university of buffalo walk on

You are a girl, right? Those times might get you some scholarship money.

No i am a guy, thus me trying to prove to you why i think i can improve so much...

come on guys, I really need some advice for the only source of running advice that i have

Personally based on what you have written I think you have potential to make the UB team as a walk on but it won't be easy. I had similar times as you in high school. My coach was the same way(never had us run high mileage or even really coaches us lol) Based on your positive attitude I think if you believe in yourself you can make the team. All I know is you pretty much have to get your 5k time down to at least sub 17 to even consider being on the team. What high school do you go to? I know I didnt really help you much with your question but if you want I can get you in contact with some of the runners/coaches at UB.

I think if you talk to the coach personally he will see your enthusiasm about running and your willingness to work hard. I think that's an important step. If you want to train and work hard, I wouldn't think there is reason to reject you, unless they're a very good team (I would think the better teams hold time trials i.e. Running With the Buffaloes). Then again I could be wrong. Good luck

Avon Grove high school in PA. This summer i am going to run some hard mileage i only ran 400 last summer and we have a coach who is brand new to running for xc so i am trying to make the best of a bad situation. Running in college is definitely one of my dreams, and i think sub 17 is more than possible for next year

Oh also I grew up in new york, Near poughkeepsie and only moved to PA at the start of high school, so that is part of the reason i am looking at new york suny schools if anyone was wondering

Somewhere Todd Witzleben is laughing at you.

Just start your run at the same time as them, they always run the same place.

The slowest kid that they had walk on was a 4:35 miler and a 9:40 in the full 2 mile. This kid will most likely never see the light of day in their program. I encourage you to talk to Todd, but dont be discouraged if he laughs in your face. My close friend tried to transfer there his sophomore year after running 9:04 in the 3k and he directed him right to the club team. Kinda a prick. Pretty good coach.

If you only ran in the 18s with 400 miles of summer training, it's going to be impossible to go D1. Many runners can go 2+ minutes faster than you with half of the summer miles. Don't make the half ass excuse that your coach is new, so you are trying to make the best of a bad situation. If you run frickin 400 miles in a summer it shouldn't matter who your coach is, you should be able to go much faster than 18:06, unless your miles are slow as hell. If you can't run a sub 17 with 400 miles of running in a summer, that's going to be a pretty tough goal for next year. I know lots of people that LOVE to run, but it does them little good if they aren't any good. Sorry kid, but the truth is the truth. If you really LOVE running then try getting fast enough to run at a small D3 school. Don't waste you time with this D1 nonsense.

one problem with that, I need a good degree from a college. I cant just go to a tiny little college just so i can run, i need to go to a pretty good engineering school. Look how about I run cross next year and If I can break 17, ill come back to you guys and i can get some more information!

What about stony brook? do they accept walk ons with my times?

and if worse comes to worse, There isnt anything stopping me from training on my own for a few years and maybe going out for the team as a junior?

You never know your potential. There are kids at a local HS who literally suck in high school, run DIII and they're fine. When they have someone with even a little talent- like breaking 4:50 in the 1600- the kids will be a sub 4:20 miler in college.

The coaches at this school have no clue at all. I know what they're doing for training and it's atrocious- their "distance" coach has no clue.

Go ahead and make contact with Vicki Mitchell, head cross country coach at Buffalo. She was coached by Jack Daniels in college and was a national 10,000 champ, plus has her degree in Exercise Phys, she does know something about training, despite contrary comments. It won't cost you anything to try, that is what it's all about! You don't know yourself until you try, so ignore the negatives.

Call Chester County Running Store and talk to Kevin Kelly. He might help you this summer if there is not too much conflict.

are you kidding me goon puppy?! I like you and your chances but neither are very good.

Dont be afraid to talk to the coach, he wont laugh at you.

This is a joke, right?