at NCAAs the next fall off of nothing but pool work. The guy was a freak of nature, the German Fernandez/Lucas Verzbicaz type. Unfortunately all three have had a lot of issues with injuries. Hopefully we will see more from GF and Bicaz (in the tri), but Withrow gave it up a few years ago. This guy was more talented and had more potential than Solinsky. Think about that for a while.

For every guy like Jager, Wheating, Centro, etc, there are 3 more just like them that for whatever reason never could get all the dots to line up. Hell, I'm one of them to a certain extent.

Veronic Rockefeller wrote:

Harry Green walked on at Univ. of Texas and had top time at 10K for three consecutive years. Quite impressive but I don't think he did anything after college.

You are incorrect. Harry had a fine career (mostly roadracing) after college. Ran for Mizuno.

Wondering in the West wrote:

Gerry Lindgren by far, clear winner. Unreal high school and college runner, quickly disappeared from the scene.

.

I know this is an old post but maybe Lindgren did much more for the future generation of runners than you realize.

I'm surprised nobody has said Jacob Hernandez

Henry Fckn Rono.

Eric Henry--Arkansas

Surprised no ones has mentioned Simon Bairu yet?

What about Suleimen Nyambui? He, Lindgren, and Joe Falcon all completely dominated the NCAA's. After Nyambui graduated I don't recall much.

"Never did anything" means I suppose they completely disappeared the second the graduated.

Rudy Chapa came back and ran the fastest debut ever for an American at the NYC Marathon.

Falcon had his best season Internationally the year after he graduated.

Amy Skierez, Stephanie Herbst, Carole Zajak were collegiate record holders and NCAA champs who completely vanished from the scene post-collegiately.

Henry Rono came back and broke the World Record for 5000 2 or 3 years after he graduated. Broke his own record down to 13:06.

Yeah, that dude just kind of hit the wall and never came back.

Coulda Shoulda Woulda wrote:

Steve Prefontaine

break it up wrote:

What about Suleimen Nyambui? He, Lindgren, and Joe Falcon all completely dominated the NCAA's. After Nyambui graduated I don't recall much.

Nyambui was 29 when he finished his NCAA career and had already won a silver medal in the Olympics.

He won the Berlin Marathon a couple of times later in the 80's.