Best high-school runners that disappeared in college?

Pete Meindl came to mind; ran in high school with my sons. Although, checking his stats now, I see he actually had some impressive successes for a couple years in college:

Peter Meindl, Stanford:

2002 Cross Country Season (Freshman): Was the only freshman to compete for Stanford at the NCAA Championships ... First team All Pac-10 selection ... Had a pair of impressive ninth place finishes at the Pac-10 Championships and Pre-NCAA Meet Blue race.

2003 Cross Country Season: Redshirted.

2003 Track & Field Season: Redshirted ... Finished third in the 5000 meters at the U.S. Junior National Championships ... Competed for Team USA at the Junior Pan Am Games in Barbados and finished fifth in the 5000 meters.

2004 Track & Field Season: Ran personal bests and NCAA indoor provisional qualifying times of 8:01.07 in the 3000 meters and 13:58.49 in the 5000 meters ... Did not compete outdoors ...

High School: A two-time cross country state champion in New York at Orchard Park High School ... Also earned All-American honors as a senior ... Twice a finalist in the Footlocker National Championships, finishing eighth as a senior ... Participated twice in the Junior Nationals.

Sarah Baxter FTW

Kellie Schueler.

Richard Kimball, world jr XC champ.

Michael Slagowski.

Jeff Nelson no thanks to Alberto being an a hole.

Yong Sung Leal.

I nominate my classmate from 1974. Jim Arriola.

Jim set a still standing age-15 WR for the mile in 1974 -- nearly 45 years ago! He was a sophomore. That WR was his PR. Although, in the California State Meet, he placed 2nd in 1975, and won in 1976.

In college, poof. His focus was else-place. He is currently the CEO of a heath plan provider. So, should he have focused on running? Or making some serious money?

Tim Danielson

Hey What wrote:

Tim Danielson

It is hard to callout someone from that era. There was really no money in track those days. He got married about a year out of high school.

Interesting factoid: In the 1967 race where Jim Ryun set the then WR of 3:51.1, Danielson ran but failed to break 4 minutes (4:00.6). In that same race, Marty Liquor become the 3rd HS runner to break 4 minutes for the mile (3:59.8).

Look at the list of Footlocker champions, you'll see quite a few.

Josh Evans and Stephanie Jenks both came out of the same HS in iowa and have not equaled their HS PRs. It is a very odd situation for 2 runners who were both top 5 recruits in the country. Evans ran 4 events 1:49-4:04-9:00-1:50 at the state HS meet.

How about 70% of the blue chippers that attend Stanford University.

Fisher? Do you have some names to backup your 70%

Gessner, Knudsen, and Hirsch.

Lots of truth re: Stanford on this thread. How about....

Julia Stamps

Michael Stember

Balkman (forget his first name but he was the D1 CIF X-country champ in 1992–14:50 something at Woodward, did nothing at Stanford).

Oshier

I guess 2nd in an NCAA 10K finals is nothing.

Re you guys just trying to be difficult. 95% of Stanford runners are successful. Stember is a record holder who helped win the national championship. He didn’t disappear.

jason bateman wrote:

I guess 2nd in an NCAA 10K finals is nothing.

To be accurate, 2nd place is the first looser. Your welcome moran.