Stanford University Track and Field Recruiting Class - 2023

College Track and Field Recruiting

Stanford strengthened its track and field and cross-country programs by signing 15 to letters of intent, including reigning world under-20 women's discus champion Emma Sralla.

Stanford and J.J. Clark, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, signed seven individuals ranked among the top 50 in MileSplit's Class of 2023 Recruiting Rankings, including five women, the most in the nation. Among the signings for both the men and women are Irene Riggs, the recently crowned Nike Cross Nationals champion, and twins Lex and Leo Young, Nos. 4 and 5 on the MileSplit boys list. The class includes athletes who have represented four different countries in international competition, and that doesn't include the United States.

The class will include additional student-athletes who will be highlighted later in the academic year.

Women who signed National Letters of Intent are: Amy Bunnage (Melbourne, Australia/Haileybury Girls College), Amelia Everett (Newton, Mass./Newton South HS), Sage Hinton (Owings Mills, Md./Bullis School), Sophia Kennedy (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor School), Abbey Moody (Picton, New Zealand/Rangi Ruru Girls' School), Cate Peters (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS), Irene Riggs (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown HS), Sky Schuller (Coppell, Texas/Coppell HS), Madison Shults (Lafayette, Colo./Niwot HS), and Emma Sralla (Highland Village, Texas/Flower Mound Marcus HS),

Men who signed are: Dylan Davis (Seattle, Wash./Eastside Catholic HS), Will Floyd (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep), Fabian Gonzalez (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional HS), Leo Young (Camarillo, Calif./Newbury Park HS), and Lex Young (Camarillo, Calif./Newbury Park HS).

**Amy Bunnage (Melbourne, Australia/Haileybury Girls College)

Personal bests: 800 – 2:07.50; 1,500 – 4:14.62; 3,000 – 9:00.60.**

On December 15, Amy Bunnage set an Australian under-18 record in the 3,000 meters of 9:00.60, eclipsing a 23-year-old mark by nearly two seconds. Bunnage has won four national titles and is the reigning Aussie U20 champion in the 3,000 and in U18 cross country. She also captured U17 national titles in the 1,500 and 3,000 in 2021. Bunnage wore the national colors while placing third in the 1,500 at the U20 Oceania Invitational in 2021. Bunnage will be the eighth Aussie to represent Stanford track and field in an 11-year span -- school-record holders Steven Solomon (400), Mackenzie Little (javelin), and Ky Robinson (steeplechase, 5,000) among them.

**Dylan Davis (Seattle, Wash./Eastside Catholic HS)

Personal bests: 100 – 10.64; 200 – 21.74.**

Dylan Davis placed second in the 100 and third in the 200 in the 2022 Washington 3A state finals, after placing second at Sea-King District 2 Championships in the same events, trailing only fellow Stanford recruit Will Floyd. Davis' season bests of 10.64 and 21.74 ranked him No. 6 and No. 10 in the state. Davis still is new to track and field. He was a soccer player until moving to Washington for the 2020-21 school year. Because soccer and track were both spring sports in Washington, Davis chose track and has been getting faster ever since.

Amelia Everett (Newton, Mass./Newton South HS)

Personal bests: 800 – 2:06.19; 1,500 – 4:26.32; Mile – 4:49.31.

Amelia Everett is the reigning Massachusetts Gatorade Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year and No. 33 on MileSplit's national list of recruits among the class of 2023. Everett captured the 2022 Massachusetts All-State titles in the 800 and the mile. In national competitions, she was third in the 2022 Nike Outdoor Nationals in the 800 and anchored her sprint medley relay team to victory at the 2022 Nike Indoor Nationals. Everett has won six Massachusetts All-State championships – two in the outdoor mile, one in the indoor mile, one in the outdoor 800, and two in the outdoor 4x800 relay. Everett, who also helped Newton South to the state soccer semifinals, was second in the Massachusetts 1A cross country championships this fall with the second-best time among all divisions.

Will Floyd (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep)

Personal bests: 100 – 10.52; 200 – 21.01; 400 – 46.01.

Will Floyd anchored Canada to the bronze medal in the 4x400 relay at the 2022 World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, on August 6. Two days earlier, Floyd ran a lifetime best 46.01 to place fourth in the 400 final. Floyd, a three-star wide receiver in football with Division I offers, was a triple winner at the 2022 Washington 3A championships, in the 100, 200, and 400. His 200 time of 21.01 was a meet record. Floyd also won the Washington AAU 200 champion in 2022. His 100 and 200 times ranked second in the state of Washington and his best scholastic 400 was No. 3 in 2022.

Fabian Gonzalez (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional HS) **

Personal bests: Discus – 189-9 (57.83m); Shot put – 61-7 ¼ (18.77m).**

Fabian Gonzalez is among the top throwers in the country, finishing fourth in the discus at the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals and seventh in the shot put at the 2022 Nike Indoor Nationals. Gonzalez ranked third in the shot put (61-7 ¼, 18.77m) and fifth in the discus (189-9, 57.83m) in New Jersey last year. He won the New Jersey State Meet of Champions title in the discus in 2021 and was seventh in the discus and 10th in the shot last year. He is the reigning state Group 4 champion in both events.

Sage Hinton (Owings Mills, Md./Bullis School)

Personal bests: 400 – 54.50; 200 – 24.61.

Besides her many individual accomplishments, Sage Hinton won four national titles on relays in 2022 alone – the 4x100 and 4x400 at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals and the 4x200 and 4x400 at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Hinton was second in the 400 at the 2022 AAU Junior Olympics (54.65), fifth in the 200 at the 2021 adidas Indoor Nationals and sixth in the 400 at the 2022 New Balance Indoor Nationals. Her 400 best of 54.50 came in winning the Independent School League title. She went on to win the Maryland Private School 400 title in 2022 and placed third in the 200.

Sophia Kennedy (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor School)

Personal bests: Two-mile -- 10:14.09; 1,600 -- 4:49.08; 3,000 – 9:40.79; 5,000 -- 17:10.3 (XC).

Sophia Kennedy recently placed seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals, a week after taking second at the Champs Sports Midwest Region Championships. Kennedy is a two-time qualifier for the Eastbay National Cross Country Championships, placing seventh in 2021. Sophia, the daughter of U.S. distance great Bob Kennedy, was fifth in the two-mile at the 2021 Brooks PR Invitational and eighth in 2022. Running for Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Kennedy was second in the 3,200 at the 2022 Indiana state track finals and third in the state in cross country this fall.

Abbey Moody (Picton, New Zealand/Rangi Ruru Girls' School)

Personal bests: Javelin – 165-5 (50.42m); Discus – 140-0 (42.68m).

In her first international competition for New Zealand, Moody won the Oceania under-20 javelin championship in June with a personal best throw of 165-5 (50.42 meters). The distance was a national under-20 record. Moody had qualified by winning the New Zealand U20 javelin title and finished third in the discus.

Cate Peters (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS)

Personal bests: 800 – 2:06.89; 400 – 54.72; 200 – 24.64; 100 – 12.06.

Bay Area native Cate Peters was the only high school female in the country this year to run under 25 seconds in the 200, 55 in the 400 and 2:07 in the 800. Her best 800 of 2:06.89 broke the Mt. SAC Relays high school record and placed No. 4 in her class nationally. Peters, the nation's No. 44 recruit by MileSplit, won 2022 East Bay Athletic League championships in the 100, 200, 400, and 800 – a first in league history. Peters was seventh in the NSAF Outdoor Nationals and eighth in the Brooks PR Invitational in the 800, and won the Sacramento Meet of Champions and Stanford Invitational in the 400. A broken leg suffered while playing high school soccer changed her athletic trajectory to track. She also is a competitive sailor.

Irene Riggs (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown HS)

Personal bests: Two-mile – 9:50.72; 3,000 – 9:14.72; 5,000 – 16:02.10 (XC); Mile – 4:48.95; 1,500 – 4:30.32.

Winning Nike Cross Nationals by 14 seconds is impressive enough, but Irene Riggs may have topped even that with her performance at the Nike Cross Southeast Regional, running 16:02.10 over 5 kilometers for the second-fastest time in high school cross country history. Riggs, listed as MileSplit's No. 6 female recruit, is a four-time West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year – two each in cross country and track – and a seven-time state champ. With a narrow second place at the Brooks PR Invitational in June, Riggs became the fifth-fastest high school two-miler ever, running 9:50.72. Only Mary Cain has run faster as a high school junior. Riggs not only won her third consecutive state individual cross country title, in a championship course record, she also led Morgantown to its fourth consecutive state championship. Riggs, 14th at the 2021 Eastbay national cross-country championships, finished the 2021-22 academic year by sweeping the distance events -- 800, 1,600, 3,200 – at the state 3A meet.

Sky Schuller (Coppell, Texas/Coppell HS)

Personal bests: Heptathlon – 5,046; Pole vault – 14-0 (4.26m); High jump – 5-8 (1.72m); Long jump – 19-4 (5.89m); 100 hurdles – 14.30; 300 hurdles – 43.71.

Sky Schuller is the only high school female in history to both clear 14-0 in the pole vault and score 5,000 points in the heptathlon. In 2021, she shattered the AAU Junior Olympics pole vault record for 15-16 years-olds with a height of 13-11 ¼ (4.24m) and doubled as the meet's heptathlon champ. Schuller's 14-0 (4.26m) clearance in placing second at the Texas state 6A final placed her No. 6 on the 2022 national high school list. She also was sixth in the high jump. Schuller was among the national top-100 in four events in 2022, including No. 3 in the heptathlon. Schuller, fourth at the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals heptathlon with 5,046, figures to compete in the multis and pole vault for Stanford. Schuller, the Coppell High record holder in five events, is listed as the nation's No. 36 recruit by MileSplit.

Madison Shults (Lafayette, Colo./Niwot HS)

Personal bests: 800 – 2:08.21; 400 – 56.05; Mile – 4:46.26.

