Best college runners who never did anything after college?

Richard Kiplagat

John and Cathy Branta-Easker

The pro options were limited in the 80's so this power couple retired to a dairy farm and started a family. I believe their son was top 10 at D3 nationals this year.

Not so. John ran for Athletics West and retired (injury) and Cathy had a bum knee that prevented her from continuing on as a professional.

Sagarin wrote:

Rick Robirds, Adams St.

Wow, haven't heard that name in awhile. Robirds was a beast. Last I heard he's a fire fighter now??

Really? Try this wrote:

Boomer creger from uw lacrosse

Shutup Sella, I gave it my best shot

iciclsadk wrote:

What about Brie Felnagle?

She has been running solid, sponsored by adidas, 8:51 3k 15:22 5k in 2012. Had a rough day at OT's though.

pettygrove AC wrote:

Not so. John ran for Athletics West and retired (injury) and Cathy had a bum knee that prevented her from continuing on as a professional.

Yes Easker and Branta both ran for AW. Cathy was the bigger name, a collegiate record holder and NCAA champion Cross Country and middle distance runner. She finished 10th and 2nd at the World Cross Country championships while in college. I don't think she raced much at all after college, gave it up quickly after getting injured and married.

John Easker had the UW school record for 5000 meters for 20 years until Matt Tegenkamp broke it. He was a four time All-American in cross country and finished 28th and 10th at the World Championships. He competed for two years after college and I think mainly gave it up to focus on positioning himself in the family farm business. His AW salary I heard was $8,000.

He also had developed some asthma problem also that caused him to drop out of his last World Cross meet.

She also won club cross over a solid field.

Runner Mass wrote:

iciclsadk wrote:

What about Brie Felnagle?

She has been running solid, sponsored by adidas, 8:51 3k 15:22 5k in 2012. Had a rough day at OT's though.

Thanks. I remember Hacker running for AW but not Easker. I also recall many of the Badgers running for Wisconsin United after graduation.

pettygrove AC wrote:

Not so. John ran for Athletics West and retired (injury) and Cathy had a bum knee that prevented her from continuing on as a professional.

They were on AW the year of the red in front, white on the sides, blue on the back AW kit, 1985. Neither of them lasted long in the post-collegiate ranks.

Anyone else think this is a failure of the system and not the athletes. Most of our best runners change coaches 2x during the prime of their careers. Many athletes have great success with a coach before they are forced by the HS/NCAA system to change coaches at 18 and 22.

Think about the exceptional successes of folks like Seb Coe, Galen Rupp, even Alan Webb when they worked with one coach for a long time. Obviously not appropriate in all cases, but my 2 cents.

Tara Chaplin. NCAA XC champ. I don't recall anything after Arizona.

Has Alistair Cragg been mentioned? Sure, he's had some success as a pro but he was one of the best ncaa distance runners ever.

I've often wondered the same. I never beat Eric Reynolds, but I did edge out Jeff Cannada, my Sr. year in CC, when he was a Jr. But that same school year in Track I was at Arcadia to run the 1600. I was on the infield near the top of the track. Eric and Jeff were neck and neck with 350 meters to go when they came by me. I screamed, "Jeff, kick his ......" With the entire stands screaming for Reynolds, I'm sure that surprised him. I'll never forget that moment. Reynolds looked back at me with this look as if to say, "All right buddy, just for that I'm going to kill Cannada." He took off right then and dropped Jeff by about 3 seconds in the last lap. They both ran sub 8:50's that night. What a race!!! But as this post says, what happened to them in college? Me? (4:12, 9:01, 14:56 5K, 30:32 10K, 46:08 15K all under age 18) Then I moved to Mexico for the next 6 years and quit running.

!__about-me

The Stache wrote:

Michelle Sikes from Wake Forest. Ran 15:16 to beat Sally Kipyego and win the NCAA championship in the 5000m her senior year. She signed with Kimbia, placed 4th (i think) at USAs, then headed off for her Rhodes Scholarship and apparently hasn't run again professionally. Wonderful runner, wonderful personality, beautifully smooth runner, great talent. Anyone know what happened to her?

1) Gerry Lindgren

2) Josh McDougal

3) German Fernandez

4) Robby Andrews

Prefontaine ran at least 24 indoor or outdoor races in 1974 - after his time at Oregon, winning the vast majority of them

no one wrote:

Prefontaine ran at least 24 indoor or outdoor races in 1974 - after his time at Oregon, winning the vast majority of them

But did he look relaxed?

I don't follow the sport that closely but even I know Christoph Landry has been a beast this year. How can you have him on you list? Hasn't he won like 4 national championships?