Main problem is that they don't give scholarship. Especially at a private school like TCU how can you expect a runner to pay that much for an education and then use 40 hours a week running while not benefiting a dime. They need to take one full scholarship and divide it among the team. It might not be a lot per runner but it creates an incentive for runners to stay.
Jesus did anyone else read this word vomit?[/quote]
It's not word vomit, its just detailed. I'm sure this "Running Commenter" guy has never run D1 and just sits on here thinking he knows how it works. "D1Runner19" makes some valid points, a school like TCU is pathetic to watch be this bad at running. I'd put money on their girls team beating their guys team.
They should have focused on Aaron Reichner. He had so much potential and now its his senior year and his time is up. Dilly Dilly.
They should've focused on Robbie Lacomble as well, also know as "Johnny Track", came out of a prestigious high school in Mountain View, California. He had promising times out of high school, high potential, but now he's graduating. Dilly Dilly.
Rutgers is #1 Ranked worst *Running* program.
Rutgers had multiple all Americans on the mens side last year. Come on now.
running commenter wrote:
D1Runner19 wrote:
It blows my mind every year that a school as prestigious as TCU, is as bad as they are in XC (specifically mens). In the past decade early every sport at TCU has become nationally ranked, except their XC team. They have so many recruiting tools at their fingertips but lack any sense of using them. They have next level facilities, a phenomenal campus, incredible girls, unreal parties (for the off-weekends), and they no doubt have the money to be a great program, but they lack a good coach or some other factor we don't know about. I've lived in the Fort Worth area for about 14 years and have kept tabs on the TCU XC team hoping one day they would figure it out, and in 2015 I really thought that was going to be the year they turned the program around and make Fort Worth proud. The 2015 freshman recruiting class was probably the best one they had achieved in over a decade. They acquired Eric Vetere out of 4x State Champion Southlake Carroll here in Texas, Glenn Lostritto out of New York, and Harrison Greer out of Houston. These three had the potential to move this team up the ranks not only in XC but in Track & Field as well. With Eric Vetere clocking in a 15:32 (5k), 20:03 (4-Mile), and 9:44 (2-Mile) out of high-school, this was THE guy they needed in their roster to set the standard for the Distance Squad. With Glenn Lostritto clocking a 4:21 (1600m), and 1:53 (800m), this is was their guy to train for the 800m or Mile to get them points at the big meets. Harrison Greer achieved a 4:27 (1600m) and 1:55 (800m) and was no doubt going to progress as Glenn Lostritto as his training partner. Yet, after only one year, all three of these runners have vanished and seemed to have quit the TCU XC Team and Track & Field Team. This fast turnover of runners is not the first time this has happened to TCU, but it was probably the most damaging. How can a school like this not be able to retain their runners? The first question, is the coaching staff. TCU has had 3 distance coaches in the past 5 years (Liz Wart, Liz Harmon, and Jennifer Fazioli), all having little success changing this program. At the start of the 2015 XC season, it looked as though the coaching staff did what they were supposed to and were having Eric Vetere run XC and have Glenn Lostritto and Harrison Greer train for track (since there was no sign of XC racing for Glenn Lostritto or Harrison Greer). Eric Vetere was the only freshman to achieve the Letterman award and had a promising start for a college runner. When the Track & Field season rolled around there was still no sign or Glenn Lostritto and Harrison Greer, and both had been removed from the roster. Social Media suggests both quit under their own will, not forcibly. And by the the start of the 2016 season, there was no sign of the three runners who could've changed the program, and seemed to only add a mediocre kid from the Houston Area . Within one year TCU managed to lose a 15:32 5k guy, 1:53 800m guy, and a 4:27 and 1:55 guy. This is just absolutely pathetic to even watch from the sidelines. I cant imagine what must've been the problem for all three to quit. Was it the coaching? The training program? Only way to know is to talk to the three runners, so the chances of us ever really knowing what the problem is, is slim to none. Another thing to think about is how the last three coaches have been girls, and I've heard from many D1 runners that male runners really need a male coach because the sport of running is different between genders and is approached differently as well. This might not be the problem, but its worth a shot. TCU should hire a young male coach for their male team. Someone who is recently out of running at a successful college program, or even someone who ran pro. TCU has everything they need to be successful, but the coach is the blurry part. They should offer a coaching position to someone like Craig Lutz, Colby Lowe, or someone who was successful in college and from the area who knows TCU and can connect to runners to turn the program around. I guess we'll never know what's really going on inside the TCU program, but TCU needs to figure something out. Consistently losing quality runners, and being last in the Big 12 for 14 years in a row is an absolute tragedy for the City of Fort Worth.