Madison Shults is the reigning Colorado state 4A champ in the 400 and 800. She also is the fifth from Niwot High to join the Stanford track program since Olympian Elise Cranny arrived in 2014. Shults has shown great range, being part of four state 4A championship cross country teams and Niwot's third-place team at the 2019 Nike Cross Nationals. She has great range, racing in everything from 200 meters to the national high school trail championships over 5.4 miles of rocky hilly terrain. Shults took fourth in the mile in 4:46.26 at the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals and is a repeat state 4A 800 champ.

Emma Sralla (Highland Village, Texas/Flower Mound Marcus HS)

Personal bests: Discus – 185-0 (56.38m); Shot put – 44-0 ½ (13.50m).

Emma Sralla is the reigning world under-20 champion, winning the title in August in Cali, Colombia. Competing for Sweden, Sralla threw 184-2 (56.15m) to win title by nearly two meters. With a Swedish mother and an American father, she has dual Swedish-American nationality. Sralla was born and raised in Texas but visited Sweden every year, competing for the Spårvägen club team. Her lifetime best of 185-0 (56.38m) won the Texas 6A District 5-6 championship and places her at No. 7 on the all-time national high school performers' list, just ahead of former Stanford star and reigning Olympic champion Valarie Allman. Her 56.38 throw also was the Swedish U20 record. Sralla won the 2022 Texas state discus title and was third in the shot put, and also captured the Nordic U20 discus crown. Sralla is listed at No. 12 on MileSplit's national recruiting list.

Leo Young (Camarillo, Calif./Newbury Park HS)

Personal bests: Mile – 4:00.77; 1,600 – 3:59.32; 3,200 – 8:39.57; Three-mile – 13:38.1 (XC); 5,000 – 14:05.1 (XC). Leo Young and twin brother Lex give Stanford two of the top recruits in the country. Lex is rated as MileSplit's No. 4 top recruit in the nation and Leo is No. 5. Leo Young was among the national top-10 at three track distances in 2022 – second in the 1,600 (3:59.32), third in the 3,200 (8:39.57), and 10th in the mile (4:00.77). The Youngs are part of the Newbury Park cross country team regarded as the best in the country, winning the 2022 Nike Cross Nationals. Leo was 11th in that race, second in the California Division II race, and second in the CIF-Southern Section Division II final, with the Panthers winning team titles along the way. At the 2021 Woodbridge Invite in Irvine, Leo clocked 13:38.1, the fastest three-mile high school cross country time in history. And at the 2021 RunningLane Cross Country Nationals, Leo was second in 14:05.1, the second-fastest cross-country 5K of all-time.

Lex Young (Camarillo, Calif./Newbury Park HS)

Personal bests: 5,000 – 13:43.95; 3,200 – 8:35.72; 3,000 – 7:57.06; Mile – 4:01.52; 1,600 – 3:59.99.

Lex Young's achievements are many. Among them, he won the recent California Division II cross country championship in a division-record time of 14:27.9 – the third-fastest time in history over Fresno's 5K Woodward Park course. Lex, who has teamed with twin Leo to win four state cross country team titles and this year's Nike Cross Nationals team crown, was rated as the No. 4 male recruit in the country by MileSplit. Lex's 13:43.95 in the 5,000 against pros at the Sound Running meet in May in San Juan Capistrano was a junior class record and made him the fifth-fastest high school runner in history over that distance. His 14:05.49 to finish third at the 2021 Garmin RunningLane Championships was the third-fastest time high school cross country time over 5K in history.

The Do's and Don'ts of College Track and Field Recruiting

Track and Field Recruiting

FTR’s Lexi Raquette is headed to the University of Louisville next year!

by Willy Wood

Here are a few useful tips that will help you navigate the recruiting process successfully.

DO keep detailed notes throughout the entire recruiting process as you will forget certain aspects of schools/programs. It was not uncommon for recruits of mine to videotape and take photos of our facilities and campus to help them remember their visit.

DO NOT close your initial email to a coach with, "I am confident that I can contribute greatly to your program" if you are not yet performing at a level close to the team's current athletes. I recall reading that type of closing comment and thinking to myself, "how?" It led me to believe that the prospect did not really understand much about our program. Instead say "With hard work and your coaching, I am confident that I can develop into a runner capable of helping your program over the span of my college career." The latter statement shows them that you understand how much work will be required to succeed at the collegiate level and will convey your confidence in the coach's ability to help you.

DO carefully proofread every email before hitting send. I cannot tell you how many emails I received from recruits specifically addressed to a rival coach expressing their interest in a rival school. A great deal of communication in the early phases of the recruiting process is going to be cut and paste on both sides, however, making a simple mistake can dehumanize the process and render the remainder of your communication less credible. It may also be helpful to send a couple of test emails to yourself first to ensure that the font or text sizes have not changed where you have cut and pasted new names.

DO NOT tell coaches "you are among my top choices". Everyone knows that both athletes and coaches have many options -- there is no need to state it. Simply say, "I am extremely interested in your program." It is far more personal and establishes a more positive relationship. Make every effort possible to prevent this process from becoming generic - subtle word changes can make the entire process seem more personal to the coach. This is important as they will be deciding how much money to offer you or if they will give you an admission's spot.

DO your homework! Never be surprised by your visit. Have a keen understanding of the unique strengths of each school. It will go along way with the coaching staff if it appears you know a great deal about their specific school and program. Have a solid understanding of where they rank athletically and academically, what their unique strengths are and how they compare to the other schools you are considering. On occasion, I would literally have prospects in my office tell me that they were really interested in State U or Academic U but they knew they could not get into that school or run for their team. It would dumbfound me as we had a lower acceptance rate and were significantly better athletically. Know who and where you are visiting.

DO NOT ask a coach if they plan on staying. It is a question that is so often asked and has no real purpose. Every coach will say yes, they have to. Coaching is a profession and coaches will make decisions based on what is best for their families and themselves. It is imperative to choose a school where you will be happy outside of track and field/cross country.

DO track program trajectory - not every program is up and coming though many claims to be. Determine if athletes in a particular program are improving over the course of four years. Specifically, look for when an individual's PR's were set. Peruse program websites to determine how many juniors and seniors are still on the roster to discern if team members are quitting. If there are a disproportionate number of FR and SO on the roster, find out why to determine if there is high-level program dissatisfaction or an alarming injury rate.

DO NOT embarrass yourself on social media. This topic has been beaten to death and hopefully does not require elaboration. Plain and simple, do not give coaches a reason to question your character or lifestyle.

DO be easily found on social media. Many coaches use your personal pages as a means of reaching out initially. Remember, most coaches are a step or two behind you and your friends in terms of being social media savvy, so leave a trail for them.

DO NOT approach this process passively. Be aggressive in your outreach and email every program that you are interested in, regardless of the perceived reach. It is up to you to not only create a compelling story but also be able to tell it. Be your own greatest advocate and take charge of your future. Consider this one of the most important competitions of your high school career and prepare accordingly! The recruiting process can be daunting. There are so many unknowns, however, if you get started early, put in the work, and take an active role you will find the right fit.

Boston College Track and Field Hires Coach Pete Watson

Pete Watson was introduced as the Director of Men’s & Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country at Boston College on August 22, 2022. Watson comes to the Heights after spending the previous three seasons as the men’s cross country and distance coach at the University of Texas.

“We are excited to welcome Pete Watson to our Boston College Athletics family,” said William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Blake James. “Pete’s pedigree as a dynamic leader, championship coach, and elite recruiter - combined with his vision for our men’s and women’s programs - made him an ideal choice as our new Director of Track & Field and Cross Country.”

Watson played an integral role in the resurgence of Texas track, helping guide the Longhorns to the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. The Texas distance corps accounted for 24 of the team’s 47 points en route to the indoor national championship. Texas’ distance medley relay posted the third-fastest time in NCAA history en route to victory in a time of 9:23.73. Watson was named the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA. Outdoors, Texas was the national runner-up at the 2022 NCAA Championship.

This past cross country season, Watson led the Longhorns to the 2021 NCAA South Central regional team championship and tied for the school’s best NCAA Championship finish since 2013, taking 14th place. The men’s cross country team earned an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship in each of his three seasons in Austin, including two NCAA South Central regional titles.

In total, Watson mentored 18 NCAA All-Americans, 18 NCAA Track & Field qualifiers, and 12 Big 12 Conference individual champions during his tenure at Texas.

“I want to thank Blake James for this opportunity and I cannot wait to get started,” Watson said. “Throughout the entire process, JM Caparro, Reshauna Cobb, and the entire administration has been so impressive and welcoming. I am honored they all believed in the vision of the program I presented. Boston College is a world class institution in one of the greatest cities in the world. We can be great at BC - and we will be.”

Prior to his time at Texas, Watson served for six seasons (2012-18) as the head men’s cross country and assistant track & field coach at the University of Virginia. While with the Cavaliers, Watson coached 27 All-Americans and 39 All-ACC honorees, six individual ACC champions, and an NCAA champion (Henry Wynne, mile, 2016). UVA men’s cross country won two NCAA Southeast regional titles (2012, 2014) and for his efforts, Watson was named the 2014 NCAA Southeast Region Cross Country Coach of the Year. Virginia harriers finished in the top four at the ACC conference meet and in the top 22 at the NCAA Championship in each of his six seasons. The Hoos’ best finish at cross country nationals came in 2017, finishing 16th overall.

Watson also served as the head men’s and women’s cross country and assistant track and field coach at North Carolina (2009-12), where he helped to revitalize the Tar Heels’ distance corps. Signing the top-rated recruiting class in 2010 according to Flotrack.com, Watson coached four NCAA All-Americans and six individual NCAA qualifiers while at UNC. He began his collegiate coaching career at Auburn in 2005, spending four seasons with the Tigers. While on the Auburn coaching staff, the Tigers finished on the podium three times at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship, including the 2006 national championship. He coached 11 NCAA All-Americans and five SEC individual champions in cross country and track.

