@arbitrary99 …It would be a rare exception if an Ivy track or distance person would be good enough to be scholarship level at a USC (track) or Stanford (distance) , or other top D1 for example…
I had a kid that was a track recruit, went to a HYP, but was also strongly recruited by many the D1 schools including the schools that you mentioned. Their interest was a top academic school so only looked at the top schools.
I do not think they were an exception on the track team. I believe that there were other athletes/recruits like them on the team.
I think it can also depend a bit on the particular Ivy
…“Same thing is true of basketball players…” Certainly the Ivy’s cannot recruit and get all the same kids or the depth of most upper D1 basketball programs but they can certainly pluck away some D1 recruiting talent, especially a top Ivy. In basketball one or two players can go a long way.
I also do not think you can compare the more niche sport recruits in the Ivies with the more mainstream sports. There are 1000s of more kids playing hoop, running track, soccer, etc. than fencing, squash or even rowing.