xc history 101 wrote:
Locals... wrote:Okay this post will get toasted, but I don't care. Who are the top teams in DII that only have Americans on the roster or the schools that do the most with the least amount of scholarship aid.
I would start by nominating Colorado School of Mines since they are consistently in the top 10.
Coach Siemers deserves all the respect in the world. He's doing a fantastic job at a very selective institution and it's great seeing Mines have so much success. But before you start making implications about foreigners and money, I hope you realize that even when Adams was not "fully funded" and with American-only rosters, they were still at or near the top and it's been that way for 40 years under Vigil and now Martin. Yes, foreigners played a key role in last year's win, but in 2003 it was 7 runners all from the U.S.
I realize you didn't specically call out Adams and I'm not trying to get into a pissing match, but the implications are obvious even if it was a general statement about all programs with more money and foreigners. In the end, give credit where credit is due. Martin built an absolutely dominant women's program from the ground up and by the time he took over the men's team the program was in shambles. It's not money, it's not foreigners, the guy is simply an outstanding coach.
Best of luck to all of the Colorado teams this fall.
I really was not trying to slight Adams State. Being fully funded is well within the rules; I was just stating a fact within the frame-work of an ongoing discussion.