Just a quick look at the HS Preseason rankings on Dyestat displayed several instances among top teams.
NORTHEAST GIRLS
The sensational Saratoga Springs program (national champions seven times) might be fielding its best squad ever this time out, with everyone returning off last year’s national champions and being joined by major transfer talent.
Hatboro-Horsham returns its wealth of talent from a year ago intact, with the addition of a top transfer possibly arming it for a challenge for an automatic berth.
OK, the Saratoga transfers are understandable given the f*cked up situation at Argyle. I have no problem with that.
MIDWEST GIRLS
Clarkston was already loaded based on its wealth of non-seniors from a year ago, but has since added transfer Jenny Morgan, a state champion from Ohio.
HEARTLAND GIRLS
Iowa City West also welcomes the full crew back, paced by its own state champion plus a state champion transfer moving in from Louisiana.
SOUTHWEST BOYS
Denver South is essentially a reincarnation of the #4-ranked nationally Denver West team of a year ago, with coach and athletes relocating in high-profile fashion several months back.
Sounds strange. Did the team members move due to the opening of a new school or did they just decide to move and merge their already strong team with another?
SOUTHWEST GIRLS
Smoky Hill has everyone returning, including Foot Locker finalists Katelyn Kaltenbach and Morgan Schulz and adds a top girl from Arizona.
Smoky hill adds another transfer … blah, blah, blah, … been there, done that.
NORTHWEST GIRLS
Bellarmine already had one great frontrunner and fine depth, but the addition of possibly two age group superstars tabs it as the slight favorite over a Snohomish attack returning three of the state’s premier individuals.
This sounds strange, too. The season is already starting – why would they be “possibly” adding a couple runners? By now they should know who is on the team whether they transferred or not. Of course, maybe they may “possibly” add these runners because they are new freshmen who may or may not run XC (i.e., play soccer instead).
These summaries basically only discussed the top 3 teams in each region. How many other students transferred to teams ranked between 4 and 10? I graduated from HS about a dozen years ago and do not remember anybody ever transferring. You could simply look at last years results and know exactly what a team had unless they added a new freshman or gained a former soccer player.
While Briana Jackucewicz’s father has taken a lot of heat (and most of it deservedly in my opinion) for overstressing running, there are many more parents who seem to be doing the same things. Is this due to the rising cost of college (“my kid NEEDS to get a scholarship”)? Is it due to the “Earl Woods/Tiger Woods” story (do whatever necessary to push your kid athletically from an early age and you will be rewarded when he becomes world champion)? Or is it due to something else? And has it gotten out of hand? Is it good or bad for running?