I'm wondering if anybody has any insight on Western State College of Colorado in terms of the running program (specifics would be great, I know how successful it has been), the academics, and the environment that is Gunnison? If so, I'd love all the help I can get. I have not been able to visit yet, so I'm trying to just get as much information as possible before then.
Thanks!
I ran for Western a bit ago.
If you want specifics you should probably ask "specific" questions.But I'll do my best, and then you can ask whatever I didn't touch on.
Running wise, people run anywhere between 70-120. Depending on age - durability - preference. Lots of hills...Saturday is a tempo and Sunday is a long run consisting of around 15 miles give or take a few depending on the time of the year.
Western thrives off those that stay healthy. As long as you stay healthy....17:30 kids turn into damn good runners (sometimes great) 16:30 kids almost always leave as all-americans....and 15:30 kids normally leave as multiple all-american/national champions.
The key is staying healthy which means being smart. At 8,000 ft you just can't recover that well.
Great place for 5k 10k types.
The winters are brutal. No indoor track. What you lose in speed you make up for in toughness (at least that is what we told ourselves!). Besides, XC nationals is the end all for Western. Everything is about running well that one day come November.
Academics - Not highly regarded. Very high acceptance rate. Pretty solid exercise sports science/biology/geology....
You will have a lot of snowboard idiots in your classes. If you are a smart kid you standout like a sore thumb and you will want to kill most of your classmate's parents for reproducing.
The summers are awesome. Gunni is as laid back of a place that exist. Summers are filled with lots of running, low key jobs, barbeques, and general shenanigans. The town next to Gunnison (Crested Butte) is probably the coolest place on earth to run. You will do long runs there that will take your breath away. Endless amounts of places go out, hoping to run around 14 miles and then come back 2:30 hours later, lost, pissed - yet laughing about it on the car ride back.
Most Western teams are filled with kids who weren't looked at by D1 schools. Think 4:25-4:35 milers. It's the type of team you'd want to go to a concert with and not a library.
There are no girls at the school. Seriously. Outside of the team gunnison is a cockfest.
You'll rarely get laid, you will be cold, you will be bored in school till your junior year...
But you will run fast as hell. Be apart of a team chasing national titles. You will get to be apart of an actual real life running rivalry (see Adams State). And there is no team year in year out that is as close as Western State team. That goes for both the men and the women. It's one giant family that knows how to have fun. Lots of fun.
Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Hopefully this paints somewhat of an honest picture.
Thanks for the info! Would it be at all possible for me to email you a few questions?
I am a current member of the team and would be glad to give you some info, and answer some questions if you would like. If you post a name with your email I will gladly answer a few questions. I don't really want to put my email up, for reasons I don't want to get into.
I can also give you the phone and email of the coaches as well. If you are a senior they would love to talk to you, even if you wont get any scholarship, they are that type of coaches. I can also give you a few examples of mediocre high school runners that turned into great collegiate runners at Western.
Thanks!
I'll let the current brother hook you up. Things could have changed a bit since I was there. He'll have more accurate info for you. But make sure the people there do point out the negatives to you - because there are some. Western has the worst retention rate in the nation. That doesn't happen on accident.
If you go to Western (and I hope you do) make sure it's for the running. This doesn't mean you have to want to be a pro - it just has to mean that running needs to be your primary concern when regarding your college selection.
Between coach Michel and the assistants you'll be hard press to find a better coaching staff.
And btw - I graduated from Western and have a pretty damn good job - so don't let me incriminate the academics too much.
Sounds like an interesting places, if only I was 18 again.
But, no girls/women?
Current Mountaineer, could I get some info on the school as well? My email is jhg3394@gmail.com. Thanks!
Same thing here! willpglaser@aol.com
Could you give scholarship standards for transfer students? 3k, 5k, 10k, and cross times would be great.