What is the best way to determine a team’s top 7 before the start of the season? As a former collegiate runner, our team held a “workout” on the first day of practice that incentivized running as fast as you could. The finishing order of the workout was how our coach decided who was on the travel squad. I’m curious what other programs do. Whether it’s a workout, race, or just up to the coach’s discretion to choose their travel squad.
If it's anything like the teams I've been on and the teams I've known, you almost always have a very clear #1 (occasionally a 1a and 1b – very rarely a 1a, 1b, and 1c) runner, a clear 2/3, and then a 4th and 5th runner who are a step better than other runners. I'd say the only times it comes into play are when you're looking at runners who might complement your team better – do you want the hyper-talented miler who occasionally struggles a bit over 10k but runs good times on a flat XC course and can make up a lot of ground in the last mile, or do you want the less talented runner who is more consistent: will never run a great time / place that can really help your team but will almost never run a truly bad time either?
I've seen the 6th man typically be the 6th best runner and the 7th more of a wild card – often he'll be the 7th best runner (over the entire season), but occasionally it'll be the runner with potential for top 3-4 on the team if everything goes right, or who'll blow up and run a clear 7th far back from 6th. If your top 5-6 are very consistent, then I'd say it's more likely a talented but inconsistent runner is the 7th. But if they're more inconsistent themselves, I can totally see a coach picking only the 8th or 9th best runner who runs more consistent times