Watson graduated from West Virginia in 2001 and served as a volunteer coach there. Originally from London, Ontario, he represented Canada in 2000 and 2001, earning the bronze medal in the 5,000m at the 2001 Canadian Track and Field Championships. Watson and his wife, Kristin, were married in 2004.

Boston College is a private institution that was founded in 1863. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,532 (fall 2021), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 405 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Boston College's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #36. Its tuition and fees are $64,176.

Fast Track Recruiting’s Ryan Beegle and Aidan McHugh are heading to BC next fall!

Duke University Track and Field Camp Information

Priority registration is now open for next summer's Duke Track and Field and Cross Country Camps! Camp registration officially opens on January 1, but you can join their waitlist today. You will have the opportunity to receive individualized instruction from the Duke coaching staff and train at their world-class facilities. In addition, you'll get to experience life as a Duke student-athlete firsthand, staying in the gothic-style dorms and eating at there award-winning dining hall on our beautiful campus located in Durham, NC. Limited spots are available for each camp, and the 2022 camp sold out by March.

2023 Duke Track and Field Camp Information

Who: High School Aged Students (9-12th) of ALL Skill Levels - Sprinters/Hurdlers, Jumpers, Throwers, and Pole Vaulters

What: Summer Track and Field Camp on a beautiful college campus Where: Duke University, Durham, NC

When: July 10 -13, 2023

Why: A week full of individualized, knowledgeable training and FUN

2023 Duke Cross Country Camp Information

Who: High School Aged Students (9-12th) of ALL Skill Levels - Middle Distance, Distance and Cross Country Athletes

What: Summer Cross Country Camp on a beautiful college campus Where: Duke University, Durham, NC

When: July 17 -20, 2023

Why: A week full of individualized, knowledgeable training and FUN

NCAA Unofficial Visits - Track and Field

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD RECRUITING

The NCAA defines an unofficial visit as any visit to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The NCAA permits an unlimited number of unofficial visits throughout the recruiting process. The only restriction placed on unofficial visits is during an NCAA "Dead Period."

During a Dead Period, a college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents, on or off campus. Do not assume the coach will automatically know dead period dates off the top of their head -- do your research. (NAIA institutions place no restrictions on unofficial visits) Be sure to double-check the NCAA Recruiting Calendar before making travel arrangements to ensure that you are able to meet with the coaching staff.

Because prospective student-athletes are starting the recruiting process much earlier, the NCAA has passed new legislation that will make the coordination of your unofficial visit significantly easier.

SEE - NCAA BYLAW: 13.1.3.3.2 UNOFFICIAL-VISIT EXCEPTION

Institutional staff members may make unlimited telephone calls to a prospective student-athlete (or those individuals accompanying him or her) beginning the day immediately preceding the prospective student-athletes unofficial visit (per Bylaw 13.7) until the conclusion of the visit. If more than the otherwise permissible number of calls or otherwise impermissible calls occur under this exception and a scheduled unofficial visit is canceled due to circumstances beyond the control of the prospective student-athlete or the institution (e.g., trip is canceled by the prospective student-athlete, inclement weather conditions), such calls shall not be considered institutional violations. However, the institution shall submit a report to the conference office noting the cancellation of the unofficial visit and the reasons for such cancellation.

As of August 1, 2017, it is now permissible for NCAA coaches to call, text, or email a recruit the day prior to their visit, even if that is not normally allowed. This legislative change will benefit freshmen, sophomores, and rising juniors who would not have previously been permitted to communicate with coaches unless they initiated the contact themselves.

For example, coaches are now able to send you an itinerary the day before your scheduled unofficial visit, text you directions if you are having trouble finding their office, or give you a call to let you know that they will meet you after the tour in a specific locale. Such communication was not permissible before.

During an unofficial visit, it is typical for a coach to give you a tour of their athletic facilities, talk to you and your parents about their institution, and highlight their program. In addition to this athlete-specific portion of the visit, I advise scheduling a formal campus tour through the admissions office to view the school from a non-athletic perspective.

Email the coach well ahead of time to let them know the specific date that you will be visiting their campus and your desire to meet with them. Provide the coach with a couple of times you are able to meet -- usually before or after the campus tour. I suggest starting unofficial visits at the completion of your sophomore year.

Unofficial visits can help in two primary ways. For a recruited athlete, unofficial visits are critical in gathering information as you begin to narrow down your choices. For a non-recruited athlete, unofficial visits allow you the opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with the coach to tell your story.

If you are a recruited athlete, use this time to learn as much as you can about the program and coaching staff. Identify the factors that will be most important to you in determining if you will return for an official visit. Have a short list of specific questions ready that address your most critical factors. You should view unofficial visits as a means to narrow your choices -- not as a mechanism to determine where you want to go. Keep in mind that during an unofficial visit you are typically only hearing the voice of the coach. Coaches are well versed in knowing what to say and how best to sell their programs. The official visit will prove much more informative.

If you are a non-recruited athlete, the unofficial visit serves an entirely different purpose. Use this time to sell yourself. You have a limited amount of time to convince the coach that you are more than your current PR's. Give them a reason to want to recruit you. Instead of asking a detailed list of questions, use this time to express your keen interest in their program and desire to run competitively in college. Be as low-maintenance as possible. There is no imposed limit on the number of unofficial visits you may take, so take as many as possible. There is no better tool to help you hone in on the best school/program for you.

So You Want To Run Track and Field in College

Kyle’s Official Visit - 2008

Written by Kyle Merber - https://thelapcount.substack.com/

Kyle ran for me at Columbia and while in college set the American NCAA 1500m Record, among many other accomplishments. Kyle went on to have a very successful running career. Check out his weekly newsletter The Lap Count

Entering senior year, my personal bests were 1:56/4:15/9:20 — good enough that most coaches would speak with me, but not good enough that any scholarship offers were thrown my way on July 1st. As a reminder, the year was 2007 and these times were slightly more competitive than they would be today. My college decision began with a goal: I wanted to be a professional runner. That aspiration was the number one factor in my considerations and where the process began. The first thing I did was print out the results of the previous year’s NCAA XC Championships. In my 16-year-old mind, if I was going to be the best then I needed to train with the best. Not a terrible thought for a kid who didn’t have his license yet!

Next, I zeroed in on climate and proximity to home. The mild winters and long car drive from New York to the Mid-Atlantic was appealing. While it was important that I went to an academically solid school — I’m from suburban Long Island, after all, a place that seemingly exists just to send kids off to well-ranked colleges — I wasn’t necessarily dead set on going to an Ivy League university. I cross-checked all of that criteria with the coaches who were actively showing interest to come up with a list of three early frontrunners: Georgetown, William & Mary and Virginia.

In a recent newsletter I spoke about the role local heroes have on us as kids and that’s why UVA was my number one. Because a previous Suffolk County stud went there — I wanted to, too. It was my first visit and with no context or points of comparison, I left with the rock solid idea that I’d be matriculating in a year. Next was William & Mary and while it was a beautiful school and the team was full of studs who could/did drop me on their easy run, there was no spiritual connection.

Somehow as mothers are known to do, my own got involved. One of my best friends was in his freshman year at Columbia and she thought it’d be a good excuse for me to go into the city and hang out with him. Although I went on the visit with no expectations, something was different almost immediately — they wanted me, like really wanted me. Compared to my previous visits it was clear from the first moment on campus that I was the priority. Those other schools had a metric by which I could measure the extent to which they wanted me — and the lack of scholarship offers suddenly spoke volumes. At Columbia, where there was only need-based financial aid, attention became my barometer. And this sentiment was not limited to the coaches, it felt like the whole team was involved in the recruiting. By the end of the weekend, I didn’t want to go home — the trip was so fun that my departing thought was, “I could do four years of that.”

My last visit was to Georgetown. And I don’t want to blame him, but Luke Puskedra was there that same weekend and his presence only amplified my feelings at Columbia. On the flight home, I looked out the window over New York City as we were coming into Laguardia and my mind was made up — I was taking my talents to Columbia.

Don’t hesitate to reach out

XC/Track is the most highly participated sport in schools across the country — there are a ton of kids! Consider then that there are thousands of colleges to choose from and it seems especially unnecessary for Hogwarts to get the sorting hat. It’s impossible for every coach to identify, locate and reach out to every potential athlete and therefore it’s just as much your responsibility to make your intentions known. A small school in California most likely will not waste any time contacting the 37th best runner in New Jersey, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want them. Shoot off an email or fill out their recruiting forms online. Playing hard to get will not work. Also recognize that most coaches will recruit primarily off the descending order list and do not know your story. Be your own best advocate and sell yourself — this isn’t the time to be shy or humble.

There exists a school with a track team out there for everyone. Just because you’re not making the state meet doesn’t mean you can’t find an amazing program to join and become a part of. Beyond Division I podium teams, there are DII, DIII, NAIA and JUCO teams where you’ll find some of the most passionate runners in the sport who are there for the love of it.

What’s your type?

I was the main character on my high school track team. After years of training alone, the idea of getting my ass kicked at practice every day seemed like an attractive alternative. Being a small fish in a big pond would force me to get better. But once faced with that reality, I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. Going to a top program and being a nameless role player didn’t vibe with the massive ego I had developed. How brave of me to admit that!

Instead, going to a school where I could immediately make an impact would give me exposure to the big stage. During my freshman year, I’d end up being a non-scoring member of our varsity travel squad. There were still plenty of workouts where I would fall off the back, but not a day went by that the coaches didn’t check in to see how I was adjusting to the training. And also recognize the team that wins conference with seven seniors is not going to be the same team that you’ll be on. Look at the freshman and sophomore classes closely — those are your future teammates!

Use your visits!

Don’t trust everything you read or hear — go experience it for yourself. With five official — and unlimited unofficial — visits at your disposal, try out a wide range of schools. See what life is like on campuses that are nothing like one another and discover what you prefer. There is going to be pressure from coaches to commit early or to cancel other visits, but don’t get bullied into making the biggest decision of your life without having all the information. When a coach shows you who they are the first time, believe them. If they’re bashing other programs it’s coming from a place of insecurity about their own. I remember a coach yelling at me over the phone after I decided not to go on an official visit there and that immediately let me know that it was the right decision.

