Anyone have any insight to the distance program at Wingate University? Seems like they have become a total powerhouse in D2 with crazy depth just in the matter of the past few years. Looking at their roster, they have tons of international athletes. What’s going on over there?
Wingate University D2 Powerhouse
College Running
Other Divisions
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D2? Probably something to do with 26 year old Europeans and East Africans with zero academic capabilities, hardcore religious Americans who also happen to be in their mid 20s, all of which usually appear for one good year then never enroll again, or anywhere else for that matter.
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Their team is like the united nations.
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Supposedly also some grey area scholarship and eligibility things
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Big gray area with scholarship. They use triathlon scholarship money to help pay for having 26 international guys on the roster because triathlon isn't a NCAA sport and isn't regulated for amount a school can give out like other NCAA sports are.
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Dee two wrote:
D2? Probably something to do with 26 year old Europeans and East Africans with zero academic capabilities, hardcore religious Americans who also happen to be in their mid 20s, all of which usually appear for one good year then never enroll again, or anywhere else for that matter.
“Hard core religious Americans”?
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Dee two wrote:
D2? Probably something to do with 26 year old Europeans and East Africans with zero academic capabilities, hardcore religious Americans who also happen to be in their mid 20s, all of which usually appear for one good year then never enroll again, or anywhere else for that matter.
The Wingate age thing has been addressed in the past. According to a team member on Instagram, the ages of the team that won XC Nationals was 21, 22, 20, 23, 21, 27, 21, 21. 27 is old no doubt, not if you're at a certain school in Utah, but the rest are all college age dudes. They're not recruiting all ringers either. Check the progression of these athletes and you'll see that their coaching is absolutely working. So much for the "one and done" mantra as most of these guys spend several years there competing. A quick look at the academics, which is listed on the USTFCCCA website, shows that they have maintained a higher GPA than Colorado School of Mines and Adams State.
You guys want to complain about the Penn Relays 4xMile, in which the American Record went to the 3rd place team because the first 2 had internationals on the roster? How about complaining about Jamaican kids dominating sprints collegiately? The NCAA has been this way for D1 and D2 for years, get over it! It is not going to change. Don't want to get smoked by kids from overseas? Put in more running strides than keyboard strokes.
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Dee Too wrote:
Dee two wrote:
D2? Probably something to do with 26 year old Europeans and East Africans with zero academic capabilities, hardcore religious Americans who also happen to be in their mid 20s, all of which usually appear for one good year then never enroll again, or anywhere else for that matter.
The Wingate age thing has been addressed in the past. According to a team member on Instagram, the ages of the team that won XC Nationals was 21, 22, 20, 23, 21, 27, 21, 21. 27 is old no doubt, not if you're at a certain school in Utah, but the rest are all college age dudes. They're not recruiting all ringers either. Check the progression of these athletes and you'll see that their coaching is absolutely working. So much for the "one and done" mantra as most of these guys spend several years there competing. A quick look at the academics, which is listed on the USTFCCCA website, shows that they have maintained a higher GPA than Colorado School of Mines and Adams State.
You guys want to complain about the Penn Relays 4xMile, in which the American Record went to the 3rd place team because the first 2 had internationals on the roster? How about complaining about Jamaican kids dominating sprints collegiately? The NCAA has been this way for D1 and D2 for years, get over it! It is not going to change. Don't want to get smoked by kids from overseas? Put in more running strides than keyboard strokes.
Not sure where you got your academic numbers, but my quick look shows that Wingate had a 3.085 GPA last fall, Adams had a 3.26, and Mines had a 3.57.
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Wingate had 24 international men on their xc roster (out of about 40) in the fall during xc. How is that even financially possible from an athletic aid standpoint? The NCAA doesn't care anymore otherwise people would question what was going on. Generally where there is smoke, there is fire.
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Sorry, my numbers were from XC 2022. Either way, they have been above a 3.0 GPA every season.
