S26 is a middle distance runner, hoping for a D1 recruiting spot, preferably in the SEC. He is not quite there for the schools at the top of his list (at least with published recruiting standards). Currently PR is 2.01 in 800m and 4:33 for the 1600m. He is a strong student at a university lab school, 4.0 unweighted, taking AP/Honors classes. We will see how he does on the ACT. My question-I think the strategy should be to apply to schools he would attend even without track and not bank on getting recruited? I think he should also expand his list but he is adamant about staying in the South and going D1. We will see what his junior and senior year bring. He is fast but not sure if he is SEC recruiting fast.
1 Like
He sounds like a wonderful student athlete.
It’s a great goal, and he has plenty of time to grow and improve.
All the SEC schools have great academics, so any academic or professional goal can be realized as well. He’d be in running for academic scholarships.
1 Like
Absolutely yes.
Thoughts @politeperson?
4 Likes
Are you sure D1 is 100% the right option? With his GPA and times- he is definitely in the “in” for NESCAC, and probably for a MIT/UChicago.
The D1 kids, but more specifically SEC kids, will be running in the 1:53 range for the 800m and 4:20 in the 1600 before they enter college.
D3 will allow him to focus on academics and athletics.
Check out this link. Might be of use.
1 Like
I have a DS25 mid-distance track recruit. We are from the south and he would prefer the south for school, but it isn’t a absolute must. He has very high stats. Regarding SEC schools, he contacted about 1/2 of them and is being recruited by 2. One SEC school he originally had contact with told him they will need to reduce their team numbers and take fewer freshman because of the NCAA settlement. He is also being recruited by some Ivies and Ivy-equivalent schools, a few mid-majors in desirable locations, and, at my insistence, a couple D3 schools that would be a good fit (except he would be the fastest on the team). I suggest looking at the rosters for the schools he is interested in and see what times those students ran their junior year. That is just a start, however, because some of those kids are walk-ons and I’m not sure there will be as many walk-ons with the unknown implications of the ncaa settlement. Some schools post their time standards and that is useful too. One issue we did not anticipate - some SEC (and other D1 state schools) almost exclusively have kids from their state. They’ll have some superstars from Jamaica or Kenya and the rest of the roster is in-state kids. My son hasn’t been able to get the coaches from those teams to respond to emails at all. Anyway, I suggest widening the search a lot if your son insists on running NCAA (mine does). If he would be happy to run club, you can stick to the SEC. Also, I’m not going to post my son’s times, but if you DM me I’ll share and I’m happy to answer any other questions.
3 Likes
I think you have the correct perspective at this point. He’s probably in a position where he’ll need to apply widely and hope to walk on. That might also require expanding the list quite a bit to include non-SEC schools, D2s and D3s. Club running can be a great option too.
I’m not one to tell athletes what they can’t do. And yes, boys can improve a lot in a year at that age. But it’s extremely unlikely a 2:01 rising Junior will improve enough to get much recruiting attention at SEC schools. Pretty unlikely at most D1s to be honest. But walk-on chances are theoretically possible, and club at schools that have them. (The roster pressures mentioned above are very real at these schools).
There are a lot of great schools out there so expanding the list would be useful and is something he can control. He has limited control over what his PB will be in a year; hard work, dedication, desire, and physical growth will all help with improvement but will not necessarily be sufficient for what he wants.
5 Likes
This is why I mentioned NESCACs, if they’re culturally a fit for OP. He would likely get coach support and has the grades to do so.
1 Like
I don’t think the NESCAC schools or MIT/UChicago are a cultural fit for a kid who wants to stay in the south and attend an SEC school. Just my opinion.
3 Likes
You’re probably right about that.
What about a WUSTL or Emory?
Without knowing any info about training, physical development, etc., getting down to an SEC-recruitable 800 from a 2:01 in one year is a reach goal, but it has been done before.
An important question to answer is whether he wants to go to an SEC school because he wants to be an SEC track athlete, or because he wants to watch SEC football games. Nothing wrong with either ambition, but the advice will be different.
4 Likes
I know you know this but bares repeating… you should always only apply to school where you would attend without the sport, and that includes where you commit. You never know what the future will bring and no one knows for sure they will be able to stick with their sport all four years.
OP, I think for an athlete it’s just as important to have athletic safeties as academic safeties. It’s early days for your son and having a choice is better than no choice. It doesn’t mean you have to take that choice. Maybe down the line (trust me… there is SO much growing up in the next year), he’d prefer to continue his sport in a NE school than give up his sport in a southern school. Or maybe D3 is preferable to no sport. Or maybe it’s not. He can choose down the line. Right now, figure out what is truly non negotiable (for us was academics) and cast a wide net.
8 Likes
One of the hard parts of the process IMO is that you really have to do twice the work. Until you commit, you have to do the recruiting thing, but IN PARALLEL you have to do the regular applicant process, where you are a student and your sport is just an EC no different than theater, student government, etc…
You should, anyway.
2 Likes
My brothers kid ran at a northeast D1 program last year and transferred to a NESCAC to run D3 this year. My brother’s advice is not to settle on a division, but rather to shop multiple programs across D1, D2, and D3 and find the right fit where your running will benefit and you will mesh with the coach.
On his D1 team, he liked the coach but the coach just wanted to get to certain championships to get the program recognition so he only ran certain upperclass kids. You can check this by looking at the rosters and the meet results. Most of the other kids ran maybe every 3rd or 4th meet and it was unpredictable. This hurt his times since he did better when he was competing regularly - and it was something he did not expect.
At D3 instead, he will run every meet and likely make pre-nationals or maybe nationals.
3 Likes
Thank you! Yes, we’ve looked at Runcruit. I am trying to encourage him to look outside D1. I will check out NESCAC. I would really like him to get outside of the South where he has grown up and experience a different part of the country but I am not imposing that on him, just encouraging him to cast a wide net. He is scared of the cold too-we went to the Midwest for Thanksgiving and he HATED running in 40 degree weather, haha.
1 Like
He is a junior next year-if he doesn’t get to the SEC 800 times until his senior year, is that too late? I’m not quite sure if schools look at junior track times only or will consider senior times?
Great question-I think a little of both. The closest SEC school to us is LSU. He would LOVE a spot on the roster and would go there in a heartbeat, even as a walk on or tryout (we’re in state). He is a huge Tigers fan (for football and track) and would love to be able to go to games and wear the singlet.
Really good advice, thank you. If my son ends up not running, that would not be good. He has friends who have signed with Colgate and Roanoke (I think both D3?) and they love it.
Great insight and info, I appreciate it. I have looked at some of the rosters and it’s confusing sometimes-their times aren’t what the recruiting standards are on the school’s website or Runcruit, so I am not sure how accurate they all are? Yes, will DM you, if that’s ok, thanks!
1 Like
Hi! thank you for the offer to share your son’s stats. Would be interesting to compare. My son is the fastest on his team right now and in the top 20 for his age for his events in the state, so I think he is pretty fast but maybe not for d1.
1 Like
Keep in mind also the schedule of D1 teams. My nephew is up at 5:30-6am, runs before class, has his classes chosen for him, runs/lifts after class, then has dinner, does some books, and is in bed around 9:30pm. Then all the traveling to meets.
On the D1 team, there is not as much time to really enjoy the big rah-rah school. It may not be the experience he thinks it will be.
1 Like
Colgate is D1
2 Likes