While everyone should visit at least one big party school during a football rivalry weekend, recognize that timing matters. Being on campus the week before conference will be a very different experience than visiting after the season ends.

Ask tons of questions

While I wouldn’t advise printing out this email to read the following questions aloud on your college visits, I cannot stress enough how important it is to ask any and all questions that you have while on campus.

Ask the athletes:

Where else did you look? Why did you choose to come here? Have you had any injuries and how was it dealt with? What are your favorite things to do outside of running? How does the team build its culture? Has anyone transferred recently, why?

Ask the coaches:

What would my training look like as a freshman? Where does the team run most days? What sort of athlete succeeds best here and who does not? How does the university support athletes in the classroom? Is there anything I am not seeing this weekend that you wish I could?

Ask your friends going the process at the same time:

Does that coach call you a lot? What do you talk about? Did you speak to any of the guys on the team yet? What other schools are you looking at?

The coaching

Don’t pick a school for the coach. They’re just people and this is (most likely) an underpaid job for them with incredibly high turnover. A majority of coaches are in a constant state of looking for something better or in a different part of the country where they’d rather live. It’s a carousel!

Find a school that you’d be happy to attend as an average student. A great coach won’t make up for hating every other aspect of being there and the odds are that at least someone on staff will leave during the 4-5 years of your attendance. And then there’s this controversial but correct take: most coaches’ training is the same anyway. Find a place you’ll be happy regardless of who is telling you to do 6 x Mile and let the good times roll!

Small vs. Big

After graduating from Columbia, I had a year’s worth of eligibility that I was forced to use elsewhere. Having done the smaller liberal arts things, I wanted to try out a big state school. I looked at Arkansas and Oklahoma, but ultimately became a Texas Longhorn. Although much of the year was spent in the training room, that was a year I wouldn’t trade for anything because of just how different it was.

For years I had lived on a small campus where no classroom was more than five minutes away from the dorms. There was no worry about finding parking and it was always easy to sneak off for a nap. At Columbia, the dining hall was the main source of socialization and we’d stay well after each meal was finished to shoot the shit. At Texas, we were living in a house off-campus and responsible for our own groceries. On the first day of pre-season I was given over a thousand dollars per diem on top of monthly checks for hundreds more to cover living expenses. But then they tried to pick my classes and tell me I’d have to attend study hall — I refused.

Texas was structured with checks and balances to make sure student athletes were doing what they were supposed to do. I had every possible advantage at my disposal to help me run fast and yet I didn’t. Maybe those things don’t matter as much as we think? Or maybe some people thrive in autonomy.

Conclusion

My college experience was good enough that I got to continue running professionally for the next seven years. When I joined the team at Columbia they had never qualified for an NCAA XC Championship in the history of the school. Then during my senior year we finally did it, — finishing 27th. And the following year, they finished 17th. At some point during the recruiting process my mindset shifted from wanting to join the best team to wanting to help build it.

You’re not just looking at schools, but learning about yourself in the process. It’s not all about who is the best coach or whose team runs the fastest, but what’s the best situation that will set you up for success. Finding that environment extends beyond a training system or how they finished at nationals the year before. Almost a decade after graduating, my best friends are still my former teammates. And when I go back to campus there is a rush of nostalgia that’s not limited to the track — my entire life was good there and that’s why I ran fast.

College Track and Field Recruiting – Emerging Program Alert

College Track and Field Recruiting

Tulane University has recently announced the hiring of Adrian Myers. With a renewed commitment from the University toward the success of the Green Wave Middle Distance and Distance programs look for Coach Myers to lead the program to significant levels of improvement rapidly.

Tulane University is a private institution that was founded in 1834. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,968, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 110 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Tulane University's ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #41. Its tuition and fees are $58,852.

Tulane has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,968, with a gender distribution of 41% male students and 59% female students. At this school, 46% of the students live in college-owned, -operated or -affiliated housing and 54% of students live off campus. In sports, Tulane University is part of the NCAA I.

Getting to Know Tulane University Director of Track & Field and XC, Adrian Myers

When you were first offered the head coaching position at Tulane University what was your first reaction?

"Just a lot of emotions honestly. I have worked tirelessly for years to earn this opportunity and for that I am just excited to get started. There is work ahead of us there is no denying this, but I am just elated to clock in and represent this university, city, program and its alumni as well as everyone that's come along on this ride with me. No one gets to these positions alone."

What excites you the most about this opportunity?

"The resources are in place to build a championship program here in beautiful New Orleans and to do things that have never been done before. There is nothing more exciting than starting a new build and establishing your brand as a program."

What are your overarching goals for the cross country/track and field program?

"One thing that people will get used to with me is that I set high goals and expectations for what we do within the program. So without hesitation, I must say we are going to find a way to win here. We will build champions and establish a tradition of doing so along the way. This will be the start of something very special over the years to come and I will give this everything I have."

What would you say to an incoming recruit on why they should attend Tulane University and be part of this program?

"To gain a degree at Tulane University through sport as a potential access point is something that should be coveted. There are very few opportunities like this to attain an elite level education, experience a culturally rich city, and achieve your athletic goals at the highest levels. Give me your best during your years here and you'll leave here with your head high, full of Green Wave pride knowing you were a part of something special."

How would you describe your coaching style?

"I like to believe I'm a "players coach". I see absolute value in getting to know what makes our athletes perform their best and then really pushing them above and beyond their initial expectations. But to do that effectively it is paramount that we establish strong and trusting relationships focused on accountability. That is a key ingredient that makes any program or relationship in life succeed. Now we will work very hard and I will push you, but we must be all paddling the same direction daily in order to see how far we can go together!"

What do you look forward to the most about coming down to New Orleans and coaching at Tulane?

"I look forward to building a championship tradition in cross country and track and field here in the Big Easy. There is nothing more exciting than a championship build and the body of work that goes into raising a program up. The pride that brings to a community and all those involved is something to strive for."

What is one thing supporters of Tulane cross country/track and field can expect under your direction?

"A plan and a vision to guide our future success. I will be accountable to the success of this program and a great steward over the resources and support provided to it. To make history, you must know history. We will train and compete for those that came before us and provide them a plan for advancement from the initial foundation set. I will not let you down!" What are going to be your biggest areas of focus upon your arrival at Tulane?

We will look to grow our distance and middle-distance presence. That's an area with the most opportunity to move the needle within the conference and region. So recruiting will be the top priority for our program with the intentions of moving the needle very quickly."

What do you know about the American Athletic Conference and what is the league's perception nationally?

"It's the "Power 6"! We are that conference that steps into any arena and say let's play. I am extremely excited to compete inside such an elite conference against some of the very best coaches and programs in all of the NCAA.

Interview was conducted by Tulane University Athletic Department – full article here - https://tulanegreenwave.com/news/2021/7/6/cross-country-track-10-questions-with-adrian-myers.aspx

Coach Myers comes to Tulane following a decorated six-year tenure at Northern Illinois University where he served as the head coach of the women's cross country programs and served as an assistant track and field coach with the Huskies.

Myers quickly built a record of achievement in his time at both Purdue and Northern Illinois, and presents a strong plan to raise the level of competitive outcomes across the Tulane running programs.

In six seasons with NIU's cross country/track and field programs, Myers led the Huskies to their first Mid-American Conference (MAC) cross country and track and field championship titles. He also coached two All-Americans, two MAC Performer of the Year awards, three MAC Freshman of the Year awards, five United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honorees, 12 NCAA qualifiers, 12 MAC Champions, 13 All-MAC cross country individuals, 42 league medalists, and one United States national team individual. In addition, Myers coached 2018 Spanish Under 23 800-meter National Champion Lorena Martin.

Recruiting Calendars: Permissible NCAA I Track and Field Recruiting Methods

Permissible NCAA I Track and Field Recruiting Methods

Recruiting Calendars

NCAA member schools limit recruiting to certain periods during the year. Recruiting calendars promote the well-being of college-bound student-athletes and ensure fairness among schools by defining certain periods during the year in which recruiting may or may not occur in a particular sport.

See the dates when contact with college coaches is permissible.

1. Recruiting Materials and Electronic Correspondence

You may receive brochures for camps, questionnaires, NCAA materials and non-athletic recruiting publication at any time.

A coach may begin sending you recruiting materials and electronic correspondence June 15 after the completion of your sophomore year.

2. Phone calls to a Coach

You or your family may begin calling coaches June 15th following your sophomore year.

3. Phone Calls from a Coach

Coaches may begin calling you June 15th following your sophomore year.

4. Off-Campus Contact

A college coach may have contact with you and your family off the college’s campus beginning September 01 of your junior year in high school.

5. Unofficial Visit

You and your family may visit a college at your own expense beginning September 01 of your junior year.

6. Official Visit A college may pay for you to visit the college beginning September 01 of your junior year.

For the most up-to-date information, visit ncaa.org/student-athletes/resources/recruiting-calendars.

College Track and Field Recruiting For High School Juniors

Your junior year of high school is winding down and the NCAA Covid related recruiting restrictions are coming to an end. Many college programs have completed their recruiting classes for this year and are now focusing their efforts on next year's class -- this year's juniors. With recruiting returning to more traditional methods, you must prepare yourself now to take full advantage of this process. If you are finding yourself not being heavily recruited it is time to reevaluate your college search process. Obviously, there is still plenty of time to devise a strategy and create an outreach plan, but that time is here.

Here are a few suggestions to help you find the right fit for you.

1. Cast A Wide Net

Your junior year is about seeing what's out there and what kind of school might be a good fit for you. If you have not yet done so create an expansive list of schools/programs that meet your specific needs and desires. Among factors to consider are affiliation (NCAA I, II, III, NAIA and JUCO), competitiveness of the program, cost of attendance, quality of education, geographical location, intended academic major, enrollment size, public vs. private, and other factors that matter to you.

