Who exactly are the best in their events to never win an NCAA title?

Just to point out - El G did go to an NCAA school and he never won an NCAA title - has to be the clear answer surely?!

Can we set the criteria as NCAA runner who made it to the championships and never won? Thisway we can stop with the El G and Bekele?

Ran and made it to the NCAA but did not win.

For females, I think of Sara Bei (Hall) who was great in college, won Footlocker in H.S., but never an NCAA title. Also Molly Huddle, who won the Notre Dame Invitational as a freshman and came so close and was so dominant her senior year at Notre Dame in the 5,000, but lost to a foreigner from Providence at Nats.

Alan Scharsu (Penn State) was a beast. He ran about 8:40 in high school for 2 miles. Had a great college career, but I don't think he won an NCAA title because of all the older Africans during his era (running against Henry Rono, Samson Kimambwa, Sulieman Nyumbui, et al who were all 24 to 28 years old in college).

I don't remember Greg Meyer (Michigan) or Herb Lindsey (Michigan State) winning NCAA titles, although they were always at the front and ran during the same Big 10 era with Craig Virgin Both Meyer and Lindsey could hang with Virgin. Greg Meyer won the Boston Marathon right after college if my memory isn't failing.

Bill McChesney (Oregon) was also a high school phenom who ran great in college, never won an NCAA title, and made the Olympic team the year they boycotted and didn't go.

Chris Derrick though has to be the greatest talent, the most consistent runner I can think of, who just ran during the wrong era. He should go down as one of the real greats.

Rick Brown from Cal new got a NCAA title in 880-800, nor did James Robinson, They were real good.

Jason Pyrah was really good.

Gaston Flatulenza wrote:

Alan Scharsu (Penn State) was a beast. He ran about 8:40 in high school for 2 miles. Had a great college career, but I don't think he won an NCAA title because of all the older Africans during his era (running against Henry Rono, Samson Kimambwa, Sulieman Nyumbui, et al who were all 24 to 28 years old in college).

Scharsu never did shit in track. His high school times were as good as he got. Never ran an NCAA track championship.

Gaston Flatulenza wrote:

I don't remember Greg Meyer (Michigan) or Herb Lindsey (Michigan State) winning NCAA titles, although they were always at the front and ran during the same Big 10 era with Craig Virgin Both Meyer and Lindsey could hang with Virgin. Greg Meyer won the Boston Marathon right after college if my memory isn't failing.

All 3 were 1973 high school graduates.

NCAA Cross

1973 Virgin 10th, Meyer DNQ, Lindsay DNQ

1974 Meyer 11th, Virgin 12th, Lindsay 22nd

1975 Virgin 1st, Lindsay 12th, Meyer 29th

1976 Virgin 3rd, Lindsay 4th, Meyer 19th

Virgin won 4 straight Big Ten Cross titles and 3 straight Big Ten 5000 titles. Meyer won 2 Big Ten Steeplechase titles and a 10k title. Lindsay won 2 Big Ten 1500 titles.

NCAA Track

Virgin 10k: 3rd, 2nd, 2nd (75-77)

Virgin 5k: 4th (77)

Lindsay 5k: 8th (77)

Meyer 3000sc 5th (76)

All 3 were post-collegiate beasts in the era when money was just starting to flow into the sport. Virgin being the class of the field by far with his 2 World Cross titles and 3 Olympic teams. Meyer won Boston in 1983, 6 years after college. Lindsay had an excellent road race career.

Drdrdbhhgf wrote:

The best 2nd place finisher could score a top of 64 points in their respective event between indoors and outdoors and qualify for 8 finals.

Dude, we're talking OUTDOOR TRACK here. Indoors is a circus act. Doesn't count.