How does Oregon ever lose a track or XC meet?

oregon juice wrote:

How does Oregon ever lose a track or XC meet? They have the highest athlete budget, the best supplements and always a home field. Are their coaches just crap?

Yes. Ben Thomas is clearly not a good coach.

The best sprinters in the country don't want to train in crappy weather. It's always cold and raining.

alphas only wrote:

oregon juice wrote:

How does Oregon ever lose a track or XC meet? They have the highest athlete budget, the best supplements and always a home field. Are their coaches just crap?

Yes. Ben Thomas is clearly not a good coach.

That is what I think too. He clearly underperforms given the overwhelming advantages he has over everywhere else.

Its great for distance runners. Not sprinters, throwers, and jumpers. Over the years, they've had their fair share of complete squads, but non-distance folks gravitate toward the south and schools like A&M, Baylor, LSU, Florida, etc

Jambo Cabao wrote:

Its great for distance runners. Not sprinters, throwers, and jumpers. Over the years, they've had their fair share of complete squads, but non-distance folks gravitate toward the south and schools like A&M, Baylor, LSU, Florida, etc

Which explains how they ever lose at XC?

oregon juice wrote:

Jambo Cabao wrote:

Its great for distance runners. Not sprinters, throwers, and jumpers. Over the years, they've had their fair share of complete squads, but non-distance folks gravitate toward the south and schools like A&M, Baylor, LSU, Florida, etc

Which explains how they ever lose at XC?

Well it doesn’t help that they didn’t race XC. And it also doesn’t help that they have primarily mid distance runners. And NAU has a bunch of 10k guys…

partially they lose a lot of recruits to going pro. the women have had a decent number of sprinters leave after 1-2 years over the last several years

the men could have Drew Hunter (if he had redshirted a season) and the Hoey brothers if they hadn't gone pro

both teams are also still suffering some from transfers out when Powell left

oregon juice wrote:

Jambo Cabao wrote:

Its great for distance runners. Not sprinters, throwers, and jumpers. Over the years, they've had their fair share of complete squads, but non-distance folks gravitate toward the south and schools like A&M, Baylor, LSU, Florida, etc

Which explains how they ever lose at XC?

I agree that Oregon is probably underachieving as a team, but it's tougher than you think. In XC, teams like BYU and NAU put 100% of their scholarships into distance runners. Oregon doesn't put even 50% of their scholarships into distance.

Likewise LSU puts 100% of their scholarships into sprints/jumps/throws.

alphas only wrote:

oregon juice wrote:

Which explains how they ever lose at XC?

Well it doesn’t help that they didn’t race XC. And it also doesn’t help that they have primarily mid distance runners. And NAU has a bunch of 10k guys…

Each Men's program can get like 12.6 scholarships maximum to be used between track and XC. Oregon spreads them around to multiple event disciplines while schools like NAU and Colorado use practically all of them on distance runners. The Ducks have to rely on their brand to convince top talent to take less scholarship money to run there.

How do they ever lose a race? Really they score less points--is it it any more obvious? Your obviously too young to remember the Arkansas teams of the 90's. How many triple crowns did they win? (x-country,indoor, outdoor track) How many were on their home turf?----UHHH NONE----thats how good they were! Home turf is over rated, when your good--your good. RIP John--you were amazing.

cougs88 wrote:

partially they lose a lot of recruits to going pro.

Exactly how many of their recruits, let alone athletes, have they lost to going pro? Not only in the last few years but ever?

free shipping with purchases wrote:

cougs88 wrote:

partially they lose a lot of recruits to going pro.

Exactly how many of their recruits, let alone athletes, have they lost to going pro? Not only in the last few years but ever?

not many. rupp had no more eligbility i believe. centro left with a year left. I believe Wheating did the same. May lose Cole Hocker but who knows for his future. and these are people they already snagged

The only one I can think of that was still a recruit and not actual athlete for Oregon is Drew Hunter, the Hoey brothers maybe but I don't remember what their original plans were

I am not sure how fair this is to Oregon.

It is easily conceivable that losses could happen when quality coaching doesn't necessarily stay put.

Names like Bowerman, Dellinger and Lananna made Oregon...Oregon because they stayed.

More current coaching seems like the Peter Principle.

Move up the ladder until you are the best coach ever or go coach a different program if it's too big for you.

Couple that with regional clubs that take in and sponsor athletes out of college as professionals, and you have a wider distribution of talent elsewhere.

But in reality, especially with the talent in XC this last year, to expect any particular school to win is not necessarily a given...this should have been clear when names like Conner Mantz and Nico Young entered the picture, and, over a few years prior to now, even Mike Smith.