Name the Good and Bad Division III programs

Can anyone tell me anything about the womens program at Springfield College in MA?

Definitly a huge thumbs down on the womens program at Springfield. Get rid of the coach, Jim Pennington and maybe there is some hope for the future. Hes just been lucky to get a decent runner here and there with natural talent. Nothing he did recruiting wise or coaching wise got his athletes to All American status. Not a coach you want to be around or an atmosphere you want to put yourself in. Unless you are a needy girl desperatley looking for attention and love to tell your life story to a 50 some year old man than it will be nothing but destructive to your mind to be coached by Pennington. Not an encouraging coach and you will make little improvement under his coaching ways unless you rebel and fight the system then hell single you out and be a real ahole to you and turn the team against you. SO yeah good school, but womens xc and track and field needs a new coach! The athletic department needs to wake up and stop ignoring the problems pennington brings to the program. Its embarassing that a YMCA based school on the spirit mind and body principles has kept this man around coaching for 20+ years.

wow.

north central usually turns out quite a few good runners every year.

a few years ago greenville college had some good runners when jeff "the mastermind" boele was at the helm.

There are a lot of really, really good ultimate frisbee teams that are also really, really bad XC teams. Its important to do your homework so you don't end up on a team with a bunch of stoners (unless that is what you are into)

Wow. Someone had a awful experience with Pennington. To be honest I have heard this same story 1,000 times about him. I know him and he is not that bad a guy, but he does not do a good job coaching. Actually he seems a bit harse towards many of the women, and has a history of girls with eating disorders/anorexia...not a great situation. I though he was going to be let go last year but that didn't happen...who knows how some people keep their jobs.

He kept his job because the athletic department realized they f'd up big time and while he was supposed to be gone finally they are just covering their butts in this case. They dont have any balls to kick him out. Also he hasnt been gone sooner because hes so manipulative and scares the heck out of the girls on the team about going and talking to the athletic department.So very few complaints are made because the girls on the team are freaked out about going and hes got them so wrapped around his finger they cant see what hes doing.Only alumni once removed from the atmosphere and with a little time away realize and all confirm his coaching behavior and actions are not appropriate at all. He has stood in front of his team..been a witness.. and said i have a wife and children to support dont you dare jepordize that for me. You have any issues you bring them to me. He loved scare tactics like that. Hes also sat the team down before summer vacas and said to everyone some people need to lose weight and sure enough summer ends and hes got girls with more eating disorders and he just lets them slide on by and if theyre helping the team he just sits back. Anything you want to know about Springfield and the womens XC and Track and Field programs just ask me. I will not sugar coat it at all. He recruits track girls to run on the XC team. Very little recruiting done for XC and track is questionable.Oh and goals for the season hell ask you to make goals come conference championships. Yeah thats the right time to make goals. Training plans, he doesnt have any and if you asked him to show you one yeah right in your dreams. Oh and there is no individualization, frosh, soph, junior and senior are all on the same invisible plan. I could list on and on

Wheaton College (MA) Being a part of the track program was a terrible experience. This is my opinion, however, many feel the same way I do.

So pennington is staying? i did not realize he was so abusive? Anyway I heard he was getting axed but the athg. dept had never seen him coach or given him poor reviews based on things they had witnessed. They only had a bunch of compliants from svereal athletes that did not like him? Telling women they need to lose weight is insane.

The three strongest DIII conferences for both men and women are WIAC (Wisconsin), UAA (universities in cities) and NESCAC (New England small schools). You can figure out specifics about men/women, middle/long distance from checking out meet results and individual school websites.

You forgot to mention the OAC in there. They're definitely one of the top 3-4 best conferences in the country.

UW-Oshkosh is the best. Great coach, good facilities and a strong history in both CC and track.

TCNJ

Alert, I have also heard bad things about Wheaton (ma).Can you elaborate?

If you are a guy and interested in the mid-distance events, the two best mens coaches are Al Carius at North Central and Tom Donnelly at Haverford. Carius was recently inducted into the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Hall fo Fame. In 1999 his coaching peers voted him "Coach of the Century." I don't think any coach D I, II or III can surpass Carius's record of achievement: 17 national championships, over 400 all-americans and a bunch of individual national champions. Tom Donnelly has consistently produced top runners at a school that is very tough to get into. I have heard of kids with combined SAT's of over 1400 who did not get in. Karl Paranya was the first and I think only D-III runner to break 4 for the mile when he ran 3:57 in the late 90's. He was probably the best known Haverford product but there is a long list of others. In the last 10 years Haverford men have consistently been in the top ten for xc in D-III and their roster is often filled with a bunch of 4:40 high school milers. Tom Donnelly is the best at making lemonade out of lemons.

Wheaton has been known to have problems with race, I've heard.

And 6am silent practices.

Washington and Lee was the best 4 years I've had, I got so much faster. And it's in a decent conference that's lookin better every year. Great atmosphere for distance running, especially XC. Also from what I here many other schools the ODACs have great coaching as well.

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