My advice to TCU, call in Eric Vetere, Glenn Lostritto, and Harrison Greer, and figure out the problem with those who faced it. There's no way of moving forward if you dont know what the problem is. Make Fort Worth Proud.
Jesus did anyone else read this word vomit?
I did. It appears he thinks 3 guys who aren't highly known runners in Texas were the key to national glory for TCU. These times, while good for HS, are nowhere near what A&M, Baylor, Tech, and Texas pull in on an annual basis.
Those guys are on par with what Magness recruits at UH. That should give you an idea of what would be a reasonable goal with that group if they could consistently recruit like that.
Former Sub 14:00 wrote:
I know the situation at TCU on the distance side pretty well. A couple of things put them at a disadvantage:
1. Their school's admission standards are held to strictly. This in very uncommon for a private school.
2. Their scholarship situation outside of athletics is very poor for a private school.
3. Last I heard ( as in 2 years ago ), they had a chunk of a scholarship available for the WHOLE DISTANCE program. Festus, or whoever that Kenyan was, actually got a full, but he was an exception. They are fully funded but the money 100% gets funneled into springs. For good reason too.
So it's hard to get kids with no money. It's hard to get them in on their own too. Also it's hard for them to pay for a private school that is sparse on academic/merit scholarships. All the other schools in Texas are in a better spot. Why would someone go there? And why would a coach be motivated? They could be really good at distance, but the energy is in sprints instead.
Source: D1 bubble coach. Known some of the former coaching staff there for awhile.
The situation is obviously crappy or someone would have done more there in the last decade.
What they need to do is hire Colby Lowe as their distance guy and let him recruit the affluent local schools for their 2/3/4 types. Those kids have the money and would like to get on roster. They're also not going to get money at the flagship state schools, so they don't have to compete with that.
TCU also has enough academic prestige to pull this off.
Full disclosure - I'm not affiliated with Lowe in any way. I know he has been doing some volunteer coaching and I don't think it would hurt to have him on staff. He knows a lot of area coaches and that is who you recruit when you have no $$$.
D1Runner19 wrote:
They should offer a coaching position to someone like Craig Lutz, Colby Lowe, or someone who was successful in college and from the area who knows TCU and can connect to runners to turn the program around.
Isn't Lowe already a coach at University of North Texas in Denton.
He’s not on the roster anymore. Was on roster with former coach, who is currently coaching at what really is the worse D1 school In the country Nichols state. They won’t be the worse for too long I’m sure.
Good grief, doesn't Nicholls State really only have FIVE women on the TRACK & FIELD roster?!
Hardly seems like they will meet the NCAA sport sponsorship requirements: 14 competitors at 6 competitions.
How can the coaches not feel guilty accepting their pay check?
Terrible Nicholls wrote:
Good grief, doesn't Nicholls State really only have FIVE women on the TRACK & FIELD roster?!
Hardly seems like they will meet the NCAA sport sponsorship requirements: 14 competitors at 6 competitions.
How can the coaches not feel guilty accepting their pay check?
They call it entitlement
If we're talking about the worst team given the talent possessed and resources it has to be Ohio State. They sit in a great recruiting state and region and have a roster full of state champions and sub 9:10 3200 guys. Ohio state is also typically the most reputable in ohio distance running.
Despite this, they were only the 5th best ohio team at the great lakes regional. They got beat by Dayton, Miami, OU, and Akron, who all (except maybe Miami) have way less talent on their rosters. With the resources that OSU has their recent performances have been pretty pathetic.
Texas HS Coach wrote:
Former Sub 14:00 wrote:
I know the situation at TCU on the distance side pretty well. A couple of things put them at a disadvantage:
1. Their school's admission standards are held to strictly. This in very uncommon for a private school.
2. Their scholarship situation outside of athletics is very poor for a private school.
3. Last I heard ( as in 2 years ago ), they had a chunk of a scholarship available for the WHOLE DISTANCE program. Festus, or whoever that Kenyan was, actually got a full, but he was an exception. They are fully funded but the money 100% gets funneled into springs. For good reason too.
So it's hard to get kids with no money. It's hard to get them in on their own too. Also it's hard for them to pay for a private school that is sparse on academic/merit scholarships. All the other schools in Texas are in a better spot. Why would someone go there? And why would a coach be motivated? They could be really good at distance, but the energy is in sprints instead.
Source: D1 bubble coach. Known some of the former coaching staff there for awhile.
The situation is obviously crappy or someone would have done more there in the last decade.
What they need to do is hire Colby Lowe as their distance guy and let him recruit the affluent local schools for their 2/3/4 types. Those kids have the money and would like to get on roster. They're also not going to get money at the flagship state schools, so they don't have to compete with that.
