The current crop of Australian 18-19 year olds who are headed to D1 colleges in the US next year are probably our strongest group yet. The depth is incredible.
Check out Archie Noakes heading to Wisconsin who will absolutely be a contender for NCAA cross titles in a few years.
The current crop of Australian 18-19 year olds who are headed to D1 colleges in the US next year are probably our strongest group yet. The depth is incredible. Check out Archie Noakes heading to Wisconsin who will absolutely be a contender for NCAA cross titles in a few years.
To this poster or others who know the Australian system:
If Brunnage or Noakes or any other Australian t&f teen star chooses to stay home and not accept a US college scholarship, what are their options to continue in the sport? A club system associated with an Aussie university? Financial backing from the national federation? Get a job and run on your own?
Also, any insights on whether Brunnage or Noakes will be named to the Aussie World XC team or be running whatever national trials you have in an attempt to do so?
The alternative is stay in Australia and join a training squad. The only real "pro" squad in Australia is Melbourne Track Club, with a few other groups around the country (Team Tempo in Adelaide, Dick Telford in Canberra). If they were to stay in Australia they would absolutely have to get a day job as monetary pro contracts are few and far between here and Athletics Australia funding is reserved for athletes aiming for olympic medals.
The current crop of Australian 18-19 year olds who are headed to D1 colleges in the US next year are probably our strongest group yet. The depth is incredible. Check out Archie Noakes heading to Wisconsin who will absolutely be a contender for NCAA cross titles in a few years.
To this poster or others who know the Australian system:
If Brunnage or Noakes or any other Australian t&f teen star chooses to stay home and not accept a US college scholarship, what are their options to continue in the sport? A club system associated with an Aussie university? Financial backing from the national federation? Get a job and run on your own?
Also, any insights on whether Brunnage or Noakes will be named to the Aussie World XC team or be running whatever national trials you have in an attempt to do so?
The USA is the most generous country on our planet.
Awesome for these young people from around the world with exceptional talent to have the NCAA system to come to.
Awesome for other countries to have the USA assist with training their future Olympians.
My hope is for those that are given this incredible opportunity they realize it comes at someone else’s opportunity lost.
Make the very best of your talents, what is given to you and what you earned.
Always be thankful to, and supportive of, the people and country that has given you this opportunity.
As a foreign athlete that benefited from the United States of America and the NCAA system many years ago, I am forever in the USA’s debt. After graduating I left and later returned to start a company and raise my family. I wave our flag, sing our national anthem and defend the USA when detractors state falsehoods and disregard the enormous positive contributions and advancement to the world the USA has provided.
The alternative is stay in Australia and join a training squad. The only real "pro" squad in Australia is Melbourne Track Club, with a few other groups around the country (Team Tempo in Adelaide, Dick Telford in Canberra). If they were to stay in Australia they would absolutely have to get a day job as monetary pro contracts are few and far between here and Athletics Australia funding is reserved for athletes aiming for olympic medals.
Thank you for above info.
Guess you would have to be considered an Olympic candidate right out of high school to receive funding and join a pro team. Makes sense then to accept a US scholarship . . . especially now with NIL $$ floating around. Bunnage could wind up making more money at Stanford than an Australian pro contract would pay her.
Does Australia have a World XC trials meet coming up where Bunnage/others need to run to qualify . . . or would Athletics Australia simply name her to the squad presuming she wants to run World XC in Feb?
