Alums- Are you happy with the current state of yourAlma Mater’s team???

My college Alma Mater has become a perrinial, male distance running powerhouse.

HS - my coach left a few years ago, XC team is nearly extinct and track team is mediocre. The XC team wasn't that good when I was there, track team was solid for a small school

College - has been up and down. They're trending up currently.

It’s XC Season, Baby! wrote:

My high school team is having their best season in a very long time. Fantastic coach has been doing a tremendous job.

My college team is significantly worse. Bad coaching, recruiting, apathy all around. Sad!

Discus

High school has been struggling mightily with enrollment (down to around 80 kids total, compared to 150 when I was there), and the XC results reflect this. In my senior year, it took something like 18:50 (5k xc) to make varsity. This year, they have 5 or 6 guys on the team, with the fastest one currently running around 22:00. Same coach as when I was there - a good coach, I'll add - but the talent and numbers are just not there this year. Guys on the team will probably improve a good bit through the season - maybe getting three guys between 20:00-22:00.

College team is doing quite well - better than when I was there. There is a new coach, and the team could make (NAIA) nationals for the second time in school history. Last scorer was usually mid 27s to low 29s when I was there - this year they should have all scoring guys under 27 (maybe 3 under 26).

Not happy with college. Don’t follow high school.

Fly Fast wrote:

My High School got closed in 1986 so it's a mute question.{/b]

College team is a D1 national title contender and better now then when I was running for them.

Actually, it’s moot.

My high school is doing okay on the sprint/field side but terrible in the 800 and up. It used to be we would have multiple sub-2:05, sub-4:40, sub-10:20 guys, but there have been none under any of those times in probably 6 years.

My college (D3, S/SE Region) is doing as good or slightly better as when I was there. One of my former teammates is coaching there, so I’m paying a little more attention to it than I did prior to that.

Devil Dog wrote:

I ran for NAU. I'm pretty happy with their current state.

Me too.

As formy hs. My 4 school records that I held upon graduation have been bettered. So I’m happy with their current state too.

My high school XC team has been pretty good the last couple years, with a couple of top 10 finishes in IL 2A. We had faster runners during my time, but we were mostly a 3A school and couldn't make it to state as a team, except for my senior year when we were switched to 2A. The high school track team won conference last year. I don't think the competition has been as strong as it was a few years ago, but still impressive.

My college XC team doesn't have the same talent once my class left. We were top 10 in D3 a few years ago, but they haven't made the meet since I graduated. The team is still in good hands, but there isn't enough talent left to make another nationals run currently. The track team just won conference, which never happened while I was in school, so that's pretty cool.

High School (Group 1 team NJ) - Men's distance team is way worse. Only one guy regularly in the mid 17s for XC, same top dude ran a 4:46 mile PR. When I was there I was there our #5 guy was around at that level. No distance runners made it Meet of Champions in XC or even to Groups in the 16/32. I would say they are pretty poor.

College (DI) - team is def worse - kinda the same pattern as my high school team. Times of current #1-#2 around what the #4/5 guys were doing. XC used to be ranked in the top 25 each year, with a couple top 15 showings at DI nationals, now a middle-of-the-pack team at DI Regionals.