Think about what may impact your athletic experience the most like coaching style, athlete retention, and success of the program. Determine if you are a good fit athletically -- many schools post their recruiting standards online.

Know what the academic requirements are for the schools you are considering to determine if you are potentially admissible.
Continually revise your list. During my coaching career, I often saw recruits close doors too early. They would rule out programs in their junior year of high school based on a variety of factors and then end up scrambling in the end when Plan A did not work out. Make sure to keep Plan B in play as to not have to settle for Plan C at the last minute.

2. Fill Out Online Recruiting Questionnaires

The online recruiting questionnaire is a good first and simple means to initiate communication with a program. It allows the coach to assess if you are a good fit for their program. In a recent interview with the Recruiting Code, Duke University head women's cross country coach Rhonda Riley was asked, "What are the important steps for an athlete to get noticed by you?" She responded, "The two ways to get on my radar are to fill out our online questionnaire and to follow up with an email. When a high school athlete takes the time to send an email with their contact information, personal best marks, academic information etc. it means they are serious about considering Duke as a potential university." Online recruiting questionnaires are typically very easy to find on individual schools' track and field websites.

3. Contact College Coaches

Over the span of my 30-year coaching career, I learned that communication is the most important element to reaching your goals. If you have not yet started -- start reaching out to college coaches from the schools on your list. You will be surprised at how effective personally reaching out to coaches will enhance your recruiting experience.

Proofread every email before hitting send. A great deal of communication in the early phases of the recruiting process is going to be cut and paste on both sides, however, making a simple mistake can dehumanize the process and render the remainder of your communication less credible. Make sure you are addressing the proper institution and coach. I cannot tell you how many emails I received from recruits specifically addressed to a rival coach expressing their interest in a rival school.

Send updates on a regular basis. Most coaches receive dozens of emails from recruits each day so it's important that you keep yourself on their radar.

(Note if you are not hearing back from schools at the top of your list...try, try again – and, then move on - Send another e-mail to the programs you have an interest in who have not yet contacted you or responded back to your previous communications. I would suggest an email expressing your sincere desire to attend their school and compete for them directed to both the Head Coach and the event coach who would be coaching you. If you still don’t hear back from them it is probably time to cross them off of your list)

4. Utilize Unofficial Visits!

Unofficial visits can help you gather significant information about individual programs and schools. Starting on June 01, you once again have the opportunity to meet the coach in person, tour the college, check out the athletic facilities, and possibly meet current team members.

Do your homework – understand their specific Covid guidelines, know who and where you are visiting. Have a keen understanding of the unique strengths of each school and team, as it will show the respective coaching staff how serious you are about their program. Use this time to learn as much as you can about the program and coaching staff. Identify the factors that will be most important to you in determining if you will return for an official visit. Have a short list of specific questions ready that address the most critical factors in your college decision.

There is no imposed limit on the number of unofficial visits you may take, so take as many as possible. There is no better tool to help you hone in on the best school/program for you.

In Summary

Your junior year is quickly passing and it is time to start seriously considering where you want to continue your academic and athletic pursuits. Do not be passive -- start reaching out to college coaches now. Be aggressive in your outreach and email every program that you are interested in, regardless of the perceived reach. Be your own greatest advocate and take charge of your future.

UTILIZING UNOFFICIAL VISITS

Four Things You Should Be Doing To Maximize Your College Track and Field Recruitment

College Track and Field Recruiting Process

The NCAA currently reports that over 1.5 million boys and girls participate in high school track & field and cross country. Of those 1.5 million participants, only 85,000-90,000 will compete in college, or approximately 4-7% depending upon event and gender. A large majority of that 4-7% will be asked to walk-on and not receive any athletic money. As a result, it is imperative that you devise a plan of action early on in your high school career. You will have worked too hard and sacrificed far too much to idly wait for the process to begin. Take control of your destiny in the same way you have your academic and athletic endeavors. The recruiting process will require the same such commitment from you.

Below are four things to do when searching for the college of your dreams.

1. Surround yourself with people who have a global perspective.

Make sure that the people who are advising you truly know what will be required of you to matriculate to your dream school. You should have a training plan that reflects your target school’s recruiting standards and a course load that meets their academic requirements.

2. Create systems not goals, and focus on the process.

You should have a tangible plan in place that will provide you with the best opportunity to obtain your desired outcomes. Your focus should not be on the end goal as much as on the system you have in place. For example, an 800m runner who wants to attend Stanford will most likely have to run sub 2:10 or sub 1:51 and possess a outstanding academic record. Simply saying I want to run a particular time, have a 4.0 and score 34 on the ACT is not enough. Create a plan from the very beginning of your high school career and focus on the day-to day-adherence of that plan.

3. Understand where you fit.

Do your research on the programs and colleges you are considering to determine if your target schools will be viable options for you. If you are a 100m runner with a PR of 11.2 as a boy or 12.7 as a girl and have identified Florida and Texas A&M as your top choices you will be disappointed. In the same light, if you scored 22 on the ACT and are targeting the Ivy League, you will need to reassess. Chase after your goals, stay dedicated to your systems, but also understand what schools are the best potential fits for you to ensure that you have multiple options. Don’t limit yourself, but be realistic.

4. Show up daily for as long as possible.

Start your process as early as possible. Get your system in place and implement it on a daily basis. Imagine the spring of your junior year being asked to do 50 push-ups. If you had waited until being asked then the task at hand would be challenging. However, if you had a system in place and worked toward that end on a daily basis, the process of being able to do 25 as a freshman, 38-40 as a sophomore and 50 as a junior becomes very doable. Oftentimes reaching your goal is a product of just showing up over and over.

College Track and Field Recruiting Tip - Call Logs

Track & Field Recruiting Quick Tip – Keep a Call Log

When the recruiting process starts, it tends to move very quickly. I have spoken with several high school athletes recently who regretted not being fully prepared for the number of conversations they would be having with various college coaches. As a result, many of the conversations, talking points and disseminated information ran together or was completely forgotten.

When I was a college coach, I spoke with numerous high school track and field athletes on a nightly basis. It would have been impossible to recall each conversation to adequately prepare for the subsequent follow-up call. As a result, I kept a journal of each call. This would allow me to take notes on each conversation. I would simply mark the date of the call and record the main topics of conversation. Items that would help me recall the conversation such as upcoming meets, a task to be completed for them, the date of their next race and so forth.

I would suggest the same for you. From the very first call, take notes. Record the key talking points and next steps. This will only take moments to complete and will help you navigate the process much more effectively.

Top NCAA Division II Schools for Distance Runners

Below you will find a list of NCAA II programs that are both highly ranked academically and athletically, specifically in the distance events:

Augustana (SD)

Cal Poly Pomona

Colorado School of the Mines

Hillsdale

Michigan Tech

Point Loma Nazarene

Seattle Pacific

Current NCAA Coaches Discussing Changes in Their Approach to Track and Field Recruiting in 2020

Founder Willy Wood at the Ivy League XC Championships while Head Coach at Columbia University

“It's not so cut and dry any longer and the 4:20 / 9:20 type thing is not enough anymore.” – Hakon DeVries, University of Kentucky

“Typical scholarship and recruiting standards will essentially go out the window – we will use all of the subject areas listed below to project how we believe an athlete may fit into those typical standards and go from there. Easier said than done, but as I’ve communicated to our staff, this is a time where we can really prove our aptitude as evaluators of talent and projected development.” – Alex Heacock, William & Mary

Not having a junior track and field season will make your college recruitment process much more challenging. As a rising senior, you will need to rely on more than your marks from this spring. You will need to create a compelling story that highlights your potential as a future college athlete. In addition to changes for you, coaches are experiencing new challenges for this year’s recruiting process as well.

Johns Hopkins University Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Bobby Allen when asked stated, “The COVID-19 Pandemic will certainly change some things in the recruiting process across the board for most coaches. It might be slight for some schools and significant for others though. Here at Johns Hopkins, without having junior year track times we will have to do a lot more work to evaluate the progress of each recruit. With everyone really in different circumstances, it can’t be a one size fit all approach. Some students had strong indoor seasons or even sophomore year times that already put themselves in a good spot on our recruit lists. Others though, we need to weigh more of their junior year cross country seasons, and how that progresses for their senior year. Some of our recruits have been able to submit videos of time trials by themselves, which is helpful when they run PRs, but that obviously is a bit more difficult to do without full competition and practices. As we move to a more virtual recruiting platform, those that stay connected to coaches and help sell their character also would be something that could give a recruit a step up on everyone else. If things improve where on-campus camps or clinics can take place, this can be another great advantage to get some more exposure as overnight recruit visits will probably be limited. This will be a fluid process, and so many changes we still don’t know such as admissions changes, financial aid changes, and perhaps changes to the fall XC season. We are optimistic though we will once again be able to target a good recruiting class just in a different way than before”

Harvard University Director of Track and Field / Cross Country Jason Saretsky further explained stating, "These are extraordinary times and so extraordinary measures need to be taken for everyone's safety and well-being. With the cancellation of so many competitions this spring, coaches will be looking deeper into sophomore performances. There has always been a significant emphasis with recruiting on personal qualities and character and that will be even more important now. Everyone will need to readjust and adapt to this ever-changing environment."

Coaches will be looking at such factors as a recruit’s trajectory of improvement, cross country results from last fall if applicable, video analysis and relying much more on qualitative input from other sources. This was reiterated by Cornell University Coach, Mike Henderson, “Now more than ever, detailed conversations with recruits and those who can give an honest opinion of a high school athlete are supremely important.”

“We certainly will have to reduce our scholarship standards and recruitable time standards because not many runners have run that fast yet”, stated Brandon Bonsey of Georgetown University. In fact, Boston University Coach Paul Spangler has revised his scholarship and walk-on standards to include performances for athletes who did not have a junior season and is providing his amended walk-on and scholarship standards to potential recruits.

