Looking for info on some different college CC/TF programs

Bump?

I was recruited at both UCSD and Willamette.

UCSD: Mostly California kids, and large roster size. Coach was alright, not great. The large amount of prerequisites was a negative for me, but running wise their track record with athletes of similar backgrounds to me was what drew me away.

Willamette: Coaches were awesome, you could tell the staff knew what they were doing. They're D3 but the school gives decent merit scholarships. Program is heading in a good direction and probably would've gone there if not for the fact that I was accepted at a few reach schools.

UCSD students just voted to move from D2 to D1. It will take a couple of more years for that to happen, but not sure how it will affect the program. A couple of the distance women had excellent seasons this year, but incoming talent still seems to be pretty modest.

Solid responses....pretty much in line for the type of feedback I am looking for. I had started a previous thread, looking for info for the kid

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=7468296&thread=7468249#7468296

From the schools that I've looked at so far, her hurdle times would certainly get her in the door and even make her competitive with her teammates I don't think she needs any kind of athletic scholarship to make college possible and I don't think she'd get one at most of the schools listed. I think she could do pretty well in the mid d or the steeple, but at some of the smaller colleges, they'd probably be pretty happy with her hurdle times and keep her there. Lots of possibilities.

Got some more info from the kid about a separate major that she might want to pursue. A quick check of the "top 50 lists" for schools with that program revealed (in no particular order)

San Jose State

Arizona State

University of Arizona

University of Idaho

University of Montana

University of Nevada, Reno

The two pac 12 schools would be a stretch for her. She has the talent to run the mid distance times that most of the girls on those teams have run, but she has never trained for those races nor raced them (other than at the beginning of her freshman year with only a 4-6 weeks of training under her belt).

This list is too broad with Division 1 Pac-12 schools, D2, and D3 and most of the Western US.

It sounds like she is planning to walk-on and not be considered for an athletic scholarship. You could drop the D1 schools there.

Several schools have dropped their men's programs due to Title IX or budgetary requirements, and in general that indirectly takes away from the experience on a women's only team. You could drop UN Reno, San Jose State and a few others.

Consider location. If her family is in Southern California (it sounds like it), does she really want to be in school in Montana or Hawaii and have a long way to travel home on breaks versus driving distance?

It seems like it would be hard to be a college athlete in Hawaii and traveling to competitions in other states from.

Consider the out of state tuition considerations with the public schools.

What's her intended major? A smaller school like Willamette may not have her planned major, etc.

former Triton wrote:

UCSD students just voted to move from D2 to D1. It will take a couple of more years for that to happen, but not sure how it will affect the program. A couple of the distance women had excellent seasons this year, but incoming talent still seems to be pretty modest.

Ucd gives some insight into a likely path for athletics during that transition.

During the transition period, they can't compete at nationals and have to join a transitional conference. That could be a negative for some athletes. This will cause a small number of athletes already there to transfer to other schools.

Expect a change of coaching over the next few years as well. It may or may not include the head coaches.

I would expect some sports to be completely cut and rosters to be reduced in some other sports as they make room for football rosters and money.

Long term the program will probably be faster, but it will take 5 to 10 years.

These are all excellent points. Here's the situation

Her 3 possible majors are: Journalism, Environmental Science, Anthropology. She is a smart girl, good student, with varied interests and only a foggy idea what she wants to do when she grows up (which is fine). The lists I put up are based on google searches for schools that are strong in those majors. She says she wants to get out of town for college, but I don't know how far. She wants to do track for sure but is not sold on distance

I'm sitting down to meet with mom and daughter next week. I'm an high school teacher, so I have a lot of time to fart around online and really am trying to do my due dilligence and provide a varied list with lots of options as far as school size, location, private/public.

At first, I was pretty much throwing out all major conference schools, because I didn't think she could hang, but ASU kept popping up as a good school for the desired majors, so I looked at the times of the ladies on the team and figured that my girl could hang if allowed to walk on, so the two pac 12 schools are in there just for variety.

That's wide area of interest. The best thing to do is narrow the search a bit and start contacting coaches.

I wouldn't worry nearly as much about what majors a school offers. She ought to go to the best academic school possible as long as she's comfortable with both the coaches and the campus.

Pomona is head and shoulders above most of those, with Colorado College a clear second.

Greedy Capitalist wrote:

I wouldn't worry nearly as much about what majors a school offers. She ought to go to the best academic school possible as long as she's comfortable with both the coaches and the campus.

Pomona is head and shoulders above most of those, with Colorado College a clear second.

Those are two great schools but saying they are so far above Claremont is questionable- Claremont also is a top academic school, by many measures. And for what it's worth, the Claremont distance and track teams for women is the stongest of those three.

I think UW Tacoma is just an extension of the University of Washington, and doesn't have any Athletics program.

Thanks! Keep it coming.

one of my good friends runs cross country for Long Beach State, definitely a small team but a great hurdles coach. I've heard girls there weren't super motivated to train, improve, or even heal injuries. However, those girls are gone (along with the xc coach right now) so the mentality around the team may turn around.

Has anyone talked to an academic counselor at the girl's HS about some of these schools and the experience previous students (at the girl's HS) have had who went to those schools? You might get an idea of campus life, opportunities to do extra-curricular activities, how good they are with their undergraduate programs (especially in those 3 majors), etc.

She might want to look into a community college with a good XC and track program that had a transfer agreement with her target school. This is a good choice for someone who is undecided on their major.

Good week of training so far

M: 3 mile tempo at 20:50 + 3x400 @80

T: team trip to coast redwoods / beach. 68 min on hilly single track trails.

She's had a chance to look at this thread and appreciates the feedback (but I doubt she'll comment). Meeting with her and mom in a couple of days to narrow the list.

Any more suggestions?

West Point seems a bit of an oddball on that list. What gives?

what about nescac schools?

CoachB wrote:

I've had an athlete's parent ask me for input on collegiate track and field programs. I've got a list of schools that fit some of the academic avenues the girl is looking at, but don't know a whole bunch about the athletic programs at these schools. Based on a little looking around, I'm certain that my girl could compete at any one of these institutions.

In no particular order

Long Beach State (doesn't look like kids have improved much since HS)

Pomona College

Western State (CO)

Colorado College

UW- Tacoma

Willamette University

Humboldt State

Western Washington

Hawaii Hilo

Claremont College

UCSD

UCSB (athletically, this would probably be the biggest stretch for her)

Only one I have pretty good knowledge of is Colorado College. Ted Casteneda is the coach there, and a good one. Also, that school does the Block Plan which means the students take one class at a time...interesting concept. Great school, beautiful campus, decent coach. Interesting place.