HS junior. I basically have zero xc season with no official results or anything (all dual meets, courses are never exactly 5k) If I hit my times necessary for college recruitment on the track, will having no xc times matter? I’ve heard from most that it’s all about track times but I wanted to make sure.
Just put your best XC time with an asterisk next to it or something; just to give coach an idea. True that track times are most important and universal but might as well give as much if a sample size as you can.
Depends how high you are aiming. If trying to go to a cross coubtry school like NAU and you haven't broken 16, forget it. If middle of the road school that requires 9:30 and you don't have a decent cross time, probably okay.
Track times are always easier to gauge due to them being more universal. XC times are very inaccurate. Courses vary a lot and the terrain is always different. For XC the place you finish is more important. Finishing 10th in the State meet says a lot more than running 15:45.
XC place finish more important wrote:
Track times are always easier to gauge due to them being more universal. XC times are very inaccurate. Courses vary a lot and the terrain is always different. For XC the place you finish is more important. Finishing 10th in the State meet says a lot more than running 15:45.
placement at state meets can mean nothing in many states and/or divisions.
i wonder how many colleges are interested in Bill Meylan's ratings
Cross times are good but I got into college almost entirely on my placements in major invites, NXR, and qualifying for FLCC without great track times. In cross how well you can compete in big meets is wayy more important than times. I broke 15 once and only 16 a couple of times but placing well at big invites got me all my attention bc I'm from a small state with mostly slow courses.
That's a super rare case and track times are way more important. Track times are relatively universal. Coaches can compare track times to other athletes way easier than xc times. My 16:30 in the snow at 5000 feet may be the same effort as a 15:15 on a road in California but my 3200 is gonna be basically the same as long as you can convert for the altitude.
Don't worry too much about missing XC times and just make sure your fit for track and try to put yourself into competitive meets this upcoming track season and you'll always have your XC times
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