Other non-achieved performance factors will now carry much more weight. Louisville Cross Country Coach Joe Walker commented, “We will likely looking for good academic fits and projecting what they would have run this year. We are hopeful that we can make late summer and fall visits happen to learn more about each recruit.

Coaches will now focus more on where a recruit ranks amongst his classmates as opposed to a specific performance achieved. The Georgetown Men’s Cross Country Coach stated, “We will watch even more film on kids than we typically do and will have to look at where they are ranked in their specific class versus a strict time. In most years, the 10th best 3200m runner in the junior class may have run 8:55, but right now it's 9:05.” Kentucky Coach, Hakon Devries agreed statin that he will “start looking at sophomore track times and being more inclusive than normal.”

Times and performances will always matter to coaches. However, there is more emphasis on your story now. UNC-Charlotte Coach, Joe Lynn reiterated this stating, “We do have recruiting standards, but at the end of the day it's more about finding the right fit. Times and performances are a big part of the process, however, I also look at consistency, performances in big meets, and their level of improvement over the past two-three years. In the end, performances along with how a recruit fits in with our team culture and vision for the future will determine how we move through the recruiting process.”

Columbia University Director of Track and Field, Danny Ireland stated, “With no junior year outdoor track times it will certainly change recruiting for most athletes. We have decided to try to dig a little deeper on each recruit. To gather more information from speaking with the individual recruits, speaking more often and in-depth with the high school coaches, speaking more with parents, and watching more video. Basically just getting to know as much about the person as possible from all different angles. Take the approach that the most informed decision that we can make is hopefully the best.”

Northwestern University Head Coach Jill Miller further confirmed this stating, “It’s a challenge to discern development without the junior track season. While progression is certainly something we look for, I’ve always felt the intangibles are equally important. Accordingly, I have never used set standards and place an immense value on those things I believe it takes to be a successful student-athlete outside of times on the track. I don’t want to make it seem like I don’t value talent, I just think that talent doesn’t always show through PRs.”

The UNC Director of Track and Field Chris Miltenberg discussed another issue to overcome in identifying good program fits, “The part I miss is getting to meet recruits and they’re parents in person. I’d say it looks unlikely we’ll be able to do that this summer. Official visits will hopefully go off in the fall but that could be pushed back too. Ultimately, it is still all about finding the right fit and we’ll take our time to do it right instead of rushing because the circumstances are abnormal. Milt went on to state, “It is important to me to identify their motivation; is it more about being recruited than it is about running at the highest level they’re capable of, which is exactly what we’re trying to vet out in the recruiting process; what is their motivation? What are their goals? Is it just to get recruited or do you really want to find out how good you can be at the next level and be part of a great team mission? How recruits are responding in this time is actually teaching us more about them than the times they would have run this spring.”

In addition, William & Mary Head Coach Alex Heacock said, “We will be taking the extra time and the relative lack of performance data to create a deeper connection with potential recruits, to evaluate their personalities and athletic/intangible qualities against our team culture and coaching styles. Our staff will also have to be better than ever in projecting performances to how they likely would’ve unfolded this outdoor season – this will require greater communication about current training situations and information about time trials and mock meets that recruits may be doing this spring.” Former UNC standout and current coach at Millikan University, Andrew Craycraft said, “What I, and I'm sure many others, look for in a prospective-student athlete are the intangibles. The objectivity of recruiting based on marks simplifies at least one step of the process of scouting talent. So the answer becomes: what else is there to look at? I am a firm believer in evaluating what the first phone call can tell you. Is the recruit a good listener, have they researched your program and school ahead of time? How do their responses to their questions give you a glimpse of their character and personal integrity? How do they talk about their relationship with the sport? Do they love Track & Field and/or Cross Country for the right reasons? Liking something because you're good at it, in my experience, is a red flag.

Craycraft agreed with current UNC Coach Chris Miltenberg that how recruits are handling this this experience will be helpful. He stated, “The relationship with the sport" question is really important because it gives perspective on a lot. The Covid/Quarantine situation that so many of these kids are left to face actually creates an opportunity, in a way, for recruiters to analyze what that relationship the recruit has with the sport. If the recruit is still training, still upbeat, looking forward to the next season/ opportunity,etc....then I want them. Instant gratification is more and more a plague of young people. The young athlete that can see further down the road and isn't swayed (or at least has the ability to look past it an on to the next challenge is the kid I want. We are constantly telling our charges to "control what you can control." The kids that are doing that in an environment this novel in global history is going to be someone who produces for your program.

Many of the top college programs have identified prospects earlier in the process and feel relatively comfortable with their current list of prospects. Georgetown Coach, Brandon Bonsey stated, “We are pretty locked in on the recruits we really want and now we will just have to do our homework on them even more so than in the past because we don't have results to fall back on” This thought was reiterated by the Harvard Men’s Sprint Coach, “I have a very solid recruiting pool right now. So, not much will change.”

MIT Director, Halston Taylor agreed and doesn’t envision significant changes in how they will react to this season being canceled. He quite simply stated, “We will not be changing much of what we do. We will compare individuals the same as we always have” All juniors are in the same position, so comparison amongst their classmates should be fair in most cases. He went on to state, “We will paying more attention to improvement from freshman to sophomore year.” This notion was reinforced by USC Coach, Pat Henner, “I will look for those runners still improving”

Distance runners have the added benefit of having had a cross country season in the fall. This will matter greatly. Coach Taylor of MIT stated, “We will put a lot more emphasis on the cross country season. While I do not pay attention to times in cross country, I do pay attention to place, particularly in the larger meets and championships. Brandon Bonsey of Georgetown agreed, “If they are a pure distance runner we will have to rely pretty heavily on cross country results, more so than in the past”

University of Missouri Cross Country Coach Marc Burns added, “We will be using the fall results from sophomore year for XC/distance kids and relying on whatever video we have or can find from sophomore year performances for track kids. It will be a crazy recruiting cycle until we can see the next set of results. We will need to lean on relationships with high school coaches to get their input more than ever.”

Mike Henderson of Cornell University continued, “I'm looking at improvement from sophomore to junior year in cross country at meets that they have run on the same course and really focusing on state finishes at both xc junior year and track sophomore year…. we are going to be relying more on fall racing for XC/distance recruits “ Ohio State Coach, Sara Vegote reinforced this, “We will be relying much more heavily on state meet placing and placing at other post-season meets.”

Henderson further stated, “For technical events, since we can’t get out to meets and see them, we are requesting more video of a current practice session or past meets, and communicating more in-depth with high school and club coaches to get additional insights and information on the athletes training and background.” Louisville Coach Jeff Petersmeyer cautioned, “Evaluating 2021’s could be risky – some coaches have very good eyes for talent and won’t be deterred. I will be leaning heavily on several factors, but multiple performances on video will be even more crucial. This was further reiterated by William & Mary Head Coach Alex Heacock who said, “For technical events, we will have a greater emphasis on reviewing training/prior competition video to various social media accounts, Milesplit (and other databases), and video sent directly from coaches and recruits.” The level of risk of taking on recruits without marks form their junior year will vary from coach to coach. Some coaches will take a more conservative approach and be more likely to play it safe. A prominent SEC Head Coach contemplates the idea that he, “Will likely not sign as many prospects this upcoming year. Our program is in a good place and I will not take the chance on signing unknown entities. I will likely go after proven transfers and grad students and try to go big after the class of 2022.” Louisville’s Jeff Petersmeyer agreed, “With so many talented athletes in the transfer portal, not to mention junior college prospects, it could be a situation where college coaches take the safe route and go with the “known” commodity rather than take a risk on the 2021’s (who haven’t yet put up marks worthy of bigger offers).”

Petersmeyer went on to say, “Many athletes in the 2021 class are in an unfortunate situation. While you’ll have the top tier athletes who may not suffer – as they may have top marks and will get nice offers at the school of their choice regardless of COVID-19, you’ll have others who would’ve had a break-out season in their junior year – waiting a bit longer to find a home. Additionally, we always see athletes who may have only played other sports step onto the track for the first time and do great things. My guess is that there will be a lot of unsigned seniors next May who put up huge numbers and the schools that have scholarships remaining will battle it out later than normal for top-tier talent. Others may fill-up on the JUCO transfers and transfer portal athletes and play it safe” However, mid-major NCAA 1 coaches are seeing this as an outstanding opportunity to find a late bloomer. Troy University Coach, Elliott Blount said, “I don’t anticipate too much of a change for me in how a recruit here at Troy. I always end up digging a little deeper since we typically don’t attract the fastest kids on paper. Since coming to Troy I’ve done more leg-work by getting to smaller local meets and talking with coaches about a student-athlete’s work ethic. Sometimes they have an innate love for running, others have to come into it. During the evaluation period, I found focusing on PSAs motivations is a great insight into the kind of person you are recruiting. From a pure running evaluation standpoint, video is huge as it allows you to see if they can pass the ‘eye test’. I’m actually looking forward to recruiting this upcoming year. I think a lot more kids will slip through the tracks end up at a ‘mid-major’ level since they won’t have times that jump off the paper. The circumstances will most likely lend themselves to a coach who recruits with a good eye.” UAB Cross Country Coach, Matt Esche shares a similar excitement at Blount stating, This is year is going to be the year of the diamond in the rough more so then ever. Due to the athlete's different situations…will they have access to a track, care they able to train, do they have a training plan? There will be a lot of factors at play that we have taken for granted in the past. We will place significantly more emphasis on a PSA’s progression from year to year. How did they perform in cross country, was it a very slow start or did they come out strong and finish well. If a PSA has the ability to complete a time trial, and video it for us, I will take that. Just a picture of a stopwatch with a time is hard to use for a scholarship.”

Coach Mitch Switzer of Bryant University when asked said, “Great question. Not sure anyone is going to have an absolutely correct answer. I think looking for interest in our school, for athletes to tell their story and having high school coaches speak to their work ethic and potential. Coaches are going to have to dig deeper to look for the athletes who are ready for a breakout.”

