D2 Schools Western NY

Check into Mansfield or Lockhaven. Both PA schools that offer a break to NY students. Good coaching at both places and both nice schools. One is 30 miles fom NY the other about 100

Roberts seems like a good fit for you. You will immediately contribute in track with your 800 and possibly your mile. You will have time to develop into a good cross runner as well, the coach is really good at developing athletes aerobic ability. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

Thank you, I will contact them and possibly a couple of other schools next week.

Some of their distance guys seem really fast. How do I determine what I could potentially run in college using my high school times. I mean I seem possibly competitive with their 6-7 guys with some practice but I can’t imagine being able to catch up to the 1–2 guys

Call the Mansfield coach he still has scholarships left. Their best runner Ryan Clifford made it to NCAA and he was a 9:58 guy out of long island.

Take your 5k pace and just add 3k with that pace to get your probable 8k time at the end of your freshman year(16:30 -> 26:40). This is what most people do for cross country at least. Don't know as much about how middle distance times change. Also D3 in Western New York tends to have better teams than D2 overall

What is your high school program like? If your training currently is high mileage and really intense, it might make it more difficult to improve by as much in college. However, even if that's the case, a quality college program will still help you some faster times due to smarter training. Basically a good program (like Roberts) will make you better with either more miles or more appropriate training, and most likely both. Also what conference is your high school in? Are your times from low-quality meets (meaning you could run faster with better completion)?

Might want to consider at year at a program like Erie Community College to improve your GPA and times. Might get some better offers. Also, Buffalo area DI St Bonaventure just established a distance focused track program, and DI Canisius just reestablished its track program. Might be worth a look.

My high school program is good, but more geared towards sprinters. We do about 35mpw and no

Speed work at all. I’ve been adding some on my own.

I recommend D3 all the way in WNY. SUNY Geneseo has the best mid-distance and distance programs in that area and like previously stated, probably around the same cost as D2 with some scholarship.

In that case you could see you really good improvement in college. I would recommend reaching out to the coach at Roberts to see if you would be a good fit, though it sounds like you would be.

Altheman wrote:

Because we’ll be moving to that area after I graduate we’d have to pay out of state tuition for state schools and that’s not happening.

After 1 year of residence in NYS you are eligible for in-state tuition rates.

Look kid, it sounds like you haven't looked at cost of attendance closely for anywhere.

Start with that.

One year of out of state cost, then 3 years of in-state cost (maybe even Excelsior free tuition) and you'd save tremendously over a partial scholarship at a private school for four years.

No one is going to give you $20,000 a year for your times. Its not that impressive.

If finances are driving your decision, think about opportunity cost. What institution will set you up best for long term success in your field of study or towards achieving low-cost graduate school options through GA or grant offers?

Go to the best academic option that will still be a value to you and has coaching and culture that will allow you to develop.

Division in our sport is meaningless unless you're in the power-6 conferences or some Ivy schools with elite coaching and resources or on a full ride (you won't be). Syracuse is the only top tier distance program in the upstate region. Cornell is next. After that division is meaningless and you're arguing private schools vs public and if you're debating between two publics regardless of scholarship you're not on the hook for more than $70,000 after 4 years ($250 a month in repayment).

Do the math on the costs.

How about you go to a community college for a year, qualify as an in state resident, and then transfer to a SUNY school? Fredonia, Brockport, Geneseo, and Cortland all have decent teams. Brockport has an excellent indoor facility.

Buffalo, Albany, and Binghamton are D1 SUNY teams in upstate NY.

I agree that you are a good runner, but are by no means going to go unchallenged D3. Geneseo probably has 15 guys on their team who can beat you right now.

Look at Adelphi University on Long Island. They are currently rebuilding so don't look at current times but they have produced very fast runners in the past (7:30 in the 4x8, 4:10 milers, 1:50 800, 48 400 runners) Coach Rees is a fantastic coach and they always have XC guys in the mix for the most part. Definitely recommend.

We are not far off where you are looking Email me at mrohl@mansfield.edu. Good program, nice shcool, great places to run and I still have some aid to give.

St. Bonaventure is a bad team but does have some $ (they're D1) and you just have to get the coach interested. I know a 4:4x 10:1x who got money there. Definitely sell yourself as an undertrained 800 runner who wants to move up in distance. Your times show solid potential.