So...was Tony Sandoval Not the Issue at Cal All Along?

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Wise Old Man wrote:

A senior girl from our team was admitted to both Cal and USC. She’s run 2:15 and 4:57 and she’s a strong xc runner too. According to her mom, Cal coaches told her she could not walk on, but USC coaches are welcoming her to walk on. She is going to USC.

You really can't compare U.S.C. and Cal. I don't recall U.S.C. ever having a good runner, it's near blighted neighborhoods and any run would be all pavement.

I was speaking more to what’s going on at Cal. Do they have a super strong recruiting class coming in? Why would you discourage a runner with those credentials and a lot of motivation from walking on? Doesn’t seem like a great strategy when it costs the coaches so little.

It's the funding that makes Cal not that great. The administration doesn't support it like some others do in the pac-12. You can be a great coach but if you can't afford to bring in good athletes all the time you won't have anything to show for it.

Aztec trying to take the shine off the original poster. Arguing points to distract the fact that Cal’s situation never had anything to do with Tony after all. He actually was a good director who over achieved and now it’s a flaming dumpster fire.

4:57 1600? This must be 1500, right? If it's 1600, then, sorry, but there's no way that a 4:57 girl was told that she could not even walk on at Cal. That's a strong recruit for Cal. Sure, they've had the occasional Brie Oakley-type recruit, but most of their best distance recruits are in the range of this girl. I can't fathom that a girl that fast would not even be allowed to walk on. Just no way without there being more to the story. You could also spend 2 minutes scrolling through their current roster and see that that's much stronger than a lot of the girls on there.

Wise Old Man wrote:

A senior girl from our team was admitted to both Cal and USC. She’s run 2:15 and 4:57 and she’s a strong xc runner too. According to her mom, Cal coaches told her she could not walk on, but USC coaches are welcoming her to walk on. She is going to USC.

WinnytheBish wrote:

It's the funding that makes Cal not that great. The administration doesn't support it like some others do in the pac-12. You can be a great coach but if you can't afford to bring in good athletes all the time you won't have anything to show for it.

It wasn't too long ago that they were regularly pulling in Bethany Knights, Garrett Cochran, Brianna Oakley, Robby Brandt, Jordan Colter, Thomas Joyce, Steph Jenks, Ellis Newton, Marissa Williams (all high placing NXN/FLN/State Champ/AA kids who were all in the 1:5-low/mid-4:0x/sub 9 and 2:0-mid/4:4x-low/low 10) and any California kid who was anyone was at least visiting them. They also had some pretty good foreign recruits and those cost money. You can argue about what happened to most of them when they got there, but thats a different convo. Also, my family and I (I am a high school coach) has known enough athletes that went to Berkley to know some got in with about a 1000 sat/3.0 gpa give or take a little. I would assume they are just reprioritizing that money away from the distances, but then where is it going besides throwers?

1600, that is correct. Her pr at the time of the conversations may have been 5:00 or just over as she is getting faster and faster. She still has another race or two left this season. The 800 time, however, is from more than a year ago and was reproduced this year (2:16).

Cal is 100% the problem... admin and administration of the athletic department is a disaster... Cal is likely the worst d1 program in northern ca. It’s not Tony!

A couple years back they were talking about demolishing the track stadium to put dorms there.

Wise Old Man wrote:

what team am I on wrote:

Bump… lots of posts and random thoughts/comments but I’m still wondering if they really don’t have any incoming distance kids (I haven’t been able to find any of note) and I am still wondering why so many kids ran unattached this track season? I’m sure one of you “insiders” has this info!

A senior girl from our team was admitted to both Cal and USC. She’s run 2:15 and 4:57 and she’s a strong xc runner too. According to her mom, Cal coaches told her she could not walk on, but USC coaches are welcoming her to walk on. She is going to USC.

Any HS girls that are 2:15 and 4:57 and “walk on” anywhere are stupid.

it is not you it is me wrote:

Cal is 100% the problem... admin and administration of the athletic department is a disaster... Cal is likely the worst d1 program in northern ca. It’s not Tony!

They are 1000% better than Sac State so they can’t get that award.

I forgot UOP as well

a better coach wrote:

Wise Old Man wrote:

A senior girl from our team was admitted to both Cal and USC. She’s run 2:15 and 4:57 and she’s a strong xc runner too. According to her mom, Cal coaches told her she could not walk on, but USC coaches are welcoming her to walk on. She is going to USC.

Any HS girls that are 2:15 and 4:57 and “walk on” anywhere are stupid.

I don’t think you understand the make up of a power 5 women’s distance program.

imher wrote:

a better coach wrote:

Any HS girls that are 2:15 and 4:57 and “walk on” anywhere are stupid.

I don’t think you understand the make up of a power 5 women’s distance program.

South Carolina recruits girls that can barely break 5:20

This could be a result of roster downsizing due to the COVID impact to athletic budgets. This is happening in my daughter’s P5 D1 program

pllllease wrote:

My guess is Cal just suffered a lot from COVID. they will be back at nationals soon enough. They were regulars a few years back. A lot of schools got screwed by COVID and admins making dumb policies. Let's just wait and see how this coming year turns out. Cal is easily one of the best programs on the west coast when firing on all cylinders. They have a lot of women returning if not all of them as well, which could turn into a NCAA run if they are fit and healthy. I don't think they have a single senior.

Seems to be a consensus that Cal admin is a disaster which results in lack of support. Makes what Tony and company did actually impressive. But I think it's going to take more than this coming year, 2 of their top 5 and 4 of their top 7 from pac12 xc are listed as seniors. Covid could have given some of those an extra year/who knows how accurate their sports info is, but according to social media, their top woman has already announced shes transferring to syracuse and their 5/6 both insinuated theyre done. I have some pretty good and smart athletes coming up through our program in the next few years, anyone know Lockhart's coaching style or who hes hiring to replace Dunbar?

Trevor Dunbar is no longer coaching a Cal. He has moved on to the University of Virginia