Ohio: Land of steeplechasers

lostinsonora wrote:

Then why to kids from Cali go to wisco?

Before Wisco had the powerful program that they do now, this was not the case. Would you call OSU, Ill., ND, Purdue, IU, etc. on par with Wisco's distance program? Withrow was sold on Gary and OSU. At the last moment, he chose Wisco "to have a lot of quality people to train with" he felt he might not get at OSU.

Oh, unless I'm missing the joke, it's VIRGINIA is for lovers. Ohio is for a misguided & corrupt state government.

I know. Gary was heartbroken to have lost Withrow.

He really was high on him (looks like he was right too).

OSU will struggle to be top 15 at NCAA's without Fisher though. Too bad, but I heard Aaron's heart just wasn't in it anymore; I don't think there was a falling out between Fisher and Coach Gary.

Though remembering back to an interview last year after Fisher ran 8:37 pretty early, Gary was pretty excited about Olinger when he was only an 8:50 steepler; I guess he was right!

How did the quality Wisconsin guys run at the NCAA meet?

Joe Dubina wrote:

How did the quality Wisconsin guys run at the NCAA meet?

As far as I can read, I'd say that is both relative and off-topic. The question was asking why quality HS kids were attracted to Wisco, even though their weather is similar to Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, & Michigan, who all struggle to keep their top distance athletes at an in-state university. Seeing an opening to take a shot at a program is something I am not educated enough to specifically address.

OSU got two of the top runners around with See and Fox next year...the weather didn't seem to be a factor...

Gary should try to talk with Fisher...it seems like he could really help the team...even if his heart not 100% into it...with his ability 75% would help the team

how come wrote:

How come none went to an Indiana college or university??

Last time I checked Indiana State University is still in Indiana...lol

have a heart wrote:

Gary should try to talk with Fisher...it seems like he could really help the team...even if his heart not 100% into it...with his ability 75% would help the team

No coach wants a 75% athlete. I'm sure RG isn't heartbroken since Fisher has always seemed to be up and down.

This year in Ohio, See and Fox to Ohio State, Jordanek to Kent State and Sovacol to Miami of Ohio. Looks like the best are staying in-state.

Yeah, now if we could get the best women to stay in state then Ohio would really rock. Plus, at the rate that the MAC schools are going, the women's programs may be the only ones left standing at the end of the decade.

Excellent points that several top Ohioans are attending in-state schools next year. I was talking from a historical perspective, but hopefully this will be the beginning of a new trend. Yes, most of the top women are still fleeing, and in the next decade, with the trend of the MAC dropping men, women may be all that are left outside of OSU for DI. My understanding is that it took a lot of coaxing to get Fisher to run this spring and Gary definitely does not seem like a guy who wants people whose heart is not in it.

I would still want Fisher on my team with the season he had this spring...it seems like a waste of a talent...I would think any coach would want Fisher to run...even if he is not 100% into it...or if he has been a pain in the ass for the coach and team...

The last thing you want on your team as a coach is someone whose heart isn't in it. Cut your losses and continue to develop the young talent in Cbus!

Congrats to Tony Jordanek winning the 1600 at the midwest meet of champions. Dispatch did a disservice by not mentioning every Ohio winner in the article sunday.

"cut your losses" in talking about Fisher.

He is a 2 time All American...dosen't sound like a "loss" to me...am I missing something??? What coach wouldn't want an All American to run???

ohioan wrote:

"cut your losses" in talking about Fisher.

He is a 2 time All American...dosen't sound like a "loss" to me...am I missing something??? What coach wouldn't want an All American to run???

Obviously a poster with no imagination to derive their own user-name. I certainly don't care, but it makes following posts, opinions, & information far more difficult.

Yes, you are missing something. Either you have never coached nor been part of a true XC team where team-members will run through a wall for each other. Fisher, an excellent runner, has never been a XC all-american, and has never scratched the surface of his potential, His departure also frees up money for those far hungrier such as Fox & See.

There is another reason that many of the boys runners may be attending in-state schools - Money! There ae less and less opportunites for young boys running cross country and track. Just in Ohio there are about 100 total scholarships available for young boys in cc/track. Sounds like a lot, but not really when you take into consideration the large number of talented young boys. On the women's side with the huge increases in athletic scholarships a good, young, girl runner can sit back and take big scholarship offers from all over the country. There is always someone out their offereing big money. A 4:25 high school boy miler who might not even make the state meet will be lucky to get $1000 and won't get anything from the top programs. A 5:15 girl miler who doesn't make the staet will get a full scholarship from lots of places. I know this for a fact.

For the boys it is always least expensive to stay in-state. So who stays in-state may be a function of dollars and cents. I think this problem will get worse as more and more colleges cut men's track scholarships, or drop their programs. And the NCAA voted to increase women's cc/track scholarships to 20.

Robert Gary, Ohio State cross country head coach and track distance coach, will lead three Buckeyes in the first round of the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at 9:15 p.m. EDT June 23 at the U.S Track & Field Nationals. The two-time Olympian (1996 Athens and 2004 Athens) ranks second in the entry list with a time of 8:19.46, ahead of OSU teammates Brian Olinger and Aaron Fisher. Olinger, who redshirted the 2005 outdoor season, holds the sixth-best time at 8:31.84, while Fisher, an All-American in the steeple the last two campaigns, stands 11th with a time of 8:35.18, set last week at the NCAA championship meet. Dan Lincoln of Nike, Gary's Olympic teammate in 2004, tops the steeple list at 8:16.00. Anthony Famiglietti, the third 2004 Olympian in the field, falls in behind Gary at 8:20.04, a figure he timed at the 2005 Jesse Owens Track Classic in Columbus last month.

Also, Rob Myers, 3rd place finisher at the 2004 Trials in the 1500. Why doesn't Rob quit coaching the Ohio State distance guys and form his own post-collegiate group. (As a side note, I love how the 3 Oympians are desrcibed as teammates by the OSu SI people!).

Hey Sounds Familiar. I am from Ohio Even though I did make it to the state meet in the mile and 4 x 800 my senior year, I barely got a look from in state schools. Of course this was before the inevention of Internet message boards and the mass communication of meet results and listing of the top times.

I ended up going out of state almost 600 miles away and payed less money than if I stayed in State.

Also, You all forgot Shook for the ladies, It is hard to foget her times and records for the steeple.