Fastest high school kids who never ran a step again after finishing high school?

habs wrote:

this came to mind:

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/12/ken-cormier/

I wonder if Kenny and Chris shared a bong? Not an accusation, but they did both get mono, they were friends, and Chris is the stoner runner right?

Snavely wrote:

I agree with Claudia Lane. She was totally dominate as a high school runner.

It is also not uncommon for high school freshman and soph girls to run great early in high school but not be college level runners when they graduate high school. Body changes as they mature is the main reason, but there can be other reasons (boyfriend, drugs, bad grades, etc.) can play a factor.

eating disorders. EATING. DISORDERS. That's the reason. IDK about Claudia, but to prattle on about body changes as if you know anything about female puberty, and blame "boyfriends" as if you'd ever blame a girlfriend for a boy's complete failure to launch, and not mention eating disorders is absurd.

so say it with me.

EATING. DISORDERS.

Anyone mention Lukas Verzbicas? I know he ran 2 XC races in college, but nothing on the track. And he is arguably the greatest distance HS runner of all time.

Math wizzer wrote:

Yes he did. He was offered 50% at a mid major and 10-20% at some P5s. He would have to walk on at the college he is attending.

I was suggesting that your son turned down the scholarships because you were financing his education.

Back in my day in the early/mid 90s in Jersey I competed against a kid from Atlantic City High who only ran XC and indoor track. In the spring he was a rower and that was his true passion. He finished 5th at the NJ MOC at Holmdel; this is in the days of Bob Keino and the Wayton brothers. I believe he ran as fast as 15:20s on flat courses. He didn't run in college from what I recall.

What ever happened to Scott Frye from Sandusky, OH--ran sub 8:50 is hs but seemed to disappear after than? Tim Danielsen --the second sub 4 hs guy after Ryan I think stopped after hs and now I think is in jail.

NOt sure if it was said yet but Andrew Perkins from Wisconsin ran a 1:49 800m and never competed in college. Believe he went to University of Northern Iowa then nothing happened but he is still in running scene coaching kids

Well the OP did say never ran a step after high school, so Danielson is out - he ran his entire freshman year at BYU.

And it may be fudging the rules to mention a non runner, but the best Track and Field athlete to not ever compete after high school has got to be Kenny Hall, who triple jumped 54-10.5 (still the National High School Record, plus 56-2w in the same meet) in his junior year in high school in 2006, and 53-7 his senior year, and never jumped again.

Kev2 wrote:

What ever happened to Scott Frye from Sandusky, OH--ran sub 8:50 is hs but seemed to disappear after than?

What you forget is that he achieved his sub-8:50 by trying to outrun Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. RIP

The Narwhal wrote:

There was a kid in the Midwest, Illinois, I think, that was a legit talent. Sub-9 3200M and very low 4:00's for the 1600M. He went to college on athletic scholarship, a top 10 XC ranked school, but I don't think he ever competed collegiately.

Mark Scheirer from Metamora?

Having Talent puts a lot of pressure on people. Some can't handle the possibility of not delivering on that talent, so they quit.

Or they legitimately have no interest in the sport and they quit.

48 years after my best times, and a year after the guy who kept me out of the Olympics died, I realize that you're better off enjoying yourself.

I loved training, I loved racing. It never worried me if I lost. I'd work harder or smarter before the next race. Never got too high or too low. Just did it as long as I could until I couldn't, then walked away. It was always a great puzzle to solve. Getting the most out of myself.

If you think you're leaving a legacy, you aren't. There are people on Jeopardy who have never heard of Michael Jordan.

Sport is meh, unless its not.

Nescac Dad wrote:

Anyone mention Lukas Verzbicas? I know he ran 2 XC races in college, but nothing on the track. And he is arguably the greatest distance HS runner of all time.

Yes. Already mentioned a few pages ago.

Summitter wrote:

Nescac Dad wrote:

Anyone mention Lukas Verzbicas? I know he ran 2 XC races in college, but nothing on the track. And he is arguably the greatest distance HS runner of all time.

Yes. Already mentioned a few pages ago.

he's definitely one of the people I think of whenever I hear:

GiRLs BuRn OuT So OfTeN!!!

TJ Mcardle from NY comes to mind. He won NY state titles in XC, won regional Footlocker 1986 (Kinney) at Van Cortlandt Park and I think was top 10 at Footlocker nats. He was recruited by Vin Lananna to top 3 XC school Dartmouth and did show up to practice freshman year and did very minimal racing his freshman year. He got really into other things on campus like running a college radio station freshman year and quit running. I was shocked at the time, but also really impressed that he didn't take his running too seriously and was able to follow his interests without letting other people tell him what he should be doing with his life. Pretty rare quality in a 19 year old. Dartmouth placed top three at DI NCAAs his first couple of years in college and could have really used him to climb the podium. I am sure Lananna was piling the pressure on him to run.

Fry ran for Wisconsin and did pretty well there with multiple all americans.

I ran in HS with a girl who was a couple years older than me. This was in the mid 80s. She made running look effortless; had that gift of a swift physique coupled with an enormous engine. The 800 and 400 Hurdles were her best events I believe. She just crushed it. She got a scholarship to a D1 team and from what I heard never stepped foot on the track. Burnout? Never heard what happened. But I have teenagers now and watching how some parents are with them, perhaps the kids get away and are just done. Anyhow the world missed out on her... but hopefully she has a wonderful life.

Teebai wrote:

I ran in HS with a girl who was a couple years older than me. This was in the mid 80s. She made running look effortless; had that gift of a swift physique coupled with an enormous engine. The 800 and 400 Hurdles were her best events I believe. She just crushed it. She got a scholarship to a D1 team and from what I heard never stepped foot on the track. Burnout? Never heard what happened. But I have teenagers now and watching how some parents are with them, perhaps the kids get away and are just done. Anyhow the world missed out on her... but hopefully she has a wonderful life.

I'm not sure exactly what an enormous engine is, but it seems it would be applicable to a 5/10/marathon runner.

Forrest Lyerly placed second at the Great American XC race with a time of 15:11 at the 5k Wake Med (old course). He beat many future D1 All-Americans. He was going to Syracuse. The rest of the story can be found here. https://journalnow.com/news/local/former-reagan-high-track-star-pleads-guilty-to-attempted-armed-robbery/article_e34a2947-f7f7-5fec-96cd-a3f1ff98e6eb.html