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Not to mention Mines being in a significantly more challenging academic program. A 3.0 in structural engineering is a lot more impressive than a 4.0 in marketing.
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One factor may be that their head XC coach/assistant T&F coach, Pol Domenech, is from Spain and a very good runner himself, and thus has connections in Europe. He is apparently well liked by the athletes, which probably helps with recruiting.
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Yeah they got good when they picked up Coach Lierop from Mt. Olive, when he left a lot of the good Mt Olive guys transferred with him. The recruiting thing about the old European guys is true too. I hit their recruitment standards in hs and considered going there but when we brought up scholarship opportunities he told me Id have to run wayyy faster than what the standards are
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How about you focus on your own team rather than whining about the success wingate is having. New flash, the foreigners they’re recruiting are also being recruiting by adams and school of mines but they’re choosing Wingate. Quit coping and get better, bozo.
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Right.... Wingate circumvents the 12 scholarship rule using some questionable loopholes and everyone else should just stick their head in the sand and not worry about it. Wingate roster of 20+ internationals clearly shows they have some sort of scholarship advantage over their competitors. Hence the hate and questions.
Also, completely false to claim Wingate competes with other D2s for recruits. I doubt anybody on the Wingate squad could get into Colorado Mines. It seems each of the contenders have their own niche when it comes to recruiting.
Adams State: british, irish, juco.
Wingate: Spain, Germany, France
Mines: Locals, Graduate Transfers
East Central: Kenyans
When you think about it, it's actually a pretty interesting melting pot of different approaches. Personally, I believe that American scholarships should go to Americans. Don't quite understand why the US education system is happy to fund the development of foreign athletes.
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red white blue wrote:
Right.... Wingate circumvents the 12 scholarship rule using some questionable loopholes and everyone else should just stick their head in the sand and not worry about it. Wingate roster of 20+ internationals clearly shows they have some sort of scholarship advantage over their competitors. Hence the hate and questions.
Also, completely false to claim Wingate competes with other D2s for recruits. I doubt anybody on the Wingate squad could get into Colorado Mines. It seems each of the contenders have their own niche when it comes to recruiting.
Adams State: british, irish, juco.
Wingate: Spain, Germany, France
Mines: Locals, Graduate Transfers
East Central: Kenyans
When you think about it, it's actually a pretty interesting melting pot of different approaches. Personally, I believe that American scholarships should go to Americans. Don't quite understand why the US education system is happy to fund the development of foreign athletes.
Don’t forget about West Texas: Ghana, juco, and international transfers
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For how much Wingate has invested recruiting for the triathlon, you'd think they would have a better triathlon team
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Lol stay mad, keep whining, and continue to get beat. I don’t mind at all
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The argument of Mines not having any internationals on the roster is BS. Loic Scomparin ran the European U23 Championships for France last year. He's also older than all but 2 on the Wingate XC Championship roster. He will be 23 in May, where's all the outrage? Or maybe it's all Mines guys posting this trash so he gets a free pass? Lose with class, stop crying.
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Congrats. Not only did you cherry pick, but you failed to provide an example that supports your statement.
A quick internet search shows that Scomparin was born and raised in California and graduated from an American high school in 2019. He's listed as a Redshirt senior at the age of 22 (almost 23). Probably has dual citizenship and will compete for France since its a weaker country. Hardly the typical 20 year old Wingate freshman with extensive racing in Europe.
I dont have a problem with schools having internationals or older runners. NCAA clearly allows it and it's therefore a valid way to build a program. What I do have a problem with is the unexplained mystery that has allowed Wingate to create the largest international roster in the history of NCAA running, seemingly out of nowhere. And so far there is zero explanation from the Wingate die hards. Just "you hate us cuz we won"
Could one of you at the very least try give a reasonable explanation as to Wingates roster? Is it leaning on academic scholarships? Triathlon? A bunch of rich kids who don't need money? Internationals rarely go NCAA unless offered full ride or close to it. American schools are insanely expensive.
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