Grant Fisher commits to Stanford

Stanford also got Alex Ostberg out of CT. Solid recruiting class with just the two of them so far.

I'm excited for Grant to move onto the next level and can't wait to see what he will do as a Cardinal. As someone that was involved in his recruiting, I have to say I am impressed by the Coaches that spent time with Grant and family throughout the process. I know it was a difficult decision as he had many great options.

So, congrats to the Fisher family and good luck next year!

That's a mistake. For how good Stanford's recruiting classes are , they should be winning nationals every year. But instead here's their history at recent NCAA championships.

2013- 19th

2012- 16th

2011- 5th

2010- 4th

2009- 10th

They're a great school academically and have ideal conditions to train in, so it would make sense to go to stanford until you look at just how poorly their team does year after year at nationals despite all their talent.

What great male talents have been squandered there?

DedicatedRunner wrote:

https://twitter.com/Phresh_Fish

Wow. Both those guys (Fisher and Ostberg) are good enough that they have a legit shot to be 'impact players' as frosh.

Stanford '15: Rosa, Rosa, McGorty,... and a really deep supporting group from which you hope two or three might really emerge.

Sweatt, Wharton, Keelan, Fisher, Ostberg, and a few others with potential.

They're not likely to be as good as this year's team would've been with Jim healthy, and I doubt they'll be able to challenge CO, but they could be very good.

Not as important as Elijah Armstrong of Idaho committing to BOISE STATE!!!

He's an idiot to not run at Michigan State!!!

While past results are an important aspect, so too are many other key decision points. One can only imagine the opportunities Grant Fisher had to choose from. His choice could not have come lightly.

The future is what really matters. Coach Milt in his short time at Stanford has enabled the Rosa brothers, Atchoo, McGorty, and others to run very well. Jim Rosa's knee situation obviously impacts the XC team this year. With Jim they would have a legit shot at number one or two.

Grant Fisher's future is bright. Stanford's track and XC program's future is bright. Last I knew one has to be rather bright to get into Stanford so he made a bright decision.

Reach for the stars wrote:

Grant Fisher's future is bright. Stanford's track and XC program's future is bright. Last I knew one has to be rather bright to get into Stanford so he made a bright decision.

I'm not saying that he isn't smart, but does the top recruit in the country actually have to be smart to get into Stanford?

Let's be honest. This is at least 50% a non-running decision. If he doesn't pursue running long term he'll still have a Stanford education and all the career opportunities that affords. Good for him.

Yes.

Ask the many top recruits that wanted to go to Stanford but we're not accepted by the school. My guess is Stanford shares with very few as the toughest school to get into as a student athlete in our nation - number one recruit or not.

I understand Grant has a 34 or 35 ACT and over a 4 point GPA. One could only wish to have his talents and to be going to Stanford University. He made a bright decision and so did Stanford.

When you're a really good student you can scratch Colorado, Northern Arizona, Oregon, Iona, the entire SEC, Oklahoma State, and many others off your list.

Grant's 5 choices:

Princeton- no scholarships

Stanford- Elite talent, great school, accomplished runners, shaky coach

Villanova- Elite talent, shaky results, overrated school

Wisconsin- Just not buying this as a better choice than Stanford- don't care how good their cross country program is, what have they done for a kid like Grant?

Michigan- nope

Why scratch off Colorado academically? They are actually pretty good. The culture of the students I can understand, but the school itself is solid especially in engineering and medicine. Not Stanford, but still solid.

Not the same universe as:

Stanford

Princeton

Not the same planet as:

Michigan

Wisconsin

Better than:

Oregon

OK State

Are these even colleges?

Iona

NAU

If theses universities were Grant's top five, he did his research well in narrowing things down to those middle distance/distance programs and top flight academic oriented universities . All are excellent.

With respect to those you listed and in my opinion:

Princeton: Vig is excellent, school is exceptional, no cash.

Stanford: Milt is one of the young up and coming excellent coaches, exceptional school, great environment.

Villanova: Marcus is an outstanding coach, excellent school.

Wisconsin: Mick is a master in the art of coaching, excellent large school.

Michigan: Sully in time will be excellent as we'll, excellent large school.

Must have been a tough decision and come down to finite differentiating factors.

If he could get into Princeton and Stanford let's scratch the bottom 4.

Princeton gives need based $ so unless his parents make $500,000 a yr it would have cost him no more than a state school. Vig is no reason to go to Princeton he'll screw up again and probably not make it through the kids 4 yrs.

Stanford must have given him $ so it moved up on the list. They never seem to put it together. The weather is nice! The school is rated high but of course not an Ivy.

Not sure what he is planning to study but I can understand deciding on Stanford.

Here are the top 10 schools in the country (from US News & World):

Princeton

Harvard

Yale

Columbia

Stanford

University of Chicago

MIT

Duke

Penn

Cal Tech

The only 3 on there worth anything for running are Princeton, Columbia, and Stanford. Princeton & Columbia can only offer need-based financial aid, whereas Stanford can offer a full athletic scholarship. Without knowing the Fisher's family's financial situation, all we can say is at best the aid is equal, but it's possible Stanford's offer is much better.

Also, if you run in the Pac 12 you get to compete against Oregon and Colorado regularly. Ivy League competition is decent, but not cream of the crop like that.

I think Stanford is a no brainer for smart blue-chip recruits like this.

number ln e wrote:

That's a mistake. For how good Stanford's recruiting classes are , they should be winning nationals every year. But instead here's their history at recent NCAA championships.

2013- 19th

2012- 16th

2011- 5th

2010- 4th

2009- 10th

They're a great school academically and have ideal conditions to train in, so it would make sense to go to stanford until you look at just how poorly their team does year after year at nationals despite all their talent.

It's a mistake for anyone to choose a college for the quality of its running program unless the academic program is at least arguably comparable.

There are many hundreds of Stanford grads each year whose careers are more interesting, important, gratifying, and lucrative than the career of the average NCAA XC CHAMPION.

Grant Fisher is an adolescent, but he may have better long-term perspective than you do.

Jusjrkaww wrote:

Not as important as Elijah Armstrong of Idaho committing to BOISE STATE!!!

Ihmles is a terrible men's coach. This kid will maybe qualify for nats as an individual his 4th or 5th year. His quote about Ihmels making Boise a national caliber program is laughable.