TCU also has enough academic prestige to pull this off.
Full disclosure - I'm not affiliated with Lowe in any way. I know he has been doing some volunteer coaching and I don't think it would hurt to have him on staff. He knows a lot of area coaches and that is who you recruit when you have no $$$.
You genuises realize Colby doesn’t have the right plumbing for that job right? That fact alone will ensure HE won’t be hired. Realize that TCU’s admin requires a female coach to be on staff. And Daryl (their head coach) doesn’t have any other women on staff...& doesn’t care about XC...so doesn’t pay much & doesn’t offer scholarship unless the prospect can currently score at the Big XII track meet...which usually isn’t how 17 year old American distance runners work...certainly not the kind that would be interested in TCU. So what do you do with that position? Everyone in the coaching profession knows it’s going to a young female who’s going to use it as their first full time - or at least first full time P5 - head distance coaching position...& then get the hell out of there before it becomes their last (and because Daryl is notoriously hard to work for). It cannot, per TCU’s admin, go to a male. So when you don’t offer much if any $, both to athletes & your head distance coach, are a nightmare to work for & know you’re never going to be good in the distances anyway, you’re never going to get a good coach to stay & you guys add up everything else...& you’ve got the situation at TCU.
Obviously these kids aren't going to turn the program into a "national contender". That takes minimum of 3 years, but you have to start somewhere and like D1Runner19 said at the very start, these 3 runners were the best group they had in a long time to take a substantial step in the right direction. I currently run D1 in Texas and attended a summer running camp with Southlake Carroll (which Eric Veteree was at). They produce monsters, if I remember correctly we ran a 4 mile race at the camp on the last day after completing 82 miles on the week and they had 8 guys run 20:20 and under. Getting a guy like that is a good step for a program like that. I am familiar with 2 of the 3 runners because I am from Texas and have raced both of them and they were good. For a program as bad as TCU that recruiting class was good, and that was definitely the biggest progressive class they had had for a while. I'm also familiar with Colby Lowe as well. I never thought of him until now but I feel as though he could be a huge addition to that team. was top of the sport in high school, college at OSU, and even competed pro. He knows DFW runners which is a mecca for producing runners and he could definitely get some runners who normally wouldn't go to TCU. I'm definitly speaking best case scenario on everything right now but this is a weird circumstance in college running so it's hard to think whats really the problem at TCU. Maybe the problem isn't even the running program at TCU. Maybe these runners got to TCU and after seeing how big of a party school it is they realized to go that route with fraternity or other stuff which i've seen happen. just a thought. Would really clear some stuff up if one of those three runners just got here and told us straight up so we could stop speculating and know for sure. would be cool to know. spread the word lol
BuckeyeLTrain wrote:
If we're talking about the worst team given the talent possessed and resources it has to be Ohio State. They sit in a great recruiting state and region and have a roster full of state champions and sub 9:10 3200 guys. Ohio state is also typically the most reputable in ohio distance running.
Despite this, they were only the 5th best ohio team at the great lakes regional. They got beat by Dayton, Miami, OU, and Akron, who all (except maybe Miami) have way less talent on their rosters. With the resources that OSU has their recent performances have been pretty pathetic.
Ohio State is definitely up there but I think it still has to be TCU. They're in the DFW area which puts out a lot of runners and have phenomenal facilities, great education, and even better girls. That should always be a good thing for male recruits.
I think I know how to get in touch with Eric Vetere. I'll text him about this and see if he'll respond just to say what he knows. It might be a much smaller deal than we're all making it, or it might be worse than we think. Then we can just get this over with and figure out why TCU sucks at Distance.
Someone just DM him on Insta about it, would be way easier. Would love to get this topic over with and I actually really want to know why they suck haha
Ah ha, so this is basically what D1 program does less with more. When I saw the title I was thinking it would center around which D1 program is the worse to run at as far as training and support; lack of good trails/soft surfaces, poor indoor facility if it's a cold weather school, things like that. I would be interested to hear about those such schools.
JO Coach wrote:
Ah ha, so this is basically what D1 program does less with more. When I saw the title I was thinking it would center around which D1 program is the worse to run at as far as training and support; lack of good trails/soft surfaces, poor indoor facility if it's a cold weather school, things like that. I would be interested to hear about those such schools.
Wisco
Colin Sahlman runs 1:45 and Nico Young runs 1:47 in the 800m tonight at the Desert Heat Classic
Megan Keith (14:43) DESTROYS Parker Valby's 5000 PB in Shanghai
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Hallowed sub-16 barrier finally falls - 3 teams led by Villanova's 15:51.91 do it at Penn Relays!!!
Need female opinions: I’m dating a woman that is very sexual with me in public. Any tips/insight?