Either way, Cornell’s Coach Mike Henderson believes, “I suspect that there will be more students pushing back to regular decision applications in the higher academic programs, and more athletes signing later for their D1 scholarships in most programs. That’s just my personal projection on the landscape of it.

Wash U Head Coach, Jeff Stiles summed it up accurately, “The current recruitment environment is certainly still a work in progress. Right now we are using any junior year indoor times we’ve been able to find. For those who don’t run indoor or cross country, we are honestly still trying to figure out how we might evaluate them. It’s a discussion we have weekly at our staff meetings.

As Princeton’s Reuben Jones said, “We are simply taking it day by day.”

Case Western No Longer Requires SAT/ACT

Track and Field Recruiting

In response to standardized test cancellations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Case Western Reserve University on Wednesday adopted a “test-optional” admissions policy for students entering in the fall of 2021.

Richard Bischoff, the university’s vice president for enrollment management, advocated for the change given the ongoing uncertainty about when ACT/SAT testing would resume. He and his staff were seeing growing anxiety among students, parents and counselors.

“We would rather students focus as best they can on their academic subjects rather than worrying about the SAT or ACT,” Bischoff said. “Testing has always been just one factor in our evaluation of applications, and we are confident that we will continue to make quality admission decisions for those students who are either unable to test or who choose not to submit test scores.”

“Test-optional” means scores on standardized tests, such as the SAT or ACT, aren’t required for a high school student to be considered for admission. Most selective colleges and universities, including Case Western Reserve, require applicants to submit an ACT or SAT score.

On Monday, the organizations that offer those tests cancelled spring administrations because of health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

After university President Barbara R. Snyder and Provost Ben Vinson III quickly endorsed Bischoff’s proposal, it went before faculty leaders this week. On Wednesday, the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education (FSCUE) unanimously approved the measure.

“These scores have always made up just a portion of our evaluation of prospective students, and we don’t want our future applicants to feel hamstrung by circumstances far outside their control,” said Peter Shulman, associate professor of history and chair of FSCUE. “Test score or no test score, we look forward to meeting the class of 2025.”

The Faculty Senate’s leadership body was so enthusiastic about the measure on Wednesday that its vote authorized Bischoff to announce the change on Wednesday—even before it proceeded to the full senate.

“I think the decision kind of puts us ahead of the curve in that high school juniors who are looking to apply to schools can really focus on their work and let their records speak for themselves rather than stressing about test scores and wondering how this all shakes out,” said David Miller, an associate professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and president of the university’s Faculty Senate. “It’s indicative of our faculty taking the initiative quickly and responsibly.”

With this new policy, no student applying to enroll in the fall of 2021 is required to submit a standardized test score, and students without such a test will face no penalty. Students still can choose to submit their scores.

Bischoff said the university will assess policies for future classes this coming winter.

What Should I Be Doing Now? Coronavirus Caused Changes to Track and Field Recruiting in 2020

Track and Field Recruiting

Spring 2020

Plain and simple, track and field recruiting has changed. College coaches are no longer allowed off campus to recruit. They will not be going to meets this spring nor having face-to-face meetings with prospects. High School student-athletes will no longer be able to take Official or Unofficial Visits to meet coaches and visit campuses. Most likely, you will not have the opportunity to run faster, jump or throw further or vault higher. As a result, you are going to have to take a proactive approach to the recruiting process and continuing training as if nothing has changed.

Do not be passive. Start reaching out to college coaches from the schools on your list. You will be surprised at how effective personally reaching out will enhance your recruiting experience. You will have to sell yourself, even more so now– make sure your emails are doing so. It is imperative through this spring that you learn to communicate openly and effectively with your parents, high school coach, and college coaches.

So, if you are a high school track and field athlete what does that mean for you?

ALL-GRADES

It is imperative that you keep training in some capacity. Success is a product of each season building upon the previous season. Avoid feeling sorry for yourself and becoming unmotivated. When this passes, you want to be one step further down the path developmentally. Do not be the same athlete you are today next fall.

SENIORS

If you are an unsigned senior, I would suggest reaching out to every school you have any interest in. Start reaching out to schools that have reached out to you. Go through your old emails, letters of inquiry, questionnaires, and generic correspondences, and then create a list of every school that has contacted you. Concentrate your efforts on programs that have shown an interest in you. Remember, many programs rely on signing kids throughout the spring and summer, so they are still looking for athletes as well. Many of our team members are still being offered admission spots and/or significant scholarship dollars to date.

JUNIORS

With the inability to take Official and Unofficial Visits this spring and probably this summer it is important that you put together a solid email campaigning expressing interest in specific schools and programs. Because you will most likely not have an outdoor season, do not wait for coaches to find you. Your marks might slip under the radar without this season to increase your viability and visibility to certain schools.

Caste a wide net. Create an expansive list of schools/programs that meet your specific needs and desires. The online recruiting questionnaire is a good first and simple means to initiate communication with a program. If you have not yet started -- start reaching out to college coaches from the schools on your list. Proofread every email before hitting send.

SOPHOMORES

Your junior year is a critical part of the recruitment process. Use the next three months to become a better athlete. If the season gets canceled this spring use this time to get more fit, more flexible, and stronger. Focus more on general fitness and set yourself up for a massive junior year!

With the new NCAA Recruiting Rules and your potential loss of the season, your recruiting process will be starting very soon. As a result, it is imperative that you devise a plan of action now. Create a list of schools and send out introductory emails.

FRESHMEN

High School track and field is awesome! You are going to absolutely love it! It’s a shame that it is getting off to a slow start, but don’t let that get you down. Stay positive. Workout. Get ready for next year…it’s going to be a blast!

Are You A Pole Vaulter? Have You Heard Of South Dakota

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD RECRUITING

By Garrett Zatlin -- Recruiting Correspondent

As appeared on Milesplit:

Every NCAA program has its own hallmark. Some have even built traditions on them, from distance running powerhouses (Colorado), to speed (Houston), leap (Florida) and throwing (UCLA) meccas.

All those programs are synonymous with historic NCAA success in those respective areas.

There's a few reasons for the rising trend of event specialization, but ultimately it's allowed some of those teams to build brands out of their success. Just think of Houston's "Speed City," or Penn State's self-proclaimed title of "800U." The more you build the the idea, the further you can promote yourself.

In recent years, there's been others -- teams such as Furman (distance running), North Carolina A&T (sprints) and North Dakota (throws) -- which have found traction, too. Each of these teams are gaining significant national relevance thanks to their recent surge in those specific events.

And then there's the University of South Dakota.

The Coyotes have grown through an event that defies basic scoring practices and rarely earn the same level of attention that athletes in the sprint or distance events receive.

The pole vault.

Competing in the Summit League, the University of South Dakota isn't necessarily a powerhouse program that you're used to seeing headlines about. The Coyotes are typically a few tiers separated from the Power Five goliaths and don't often garner the same acclaim that other talent-filled rosters do.

Until recently.

The Coyotes, who are sometimes referred to as the 'Yotes,' have risen quickly in the world of pole vaulting. Just last year, South Dakota landed the third-best girls pole vaulter in the country, Gennifer Hirata, winner of the Texas Relays' and Penn Relays' high school elite sections. She was a 14-footer leaper.

But how did they become the new go-to place for high-fliers?

"It starts from the top," assistant coach Derek Miles told MileSplit. "There's always been this background of support. Our program director (Lucky Huber) was my old coach. It's a unique pairing."

For perspective, the South Dakota men had two of the top 13 pole vaulters in the entire NCAA last spring. Those two names were Chris Nilsen and Ethan Bray.

You may remember Nilsen as the 2019 NCAA Outdoor National Champion in the pole vault. You know? The same guy who upset LSU superstar Mondo Duplantis en route to the national title last June? That one.

Both Nilsen and Bray have returned for this indoor season and are joined by fellow senior Nick Johnson, another South Dakota pole vaulter who found himself tied with a handful of other names for the 50th best height in the NCAA last spring.

But the women of South Dakota have been able to hold their own in the pole vault as well. Despite not having a superstar like Nilsen, the Yotes had four women listed in the top 60 of the event last spring. That group of four consisted of Helen Fada, Kimberly Peterson, Deidra Marrison and Landon Kemp.

Collectively, the University of South Dakota has found a way to become one of the deepest programs in the nation for an event that is so unique and far more acrobatic than anything we're used to talking about.

The reason for that? Culture.

Miles credits the positive, hard-working and encouragement-based environment as a big reason why South Dakota has prospered in the pole vault. Those are the key aspects that he looks for when recruiting athletes to join his army of pole vaulters.

"We want good people, good kids, who contribute positively to the people around them," said Miles. "It's not just during practice either. If you look at the three girls we have coming in [for the pole vault], I don't think there's a B on their transcripts."

A three-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, it has become abundantly clear that Miles has been able to transition his elite talents into his teachings. As a result, he has constructed a pole vault contingent with a history of 22 Division One All-Americans and four national titles split between two individuals (Nilsen and Bethany Buell).

Between the proven results, the promising development, and an Olympian coach who emphasizes all aspects of athletes' well-being, it's no wonder that top pole vault talents are taking another look at South Dakota as a potential landing spot for their collegiate endeavors.

Maybe that's why we have been seeing more and more top pole vaulters taking their talents to Vermillion instead of traditional powerhouse programs like Texas Tech, Florida or Arkansas. Like Hirata, for one.

Maybe that's why Jaidyn Garrett, a high school pole vaulter with an eye-brow raising PR of 13-3.25, is going all the way from New England to South Dakota.

Maybe that's why Cassidy Mooneyhan, the top high school pole vaulter in Arkansas right now who cleared 12-11.75 less than a month ago, is leaving the Razorbacks in the rearview mirror in favor of the Yotes.

Maybe that's why Alayna Falak, a South Dakota native with a 12-7.5 PR who could have gone to a handful of other schools, stayed in state.

