Best high-school runners that disappeared in college?

Mike had a decent career at Michigan and now he's a pro road cyclist.

sdafsdafsdf wrote:

stan ford wrote:

How bout Thomas Ratcliffe?

Good god some of you people need to actually pay attention before posting. He was injured this year, but had a great year previously. He's still got eligibility left too. Idiots.

Um, that is the problem, he is hurt, that is generally why good runners disappear.

As far as a great year? One indoor race and two XC races along with a DNF at NCAA XC, not a great year.

Granville was my high school coach for freshman year, he's the head coach at the school over now. Although some say he didn't pan out he taught me a lot and helped develop some serious talent in my school including a couple state-caliber runners

Here’s one wrote:

Lukas V

This. I was going to say that Jeff Nelson was THE best HS runner ever to "disappear" in college. Because he held mythical 2M record (5 and 6 seconds faster than Virgin and Pre - who went on to set American records and make the Olympics) for a generation. Also, I think he ran and did something significant, maybe won the JC Nationals or something? But I forgot about Verzbicas, because he didn't really run a HS season (and because I wasn't a HS runner when he was).

But Verzbicas has to be THE BEST example of an all-time great who actually disappeared in college.

Reviewing some info on Nelson, maybe they were tied as the best example of "disappearing" in college. Nelson was a little more amazing than I remember:

Two-time 2M CA State winner, 14 for 14 in XC and 14 course records (in California in the 70s), 2M NHSR indoors and outdoors (8:42 and 8:36). He was the 1979 equivalent of Virgin or Ritz or Fisher or Verzbicas. He held the 2M record for 29 years.

Iowa kiddies wrote:

Josh Evans and Stephanie Jenks both came out of the same HS in iowa and have not equaled their HS PRs. It is a very odd situation for 2 runners who were both top 5 recruits in the country. Evans ran 4 events 1:49-4:04-9:00-1:50 at the state HS meet.

I was at some indoor and outdoor NBN, NBN meets, Foot Locker and NXN regional and national races in the 2014 thru 2016 time frame where top runners such as Stephanie Jenks (California), Maryjeanne Gilbert (Notre Dame), Annie Frisbie, Emma Wilson, Libby Davidson (Virginia), Brianna Schwartz (Colorado-some XC times okay but not much for track), Hannah Delbasi (Stanford-a few okay times listed), Madeleine Davison (Syracuse-a few 3000 and 5000 times were good), Hannah Long (Stanford), Erin Dietz (Harvard), and several Indiana runners competed. All these and more that were say top 10 at regional or NBN meets and many others most likely have not had the collegiate career they or others expected. A few of these may have some decent times finally in the last year. Some of these may have other priorities now that they are in college. Some most likely have had one or more major injuries that have prevented them from reaching their potential. Some may not have been able to get back to their high school PRs. I know of several runners at the collegiate level that have had multiply serious injuries. Some may have only gotten say one full, competitive season in over 3 or more years. Some just quit after they suffered multiple season ending injuries because even the up to 4 hours of daily training related activities could not make them strong enough to stay healthy and competitive for long. I have noticed that some that are competitive multiples seasons at the D1 level were just outside the top 5 at their NXN regional meets and outside the top 10 of their regional Foot Locker meets. They may have been in some of the championship races at NBN but they were not in say the top 10 finishers. I think those that are not in the top 25 at the national level of their events in high school have as good a chance or better chance of improving at the collegiate levels than many of the were top 25 in those events in high school. I think a big factor is whether or not they can stay healthy in college long enough to become competitive. The topic of injury issues often comes up when meeting other parents at meets.

Do you guys want to give some appreciation to Galen Rupp for being a world-class athlete for many years since high school?

He put in the hard work and has made millions of dollars.

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2018/09/pro-runners-salaries-much-professional-runners-make-unveil-one-sports-biggest-secrets

Stephanie Jenks is no longer running competitively.

de la salle grad wrote:

Richard Kimball, world jr XC champ.

Didn't he go on to become a Dr?

Steven Kaestner - Graduated from Shoreline HS in Washington State in 1979. State Champ in the 1600. Ran a 4:08 mile. Placed high at State XC all three years (high school was just grades 10-12 back then). Didn't really have the academic skills but went to a CC for a little bit and not sure whatever happened to him after that. Loads of untapped talent.

Tuohy and others need to study recent history. Girls like Jenks were sure money for coaches when recruiting. She was racing every national meet possible when she was 15-16 years old. She got her big scholarship to a decent school and then started to show some weight gain during her senior year. It is sad that she is not running and probably also lost her scholarship.

Tom Graves would be a great example. Beat Jim Spivey, Jr and Sr years. One of the fastest CC times in Illinois and not much after. Spivey went on to multiple Olympics.

Understudy Tuohy wrote:

Tuohy and others need to study recent history. Girls like Jenks were sure money for coaches when recruiting. She was racing every national meet possible when she was 15-16 years old. She got her big scholarship to a decent school and then started to show some weight gain during her senior year. It is sad that she is not running and probably also lost her scholarship.

I too think Tuohy and all others thinking about a long future in running need to study the history of others. There is no sure thing and they may never run faster than they are today. They should have a backup plan for their future in case they cannot continue to run with the same level of success. Some of the top runners my daughter ran with in high school at regional or national competitions are not doing as well in college after 3 or 4 years as those that did not make it on to the Portland for NXN or San Diego for Foot Locker or did not place in the top 10 at NBN. I seem to recall Jenks having some injury issue(s) at times in high school as well as at least a few others in my list. Many of the ones I followed back then had at least one major injury at some point in high school. So I would think that most college coaches expect some of their top recruits may not be competitive for several years if ever or their recruits may be very competitive early in their college careers before being sidelined permanently with injuries. I am glad my daughter accepted an offer from a coach who does not discard runners like some may according to what other posters have claimed in other threads here. It was worked for her coach as one of his top recruits is now finally very competitive as a red-shirt junior.

Sarah Baxter-didn't even remember her scoring for the Ducks in her 1st season in 2014-quit racing altogether the year after?

Not sure if anyone mentioned Kate Murphy. She never even raced in college.

Theo and Tim Martin from NAU

Bob Keino, Arizona

Zoe Nelson

Amanda White

Micah Davis

dfsdf wrote:

Melody Fairchild has to be on the last.

In 1991, she set the American Junior and National High School record in the indoor 3,000 meters.

Won Footlocker twice. Was the first sub10 2 miler

And while still in high school, she finished third in the 1991 World Junior XC.

Then went to Oregon and did almost nothing.

She was the women’s coach in Aarhus this last year.

Brenden Heffernan