Are there current US distance pros with contracts who never made NCAAs?

I thought about Colby Alexander...

I could not find any individual results for him from NCAA track or cross country. He qualified for the regional meets but I do not think that those should count. Then I realized that he was the 1200 leg on Oregon's National Champion DMR team for 2015 Indoor NCAA.

Team appearances - yes. Individual appearances - no.

There are lots of local "pros", guys who sign small contracts and work at running stores. Many of them never made nationals. There is a guy at my local store who ran at Oregon, but was injured most of the time. He is now training well, and qualified for the Oly Trials in the marathon and 10k. So yeah, lots of guys with small contracts who are technically pros.

Matt Elliott

I don't believe Jeff Eggleston ever ran individually at an NCAA meet. He may have done NCAA cross as a member of the UVA team, but he wasn't the top stick.

As a 2:10 guy, he's probavly one of the better Americans that never did much in college (in the NCAA).

ajshfdkUO*ufoawjrtlq4wj wrote:

NCAA division 1 is all that matters and counts.

And what about Nick Symmonds?

Some guy won the national xc championship in the early 80s beating Greg Meyer and didn't run NCs.

Matthew Elliot made D1 nats at 1500m for a small school called Winthrop College. And wasn't he working? Thought that was the whole reason he felt the need to cry in his flotrack interview.

whom wrote:

There are lots of local "pros", guys who sign small contracts and work at running stores. Many of them never made nationals. There is a guy at my local store who ran at Oregon, but was injured most of the time. He is now training well, and qualified for the Oly Trials in the marathon and 10k. So yeah, lots of guys with small contracts who are technically pros.

I realize that one meaning of "pro" is simply, "not amateur," i.e., one who has made any money from the sport. I took the question to be asking about people for whom running is in fact a profession. I wouldn't necessarily preclude someone with a side job from being considered a pro, but I would at least demand that they be getting a significant amount of their livelihood from running.

Ever heard of Drew Hunter?

Juicy Miler wrote:

I don't believe Jeff Eggleston ever ran individually at an NCAA meet. He may have done NCAA cross as a member of the UVA team, but he wasn't the top stick.

As a 2:10 guy, he's probavly one of the better Americans that never did much in college (in the NCAA).

Is this the same Juicy Miler that...nevermind.

ck3237 wrote:

Some guy won the national xc championship in the early 80s beating Greg Meyer and didn't run NCs.

Wow. And he is still,competing? That is really impressive to be a CURRENT pro. He must be close to 60.

Friggin learn to read.

Ford Palmer - Hoka

We counting Boris Berian or no?

SWT wrote:

ajshfdkUO*ufoawjrtlq4wj wrote:

NCAA division 1 is all that matters and counts.

And what about Nick Symmonds?

Nick Symmonds was D3

603603603 wrote:

Is Larisa Dannis considered a Pro anymore? She's an often injured ultrarunner who was I believe was with Hoka.

Ultra-Runners do not count.

I believe Julie Culley who ran for ASICS and won the 5,000m at the 2012 oly trials never made track nationals (competed at Rutgers). I think she maybe made xc one year

CGBatch wrote:

We counting Boris Berian or no?

Berian was a D2 champ at Adams State. Pretty sure both indoor and outdoor.

It's Winthrop Univeristy, not Winthrop College. Brandon Hudgins also went to Winthrop before going to App, never qualified for NCAAs and is with Skechers

fact checker wrote:

It's Winthrop Univeristy, not Winthrop College. Brandon Hudgins also went to Winthrop before going to App, never qualified for NCAAs and is with Skechers

He receives a kit. He is not sponsored.