Big 10 Women's Cross country

Even though the XC team is currently far from being a powerhouse like Wisconsin, don't rule out Penn State. Regardless of the weather, the general training environment in and around State College is outstanding - Beautiful, rural , hilly, etc.

And while it remains to be seen what Beth Alford-Sullivan can do as the administrator of both the men's and women's programs, she had a successful record at Stanford before coming to Penn State. (That has to say something.) You would have a good young core of teammates, including Bridget Franek, to build success with.

Above all, don't forget that PSU is a fine academic institution as well. Good luck!

ok well i guess i won't be getting the information I am looking for, but I would appreciate any further insight not posted on here....anyone?

Iowa would be the place to go.....Layne Anderson is a great guy and he is doing a great job getting them to the top.

Not a big fan of Illinois!!

Just what I think....take it for what is is worth.

Purdue. Breakfast club.

If you aren't up for Minnesota or Wilson, I would definitely recommend Michigan and McGuire. I met and got to know McGuire while he was still coaching distance runners at Kansas. He is analytical, thorough, and one of the most well-balanced coaches I've ever come across. I doubt you will find very many former athletes with negative things to say about him. In addition, I've never met any arrogant or smug athletes that trained with the Michigan program.

I do, however, agree with the comments about Ann Arbor. For running itself, it is not a friendly place. At least, not a place if you enjoy open places to run or train. Also, as with Minnesota and Wisconsin, you had better like the cold and ice. It definitely isn't for wimps.

I would consider Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin.

I have heard not so great things about Penn State from a recent female graduate. Illinois, Minnesota = mixed.

Consider Notre Dame which is in that general neck of the woods although it is not officially a Big 10 school.

Notre Dame does not meet the quality standards of the Big 10.

Don't ever suggest it does.

Notre Dame sucks.

Okay. Well, if you're looking for a single recommendation, then it has to be Wisconsin. Hands down!

Distance programs steeped in tradition and consistently competitive; a fine academic institution with plenty to do from a social perspective (especially if you enjoy college sports in general); Madison is a great city to live in.

There. Your decision has been made.

too expensive....not a fan of Stintzi

MN is where it at.

Michigan State has Jim Pancoast....WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED!!!!!?

Is there a worse than OSU and Karen Dennis? Hear every CC runner they have is trying to transfer!

Yeah, OSU's women's program is pretty much at rock bottom right now.

Sure, Illinois has had some success with Karen Harvey, but I've heard nightmarish stories. "Intense" is a very deceptive word, because it gives the sort of idea that its "intense" in a hardcore army sort of way. That's not exactly what it is. I've heard of Karen Harvey freaking out on kids who lose some of their mental focus due to other issues (loss of family member, academic difficulties, etc). I mean, seriously, what kind of coach doesn't understand that her athletes need to at least pass their classes, and what kind of coach doesn't understand the loss of a family member?!

Other than that, if you dont want to run at Illinois, it's still an excellent, excellent school. One of the best public schools in the nation. Go there for academics and social life, not running.

I am sure you have only heard one side of the story from a disgruntled runner. I have talked to Coach Harvey, parents of athletes and athletes both on the team and the ones that have quit and to be honest the ones that have quit just couldn't hack running DI. Her athletes adore her and so do the parents, and she cares for her athletes just as much. She is a great coach, and along with her husband Kevin Sullivan, have one of the better programs in the Big Ten and nation.

i second hollis42's take on Illinois. if you are not producing up to expectations, dont expect anything other than a kick in the pants or silent treatment....and most distance runners dont respond well to a kick when they are down...and most girls dont respond well when their communication with their coach is lacking.

Tucan Sam wrote:

I am sure you have only heard one side of the story from a disgruntled runner. I have talked to Coach Harvey, parents of athletes and athletes both on the team and the ones that have quit and to be honest the ones that have quit just couldn't hack running DI. Her athletes adore her and so do the parents, and she cares for her athletes just as much. She is a great coach, and along with her husband Kevin Sullivan, have one of the better programs in the Big Ten and nation.

That is bull. A decent coach should be able to cultivate the 2nd tier runners as well. Walt Drenth did it at AZ State & now at Michigan State.

Also, the OP seems real fickle and a bit of a prima donna. OP, what times is this HS girl running...how good is she?

That would help.

Credit to posters for giving valuable info on running conditions at the various campuses. Too bad Penn State has lousy coaching....and we all agree that it does.....YES???

I've been thinking about you all week, Searching. Choosing a school isn't easy, and you'll never know all the stuff you need to know going in. Most of us look back later and either say "I really lucked out," or "I wish I wudda known . . ."

Just to clear up, when I said "arrogant and smug" I meant the general student body, not the athletes. Ann Arbor is a very diverse town--it still has hippies, a strong gay community, a great music and art scene, lots of jews/christians/moslems/hindus/athiests, a large handful of millionaires living down off Geddes Road, and a equal mix of Democrats and Republicans. I lived there, it's a fun town like Austin TX, Athens GA, or Boulder CO is. But the student body has a huge contingent of arrogant pricks. Michigan could still be a great choice for you. Their middle distance program especially excells--heck, their cross country team was third last fall, and if their two best runners would have run their normal races (placing in the 20's instead of 50th) they would have taken the NCAA title.

Enough about that.

At the very least, if you can get into e-mail conversations with prospective coaches--that might make your decision process easier. Then, if you can talk to some of the athletes at schools you're considering and ask them questions about what it's like, what the pros/cons are, that sort of thing--that's probably closer to the dope you're looking for.

Try to visit the campuses of the schools, and possibly even watch a workout.

Coaches can give your their philosophy, and you can get a feel for the kind of person they are, but never forget that every coach is trying to talk you into going to their school. Make sure you understand that.

Lastly, look at each school in relation to your major area of study. If you want to be a physical therapist, don't go to a school that has no PT program (this sort of thing happens to a lot of kids). See if you can find students studying your major and talk to them. See if your parents could talk to parents of current athletes and students. Try to do as much fact gathering as you can about what you want to do with your life so you can have your major picked out before you choose a school (not totally necessary, but it's helpful).

The hard part is usually separating one's fantasy of what it's going to be like at a school from what it is really like. You won't completely know until you get there, but current students can paint you a good picture.

If you want some inside information you might try contacting Mary Grinaker. She was Gwen (Hardesty) Coogan's coach at Smith and then an assistant coach for a while at Wisconsin. She is now on her own doing something else but in the Madison area. She is Hanna's aunt and might be able to provide interesting info. She will have preferences/biases (possibly both ways, but mainly positive, I think) but I think that you will be able to filter those things out.