Run-Down Forums

[Distance_Guru]

I think that there is a ton of good running talent in the Californa high schools and junior colleges. Unfortunatly do to the limited size of my budget I tend to stick pretty close to home when it comes to recruiting, mainly Nebraska, although I do recruit in Wyoming, Kansas, Missiouri, and Iowa.

Of coarse that could be one of those nasty preconcieved notions of mine. That you need to throw scholarship money at kids from the other side of the country.

Dan do D3 schools recruit out of JC's much and how much long distance (as in where an athlete is from) do those schools do? Without some scholarship money to offer recruits from far away I feel like I'm waisting their time.
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

I'm sure there are a lot of recruiting differences between D2 and D3. At a D3 school like Willamette, a major recruiting tool is the academics which pulls people in from just about anywhere. Being a private school, there's no extra appeal to in state vs. out of state, so the only limiting factor is learning of distant (not "distance" ) athletes and making contact. The Idaho/Montana area seems to be ripe for picking good athletes at this level.

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

As is Wyoming, with UW being the only 4 year school in the state.
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

I haven't heard of a whole lot of good athletes from Wyoming, but I'm sure the few that there are don't have a lot of schools competing for them.

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

Wyoming actually is pretty good for track and field especially if you consider that they have the lowest population in the US. They over the last decade or so have definatly been better over all at T&F than NM. For years Cambell County HS in Gillette WY has had awesome distance runners including Alicia Craig who was a monster in high school and is now running for Stanford. From what I understand that coach has left so I don't know where that leaves them. But overall they produce a lot of D2 and D3 level athletes that are pretty much forced to either leave the state or not compete in college.
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Paul]

I'm a bit late in my congratulations on hitting the World Class posting status. I noticed a couple of days ago you were in the high 990's.

Paul

[Distance_Guru]

Thanks, I consider it a true indicator of how much I like to talk even when I have to type it out
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

And as we know, you haven't been running much lately, which fits fairly well into my theory of being injured produces a rise in posting frequency.

Dan

[Distance_Guru]

Just a little trivia here but how about Alicia Craig, she finished 2nd at the NCAA cross country championships earlier today. She must have read my post
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Time is the fire in which we burn

[coachd]

DG--Just a note... Craig was actually third (I'm sure because I got her right in an NCAA prediction contest on another website (that shall remain nameless)...

As for recruiting, you've got the beautiful, vast, treeless hills of Nebraska to attract those California kids! "Hey, wanna see the world's largest ball of barbed-wire?"...oops, I forgot--that's in Kansas. One thing you do have is that Nebraska kids actually look at UNK as a good school. We won't go into a compare and contrast essay here about UNK and NMHU...

...However, you do have the "Fun Bus"...I think this could potentially be the greatest recruiting tool at your disposal. Now, those of you reading this are probably a little bit confused and far be it from me to give away any of DG's secrets...but...there is a story to tell.

Imagine DG talking up the most beautiful girl (of many) in a bar in one of our college towns out west. He has her complete and rapt attention (no Hammer, I am not making this up!) and it's her [/u]birthday...last call comes and she and her friends prepare to leave. DG and three nameless associates climb into the "Fun Bus" and scream around the block to park in front of the bar. {Note--the "fun bus" looks exactly like the SafeRide vans for drunk college students in said college town}

The friends come out of the bar and DG opens the door to the van. One girl gets in and another friend leans into the window and tells DG..."when we get in let's all sing Happy Birthday"...DG just grins and nods.

Now, one more thing---the "Fun Bus" has a sign overhead that flashes "ENJOY YOUR STAY" (guess they got it cheap from some hotel or something)

As the first girl gets in and sits down, DG (or someone else) begins flashing the ENJOY YOUR STAY sign...girl #1 looks up and says, "What the hell is this, this ain't our ride"...friend #2 looks in the van and asks, "Where's Patty?"...DG's friend from the bar starts walking down the street with some friends as girl #1 and friend #2 clamber out of the van with some not so kind words for the "Fun Bus" and it's occupants...funny as hell. The "Fun Bus" has been involved in other escapades---driving through the middle of a riot comes to mind, but ...

The point being...you bring a Nebraska farm boy for a visit to Kearney, take him around in the "Fun Bus" and let the women just climb on in...how's he not gonna like Kearney?

[Distance_Guru]

The fun bus (a van the university had donaited, and it does have a light up sign that says Enjoy Your Stay) might be my greatest recruiting tool ever concieved

In all seriousness though every time coachd and I get together the night before meets a good time is had by all.

And I wouldn't call what we drove through a riot... just a large gathering of aggitated young people who'd had to much to drink.
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Time is the fire in which we burn