Got this excerpt from DyeStat regarding Alexander (1981):
"Charles Alexander became another Kinney Nationals winner who packed it off to Stanford for a good career, and still shows up in area road racing results in Northern California, where he has remained after graduation."
I remember reading about Eric Reynolds in Track and Field news back in 1983. He ran 8:43 I believe, a time I thought was unimaginable but this was before the internet. You didn't know what what on in the rest of the country until TnF news came out and that was always a month behind.
All of the Footlocker winners probably at least earned their keep at the respective schools in scoring points at nationals and conference titles. If you land one of these guys you got to believe its a safe bet their going to help your program by scoring points at coinference and qualifying for nationals. Well, a safer bet with the guys but thats how it goes.
But its unfair to knock any of them for not turning out to be an NCAA champion. A lot of these guys you think were flops actually placed top 10 at NCAA Cross and scored 2 to 8th place multiple times in the 5000 and 10,000. A lot of them probably champions of their respective conferences at least one. And if a kid who runs 14:40 in high school, even though it might be the top time nationally, "only" runs 13:45 in college, is that really a flop?
Not everyone has the talent to be champion at the next level but a lot of these guys were willing to work when most other high schoolers were doing 35 mile weeks and they rose to the head of the class early on.
Thanks for posting all those stats. I'm curious, what is your mile PR?
KCTrack wrote:
Brent Steiner started his college career at Arizona State under Len Miller...he placed 3rd in the Pac 10 meet as a FR when the Pac 10 was filled with kenyans...then Arizona State got charged with recruiting violations as Len Miller brought Steve Scott with him on a recruiting trip and Steve went on a well documented run with both Steiner and Steve Smith, who also went to Arizona State...true to form the NCAA came down on the athletes and both of them had to transfer and I believe both of them had to lose a year of eligiblity...Brent went to Kansas University and Steve went to Kansas State...Brent was one of the toughest runners I have ever seen...I saw him almost lose his life in the big 8 10K championships where it was really hot and 5 yarads from the finish he was so disoriented he started going the other way...they rushed him into the locker rooms and packed him in ice and got him to a hospital where he was dehydrated...after an over night stay he ws okay but it was quite scary...the next year Brent placed 7th at the NCAA cross country meet the year Ed Eyestone won...Steve had a solid career at Kansas State but was never an All-American...Brent was injuried plauged so he was on the bike a lot which led to a very nice career as well as a duatlete where I believe he was ranked in the top 10 in the world...
That's crazy, what place was in when he started going the wrong way? Did he run into anyone?
Thanks for all your posts. Did anyone else find it interesting that Colorado has had such "luck" with Footlocker champs and at the NCAA championships?
1990
Louis Quintana - dominated in HS. Don't know many stats from college. He did run 13:53 in college and have some good results, but it even surprised him when he didn't have the same type of success in college.
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louieq:
You're right, I shouldn't have said it that way. Re: the HS domination? You were 3rd at FL in 11th grade and 1st in 12th grade. Probably only 4-5 guys have that good a record. You say you only won one State title, but that is because you were from California. When I said you dominated, I meant it as a compliment, but I should have described it differently. I guess I meant that you were at the top in XC and track.
Re: my comment about "same type of success in college" I wasn't trying to speak for you, but I read an interview with you about 3 years ago where the interviewer asked, based on how you won races by large margins in HS, did it surprise you that you didn't experience the same thing in college. You said, "Yes ...." then went on to comment on why you felt that way and that you had won one of the bigger XC races as a senior by a large amount (don't remember which one) and that it seemed easy to be this good. Until college. The interview mainly focused on how many injury problems you had, so I got the impression you had a spotty career. I should have done my research!!
I would say that my memory was faulty and I was confusing you with someone else, but that interviewer talked about how amazing the 13:53 at Big Easts was and I had never heard about it. I still could be confusing this with some other FL winner, but I think I am right. Anyway, I was in no way saying you were an underachiever, though it may come off that way.
How many in US history can say they went 1:46/3:40/13:53, qualified for NCAA's 8 times in track, and were 16, 14, and 4th in XC?
I seriously bet there are less than 10 who can say that.
My ignorant post came from just that ... being ignorant. I didn't follow the sport as much from '88-'92 and I should have done a little research and posted some facts or written nothing at all like I did on several that I just had no clue on.
Hey louieq I heard that you still have eligibility left. How about making a comeback, finally get that sub-4.
Scott Fry was a multi-time Big Ten champion and still holds the Big Ten meet record in the 5,000 at 13:38. Halfway decent post grad career including a 9th place finish at the 1992 10,000 meters Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.
He was in aprox 4 or 5...it was very obvious that he was hurting with two laps to go but they let him continue because he was in a scoring position and he was still coherent...with 200 meters to go it got ugly but he was still going forward so they let him continue...there were people waiting for him at the finish but as soon as he started going the other way they stopped him and took him in to get treatment...it was really kind of scarey as all eyes were glued on him and his attempt to finish...
Didn't really mean to reply to your post. My bad on that one.
the 1992 OT were in the big easy...'88 was in the armpit of the us...indy
Lets see - I don't think it surprised me that I didn't have the same success in college - I never thought of it that way. I only won one state championship in High School (Cross Country) - but I was comptetive in every race I ever ran in my whole career - HS and College. I ran 3:40(run under 3:42 14 times - slowest college 1500m ever was a 3:48.7 as a frosh), 1:46, 7:58, 4:00 (ran 4:00 9 times - no joke!), 13:53 in 90 degree heat at Big East Conference meet - 6 days after tripling - 1:46.3, 3:43.3, 3:57.0 at Penn Relays. I was 16, 14, and 4 at NCAA XC - fastest Villanova Runner ever (During Big East Champs) at Van Cortland Park - 24:29 - Big East Cross Country Champ - 2 time District Cross Champ. Qualified for 4 indoor and outdoor nationals. My 3:41.70 still ranks 6th or 7th all time American Junior. I had injuries - but f*** it - I competed with everything I ever had. I had way more success in college than HS. Led Villanova to two top ten NCAA Cross Finishes - including a trophy with a fourth place finish in 1992. People like to put up blanket post on this site like they know everything about everyone who ever ran. I never claim to have been great - just consistent as hell. I have no regrets - just marks that will stand the test of time. I wish all the champs could write in - I am just because I'm on this site quite often.