why are College Walk-on standards so fast relative to the schools performance

I don't believe that you checked the TFRRS for every member of the team. You may even have to check milesplit for some because some people get slower. Lastly, if someone is truly slower than you, they probably have better test scores.

ok thanks i looked at tffrs my prs would make me the team 3rd 800m runner and 2nd miler

You looked up every runner's lifetime PR? I don't believe you. What school is it? I will do it for you.

You didn't look at our PRs because you would only be 7th on the team.

SIlver24 wrote:

I recently emailed a small D2 school wanted to find out their standards to get on the team, they gave me times of 4:40 and 2:05, these times would make you the teams #1 or 2 runner, ive also noticed at some D1 programs that their walk-on and scholarship standards would make you the teams best runner if you hit those marks in high-school.

so why do coaches set such fast walk-on standards when the guys on the team are not even that fast.

Why would they recruit people who are slower?

i was just looking at seasons best

SIlver24 wrote:

I recently emailed a small D2 school wanted to find out their standards to get on the team, they gave me times of 4:40 and 2:05, these times would make you the teams #1 or 2 runner, ive also noticed at some D1 programs that their walk-on and scholarship standards would make you the teams best runner if you hit those marks in high-school.

so why do coaches set such fast walk-on standards when the guys on the team are not even that fast.

Any slower than those times, you would embarrass the coach and yourself. If the team "doesn't have many faster than those listed, its likely because they have moved up in distance in an attempt to be more competitive.

That was obvious. Too many high schoolers immediately complain when a coach is not interested in them when the reason is almost always that they are not fast enough but not smart enough to know that. To make matters worse, you only looked at 1 meet this year. You are actually slower than 6 guys on the team.

Coaches always set the recruiting standards high to give themselves plausible deniability. If they don't want you on the team, they can just point to the standards and say you are too slow. If they want someone, then they can just claim they had other characteristics that made them worth recruiting.

At most schools unless you are the #1-2 in an event (and better schools even if you are #1 in an event if you wound score at conference you still won’t get money) you would not be getting any money. Also kids don’t seem to understand that the majority of kids on a team are “walk-ons”. Many d1 teams (and I would assume most d2 teams) only have a few distance scholarships. That means between XC and 800m and up track kids which is likely close to 15-20 athletics but many teams will by using only 1-5 scholarships for the whole group meaning many kids are on no money or getting a small books scholarships. Also many Men’s teams have roster limits so they may only be allowed to have 16 distance kids so they will not cut a recruited kid to give a sport to another kid who is maybe about as good.

ppsssssspp wrote:

Coaches always set the recruiting standards high to give themselves plausible deniability. If they don't want you on the team, they can just point to the standards and say you are too slow. If they want someone, then they can just claim they had other characteristics that made them worth recruiting.

Pretty much. If you run 4:45 and can't make the effort to call the coach and ask, why on earth would they want you on their team.

I ran faster as a HS soph.

Are you thinking those slow times will get you on a men's track roster?

Or are those times from indoors last year, just before the spring track season was cancelled?

Those were from the indoor season didn’t get a spring season

I blew right over your times until now. It is pretty obvious that there are faster guys on their team since you wouldn't be top 7 on a good high school team.

SIlver24 wrote:

Those were from the indoor season didn’t get a spring season

Okay.

Have a good spring track season. I hope your state is having spring track.

Try and get the mile under 4:30 and the 800m under 2.

Run as many summer post-season meets as possible.

Maybe by August your 1600m gets in the mid4:20s and the 800m is 1:57-58.

I could imagine that you could go to the practices and talk with the track coach about running with the team.

Check the conference championship performances. If you are nowhere near the scoring level for the conference, what is the coach’s incentive to add you to the team—even as a walk on? What value do you bring?

If 205 scores in the conference, that’s the worst D2 conference in the history of the sport.

cleartalk wrote:

Check the conference championship performances. If you are nowhere near the scoring level for the conference, what is the coach’s incentive to add you to the team—even as a walk on? What value do you bring?

If 205 scores in the conference, that’s the worst D2 conference in the history of the sport.

If OP ran those times indoor of his junior year, he would be expected to run about 4:26-28 for 1600m and 1:58-59 for 800m that spring. maybe faster.

Those times for a junior in spring track would indicate sub 4:20 and about 1:55-56 as a senior, maybe faster.

Therefore, OP should work hard in making up for the lost season, so that his times are respectable.

A decent college coach at a weaker program would expect sub 4:20 for 1600m to be 3:55-57 1500m as a freshman, and 1:55-56 to be 1:53-54 for the 800m. Didn't cost the coach a scholarship, and by the sophomore year the runner would score points in many meets for the school.

The physical growth from sophomore through junior year really helps performances, whereas once graduated from HS, the improvements are more about increased mileage at faster paces, and increased intervals at faster paces, as well as weights.

Straight from a D2 coaches mouth... "If I didn't recruit you, I'm not interested".

Most coaches know what they are looking for when spending scholarships. They don't want to waste time or be sold on someone they didn't take the time to pursue by visiting the athlete, their parents or coach. Recruiting is an exhaustive process and some coaches are very efficient at it.

IF they allow you to walk on, then you have a great opportunity to prove you belong. Some do and continue to improve and contribute a great deal. Of those, some will receive some kind of financial assistance. Reality = many walk-ons don't commit for 4 years as other distractions take over.

If you have a real passion for self improvement, the sport and think there is a possibility that you may coach it someday then you will probably have a good experience.

I hope you are in a great environment with a great coach to foster those things. I was and have had a very rewarding last 37 years.

Nonetheless, you need to do it for yourself and for no expectation of scholarship. Otherwise, you are wasting your time and everyone else's.

As far as a D2 coaches philosophy on roster goes...I'm not saying one style is better than another. I had the fortunate experience to be allowed to walk on by a National Champion Coach and was a teammate with an Olympic Champion. I saw the result of giving people an opportunity to prove themselves. They either continued on the path of commitment and self improvement or they just self eliminated because if they didn't work at it consistently with a great attitude, they didn't go to meets. I only saw 2 or 3 kids get asked to find something else to do. The environment was positive because the teammates supported each other and understood what everyone was trying to do whether they were average or extremely talented. You just need to find a good fit.