I am primarily an 800 meter runner (although I will most likely run the 1500 and 400 in college too) and I was wondering what the best middle-distance college would be to go to. I am going into my senior year and I have a mid 151 PR, all the help would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
Check out the results for races like the Penn Relays where they run Distance Medley, 4x800 and 4xMile and look at the teams that consistently put together strong teams. If they can do that then they have depth which usually indicates the coach knows what he/she is doing. You could obviously do that with the NCAAs and conference championships to see similar results as well, just looking for the teams who can put some strong performances in the middle distances together every year or so. Pay attention as well to improvement over the years. With your PR, you definitely could have some pretty solid D1 powerhouses looking at you so good luck!
It is difficult to respond with the limited information you have provided. What are your college entrance scores, your GPA? Do you have a preference as far as what geographic area you'd like? Do you know what area of study interests you? Are you looking for an urban school or a more small town type place? Do you want to be the star, or a good who strives to be as good as the current stars?
I'm just interested in the college(s) that will be able to improve me best to my full potential in track. my scores/gpa are fine. and no preferences as long as the program is top notch.
BYU, Stanford, Wisconsin, Oregeon
Yams wrote:
BYU, Stanford, Wisconsin, Oregeon
Not a bad selection, but only one of those schools has college guys, or one year out of college guys, running in the finals of both the 800 and 1500 of the Olympic Trials, and running in the Olympics or racing Diamond League this summer.
CuriousStudentAthlete wrote:
I am primarily an 800 meter runner (although I will most likely run the 1500 and 400 in college too) and I was wondering what the best middle-distance college would be to go to. I am going into my senior year and I have a mid 151 PR, all the help would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
Ever heard of Oregon?
Recent 800 runners: Wheating, Greer
Recent 1500m runers: Wheating, Centrowitz, Acosta, J-Mac, Rupp.
Impossible to get into UCLA (Top 10 world academic ranking, #2 Olympic Medals, #1 NCAA Team Championships, #1 Fall Freshman Appications) with Johnny Gray getting into 2012 London Olympics, Duane Solomon from USC, and advising Nick Symmonds from the state of Idaho.
Colorado has produced the only World Championship gold medals at 1500m from athletes who were born and went to high school in the United States.
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
who were born and went to high school in the United States.
That's a ZIONISTIC statement if I ever heard one.
Im just going to be honest and tell you many coaches diss pure 800 guys.
Find a program with some good 800 guys already on it.
800m schools?
Penn State
Oregon
Mizzou
Notre Dame
Columbia
Wisconsin
Virginia is really good at the 800m. Robby Andrews, Anthony Kostelac, etc Back to back 4x8 penn relays titles. One of the best mid-d groups in the NCAA
You all need to think about one very important thing - the best middle distance program is not necessarily the one producing the most at the national level. It is the best place developing people. Think.
Villanova.
Sam Mcentee 3:36 (rising junior)
Sam Ellison 1:47 (rising junior)
Rob Denault 3:42 (rising soph)
Matt Mildenhall 3:42 (rising senior)
Chris Fitzsimmons 1:48 (rising junior)
Josh Lampon 4:03 mile (incoming freshman)
Also not sure if this guy is coming but Jordy Williamsz 3:36.
Mcentee, Denault, and Fitsimmons have all redshirted as well.
If your talking track mid distance, oregon is the best place to go. schools I've seen do close is penn state or maybe texas a & m. penn state does well mid season but they aren't great at peaking their athletes.
Speaking development. boru guyota run 1:52 in high school then 1:47 first year. Russel hornsby ran 1:51 high school, 1:49 first year. Travis thompson (just graduated) high school unknown, ran 1:47 over years. Got guys like wheating and greer into 1:45 flat range.
Coaches can't make every athlete into a success story, and you have to be willing to work. But I feel oregon is the place that will do most with your talent and take you the furthest. Of course it needs to be a fit though. The school comes from a more distance approach.
Crenshaw Cougars wrote:
Impossible to get into UCLA (Top 10 world academic ranking, #2 Olympic Medals, #1 NCAA Team Championships, #1 Fall Freshman Appications) with Johnny Gray getting into 2012 London Olympics, Duane Solomon from USC, and advising Nick Symmonds from the state of Idaho.
I love UCLA for a number of reasons, but no need to overhype it and distort its great qualities into fiction. Academically, it's not even top 10 in the US, let alone the world. However, top 35 in the world is pretty awesome.
If the OP is interested in personal development, he may be more interested in a university with a deep and current institutional know how of developing individual NCAA champions. That would be Stanford (448) rather than UCLA's 262. And while UCLA's 108 team titles is worthy of pride as winning the most, a lot of those titles are from past eras of long gone coaches, administrators, and institutional resources. Stanford, with 103, is currently churning out team titles and is currently the happening place with institutional will to be the best. Look for Stanford to take the team title lead as soon as next year.
And I love Coach Gray, a proven winner and holder of the 800m AR. Solomon's success this year has to be tied back to him. But IMO the jury is still out on his ability to generally coach, as Primm's performance over the last two years has to be tied to Gray as well.
Otherwise, UCLA is a tempting destination for an 800m runner looking to reach the world stage. However, if the world stage is your ultimate goal, I would have to agree that Oregon is the best program by far at the moment.
george oscar bluth wrote:
800m schools?
Penn State
Oregon
Mizzou
Notre Dame
Columbia
Wisconsin
Good choice of schools. Add BYU and Indiana, take Columbia off.
Take off Cloumbia? They're pretty stacked...
3:35.59 Merber, Kyle
3:36.41 Brennand, Nate
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3:45.94 Jones, Byron