Maybe that's why Tre Young, one of the better pole vaulters in the country, is taking his 15-10 PR all the way from Ohio to South Dakota.

Maybe that's why Eerik Haamer is leaving Estonia and bringing his PR of 17-8.5 with him to join the Coyotes.

"When you come out of high school, when you're nationally ranked, there's a lot of pressure from the local news, your community, school, peers, family...so a lot of kids automatically look at these big schools that they see on ESPN," Miles explained to us.

"And that's fine, but that's not really us. In the world of pole vaulting, it's very unique and very different. There's more information and social media now. Kids are doing a little more research and getting more information."

The Coyotes have found national relevance by leveraging the coaching lessons (and life lessons) of an Olympian and marketing the ensuing success to top recruits, not just around the nation, but around the world.

And as far as we can tell, it's working.

Understanding ACC College Track and Field Recruiting Standards

A high school senior recently asked me about his chances of being offered an athletic scholarship to Wake Forest University. As a junior, he ran 10.87 and 21.87 – both very impressive times. He was further encouraged by the fact that Wake only had one sprinter run faster than him in the 100m last year and that he would have been their fastest 200m sprinter (as a junior in HS). It seemed logical to him that Wake Forest needed sprinters. What he did not fully realize was that college programs recruit athletes based on their ability to score points at the conference meet or qualify to the NCAA Championships. They are far less concerned with ensuring each event is covered.

The ACC scores eight places at their conference championship meet. In 2019, the tenth-ranked sprinter ran 10.38 in the 100m and 20.98 in the 200m. So in this case, for a program like Wake Forest if you cannot run near those times you will not score points for them. In addition, most programs target specific event groups to recruit as opposed to focusing on all the events.

So, keep in mind just because your times currently match up well with a particular program, it does not ensure that you will be actively recruited by that school or offered scholarship money. It is important to understand conference scoring performances and which specific events groups the program you are looking at is targeting.

Below is a list of general guidelines for being recruited by an ACC school. Again, it will vary with each individual program. The performance on the left will most likely result in receiving significant scholarship money. The mark of the right is what you would have to achieve to be offered a roster spot. If you run somewhere in the middle of the two listed times you may receive a partial scholarship offer.

TRACK AND FIELD MEN’S RECRUITING STANDARDS

EVENT SCHOLARSHIP WALK-ON

100m 10.50 / 10.70

200m 21.00 / 21.70

400m 47.50 / 48.50

800m 1:51.00 / 1:54.00

1600m 4:08.00 / 4:15.00

3200m 9:05.00 / 9:30.00

110HH 13.80 / 14.10

300IH 36.70 / 37.90

400IH 51.50 / 53.50

LJ 24 ‘ 6” / 23'

TJ 50’ / 47’ 6”

HJ 6’10 / 6’8”

PV 16’9 / 16’

SP 64’ / 57’6”

Discus 190’ / 170’

Javelin 215’ / 190’

Hammer 225’ / 200’

TRACK AND FIELD WOMEN’S RECRUITING STANDARDS

EVENT SCHOLARSHIP WALK-ON

100m 11.60 / 11.90

200m 23.80 / 24.90

400m 54.00 / 56.50

800m 2:10.00 / 2:14.00

1600m 4:50.00 / 5:00.00

3200m 10:40.00 / 11:00.00

100H 13.80 / 14.40

300IH 42.50 / 44.50

400IH 59.50 / 62.50

LJ 19 ‘ 6” / 18 ‘ 6”

TJ 41’ / 38’

HJ 5’10 / 5’6”

PV 13’ / 12’

SP 50’ / 47’

Discus 160’ / 145’

Javelin 155’ / 130’

Hammer 175’ / 160’

Parent's Corner - College Track and Field Recruiting

Written by Ryan

Ryan’s daughter is a XC/T&F distance runner going into her senior year. Her top six college choices are four Power 5 DI schools, a top 50 DI XC program, and a top 5 DIII program.

Reaching out to coaches at the beginning of the junior year is the right time to begin the recruiting process. Regardless of your child’s level of competitiveness, proactively connecting with a coach is a great way to get on their radar. The introduction email should not be too long, highlighting the strengths of your child athlete, both athletically and academically. Attaching a more detailed student-athlete resume can also provide additional information that can’t be included in the email. Offer to keep the coach updated on the progress of the season. A well written, short, clear and concise email should give the coach enough information to assess the potential of the athlete. Don’t be discouraged if the coaches don’t immediately respond or responds at all. Keep updating the coach on your progress and stay diligent until a coach responds. I will talk later about scheduling UNOFFICIAL VISITS.

One of the most important learnings we experienced was related to the turnover of coaches at universities. After visiting schools, meeting with coaches, and getting to know them, we had no way of predicting how many coaches would be leaving their universities BEFORE the beginning of my daughter’s senior year. In fact, out of the 12 schools we had unofficial visits with or were extensively communicating with, either via email or phone calls, four coaches abruptly left their schools from May to July of this year. It was truly devastating when a coach, who we were just about to schedule admissions pre-reads or official visits, went ghost on all of our communications. Why did they stop talking or responding to emails? Did they no longer want to recruit her? We had so many questions and no answers. Two of the four coaches eventually let us know they’d left their programs, but two said absolutely nothing. Imagine how hard it was to be communicating with coaches and getting excited to be considered for their running programs, just to have that end abruptly. I will talk later about choosing COLLEGES VERSUS COACHES.

As an update on our current recruiting activity, my daughter attended her first DI official visit this past weekend. It was a Sunday to Monday visit, at a school driving distance from our home. It included some running with the team (which was “optional”), lots of local meals with team members, a lunch with coaches, and attending a few classes. It concluded with a parents/coaches meeting where we talked about next steps, an athletic scholarship, and what to expect as we approached NLI (National Letter of Intent) day on November 13th. It was a productive visit and gave us some good insight into what actually happens on an official visit. She has a DIII overnight visit this weekend and four more DI visits to go.

Always feel free to send any questions.

Until next Week!

Ryan

Parents Corner - The First Steps

VOLUME TWO

Written by Ryan

Ryan’s daughter is a XC/T&F distance runner going into her senior year. Her top six college choices are four Power 5 DI schools, a top 50 DI XC program, and a top 5 DIII program.

When we first began to consider the timing on when to start the activity around XC/T&F recruitment, we really had no idea if we were too early or too late. We started the process at the beginning of her junior year and learned it was a perfect time to be reaching out to coaches to begin introductions and dialogue. There are so many resource options out there that offer assistance and guidance to help you, from various websites offering recruitment help, to consultants, to massive database companies that offer education, video training and other software tools. But what I would share with you today, is that the first step is something you can do on your own.

First, look at the schools your teenager wants to consider attending and compare their athletic performance to the Freshman class at those schools. If your child has similar or better high school performance numbers, reach out to the event coach at that school. When we sent emails to Head Coaches, we got very little response, so send your email to the relevant event coach. Most coaches have their email listed on the coach profile page, and if not, search on the athletic staff directory or call the school directly. Coaches want to be reached out to so their email can be easily found.

Second, write an introduction email and begin sending that out to coaches. I will offer more insight on INTRODUCTION EMAILS next week as there are some things we would have definitely changed if we had known better. We are currently heavily focused on receiving official visit invites from coaches and confirming those visits. Depending on the level of recruitment, interaction with and communication with the coach, this can be very easy or extremely frustrating. It is even made more complicated when the coach that was recruiting in the Spring has left the school before the Fall. This has happened to us at five different schools my daughter was talking to, so this is a real issue to have to manage. I will talk about managing COACH TURNOVER next week.

Right now, we have three confirmed visits, two DI official visits and one DIII overnight visit. Each of them was confirmed and booked in different ways. One is with a new coach who we had to quickly email, speak to, and meet with over the summer in order to keep the recruitment possibility active. The other two schools we’d been communicating with via email and telephone. and met with the coach on an unofficial visit over the past 10 months. More to follow on our progress.

Track and Field Recruiting: Making the Most of Your Unofficial Visits

Track and Field Recruiting: Making the Most of Your Unofficial Visits

The NCAA defines an unofficial visit as any visit to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The NCAA permits an unlimited number of unofficial visits – so take advantage of this. If utilized effectively, unofficial visits can be a very helpful learning tool in the recruiting process.

During an unofficial visit, it is typical for a coach to give you a tour of their athletic facilities, talk to you and your parents about their institution, and highlight their program. In addition to this athlete-specific portion of the visit, I advise scheduling a formal campus tour through the admissions office to view the school from a non-athletic perspective.

Email the coach well ahead of time to let them know the specific date that you will be visiting their campus and of your desire to meet with them. Provide the coach with a couple of times you are able to meet -- usually before or after the campus tour. I suggest starting unofficial visits at the completion of your sophomore year. Unofficial visits can help in two primary ways. For a recruited athlete, unofficial visits are critical in gathering information as you begin to narrow down your choices. For a non-recruited athlete, unofficial visits allow you the opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with the coach to tell your story.

If you are a recruited athlete, use this time to learn as much as you can about the program and coaching staff. Identify the factors that will be most important to you in determining if you will return for an official visit. Have a short list of specific questions ready that address your most critical factors. You should view unofficial visits as a means to narrow your choices -- not as a mechanism to determine where you want to go. Keep in mind that during an unofficial visit you are typically only hearing the voice of the coach. Coaches are well versed in knowing what to say and how best to sell their programs. The official visit will prove much more informative.

If you are a non-recruited athlete, the unofficial visit serves an entirely different purpose. Use this time to sell yourself. You have a limited amount of time to convince the coach that you are more than your current PR's. Give them a reason to want to recruit you. Instead of asking a detailed list of questions, use this time to express your keen interest in their program and desire to run competitively in college. Be as low-maintenance as possible.

There is no imposed limit on the number of unofficial visits you may take, so take as many as possible. There is no better tool to help you hone in on the best school/program for you.