NCAA XC Class Recruiting Class Countdown #4: Furman University Men
NCAA XC Class Recruiting Class Countdown #4: Furman University Men
National championships aren’t gift-wrapped. Though these perennial powerhouses may have their appeal, recruiting isn’t easy. Neither is signing.
The fall will soon be upon us and Flotrack is ranking the top NCAA recruiting classes for the fall. Who will have an immediate impact on a team’s top five? What team is built for longevity?
The Furman University Paladins
All statistics are based on the ASICS Fast 100 Rankings. The cutoff times selected were the 100th fastest marks in the country last season. See the complete list here.
# of sub-15:30 5k - 5
# of sub-9:08 3200m – 3
# of sub-4:13 1600m – 3
# of sub-1:53 800m – 1
# of NXN / FL Qualifiers – 1
You know in elementary school when you’re first introduced to the Five Ws (and one H)? It’s the basic tenet of gathering information. The questions were memorialized in Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Just So Stories,” which is why it’s sometimes refereed to as the “Kipling Method.” There – now you know two things about Kipling.
I’ll just consolidate the six questions into “Who/What is Furman University?” and “When/Where/Why/How did they get the fourth best recruiting class in the country?”
Nestled in Greenville, South Carolina (and 30 miles north of Clemson University, according to alumnus Ryan Fenton), sits Furman University. The team’s head cross country and track and field coach Robery Gary doesn’t just coach the Paladins, but a professional developmental group as well. You may have heard the name Furman Elite, but you may not have been sure who was training out in The Palmetto State.
The members of the elite team are listed below, but that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to find out why Furman University beat out nearly every other distance running powerhouse to become number four on our recruiting countdown.
Note: We had written this piece yesterday, but were sent results from Furman’s XC Classic this morning (Saturday). The Paladins scored 35 points and beat High Point, Duke, Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Clemson. Full results here.
Josh Brickell (Suwanee, GA); Peachtree Ridge HS
View full Fast 100 rankings
Brickell has been a dominant force in Georgia, to say the least. He was the state’s Gatorade Back-to-Back Runner of the Year (2011 and 2012) and won three-consecutive state cross country championships. He also qualified for Foot Locker in ’11 (finished eighth) and ’12 (DNF). On the track, he was the GA 3200m state champion at 3200m his sophomore and junior year and has run 14:46.35 for 5k.
’13 Furman XC Classic: N/A
Brock Baker (Murfreesboro, TN); Oakland HS
View full Fast 100 rankings
800m – 48th
1600m – 8th
3200m – 11th
He was his class valedictorian, prom king, and dubbed “King of the Track” one week by Marc Bloom. "With the purity of a young Jim Ryun together with the cunning of a Marty Liquori, Baker is poised to try for a 4-minute mile later this season,” Bloom said of the 800/1600/3200m Tennessee state champion back in May. That's quite the compliment, especially from Bloom.
Baker is an absolute beast and incredible addition for the Paladins. We’re pretty sure he was originally committed to the University of Oklahoma, but with some big coaching changes that happened at UO, he’s now down in South Carolina.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 24:16.65, 12th overall, and Furman’s 5th man.
Troy Reeder (Fishers, IN); Hamilton Southeastern HS
View full Fast 100 rankings
1600m - 17th
After taking second at the Indiana state championship 1600m as a junior, Reeder came back to win the event his senior year. He finished third at the state cross country meet that fall and has a lifetime best of 15:19.70 for 5k on the grass.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 24:04.80, 4th overall, and Furman’s 2nd man.
Photo: Leo Collins, Milesplit
Connor Sorrells (Montgomery, IN); Barr Reeve HS
View full Fast 100 rankings
3200m – 80th
Speaking of Hoosiers, Furman also picked up Indiana’s ’12 Gatorade Runner of the Year. Sorrells won the state cross country meet as a senior and took second in the 3200m as a junior.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 24:15.11, 10th overall, and Furman’s 4th man.
Photo: Leo Collins, Milesplit
Tanner Hinkle (Mason, MI); Mason HS
View full Fast 100 rankings
Michiganders, man. They’re good. Hinkle was the runner-up at his ’12 state cross country championships and won the state 3200m as a senior. His most impressive mark was a 14:34 seventh place finish at the ’13 New Balance Outdoor National 5k.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 23:53.87, 2nd overall, and Furman’s 1st man.
Photo: glcrosscountry.com
The Furman Elite Roster (from coach Robert Gary)
CORY LESLIE
3:34/1500 (A-standard), 8:20/steeple (2nd fastest American 2013)
JEFF SEE
3:35/1500, 13:29/5000
NICOLE BUSH
9:39/steeple (A-standard) & 2013 USATF STEEPLE CHAMPION
HEIDI GREGSON
Member of Australian 4 x 800 national record at Penn Relays, 4:13/1500, 2:04/800
JACK BOLAS
3:35/1500
MICHAEL HAMMOND
NEW Virginia Tech graduate – 3:39/3:58 … All-American, USATF 1500 Finalist
CRAIG FORYS
NEW Michigan graduate. 8:28/steeple, runner-up NCAA steeple, Big 10 meet record holder … finals USATF Steeplechase
STEPHANIE GARCIA
NEW Virginia graduate. 9:41/steeple … 2011 World Team … USATF steeple finalist
The fall will soon be upon us and Flotrack is ranking the top NCAA recruiting classes for the fall. Who will have an immediate impact on a team’s top five? What team is built for longevity?
The Furman University Paladins
All statistics are based on the ASICS Fast 100 Rankings. The cutoff times selected were the 100th fastest marks in the country last season. See the complete list here.
# of sub-15:30 5k - 5
# of sub-9:08 3200m – 3
# of sub-4:13 1600m – 3
# of sub-1:53 800m – 1
# of NXN / FL Qualifiers – 1
You know in elementary school when you’re first introduced to the Five Ws (and one H)? It’s the basic tenet of gathering information. The questions were memorialized in Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Just So Stories,” which is why it’s sometimes refereed to as the “Kipling Method.” There – now you know two things about Kipling.
I’ll just consolidate the six questions into “Who/What is Furman University?” and “When/Where/Why/How did they get the fourth best recruiting class in the country?”
Nestled in Greenville, South Carolina (and 30 miles north of Clemson University, according to alumnus Ryan Fenton), sits Furman University. The team’s head cross country and track and field coach Robery Gary doesn’t just coach the Paladins, but a professional developmental group as well. You may have heard the name Furman Elite, but you may not have been sure who was training out in The Palmetto State.
The members of the elite team are listed below, but that’s not why you’re here. You’re here to find out why Furman University beat out nearly every other distance running powerhouse to become number four on our recruiting countdown.
Note: We had written this piece yesterday, but were sent results from Furman’s XC Classic this morning (Saturday). The Paladins scored 35 points and beat High Point, Duke, Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Clemson. Full results here.
Josh Brickell (Suwanee, GA); Peachtree Ridge HSView full Fast 100 rankings
Brickell has been a dominant force in Georgia, to say the least. He was the state’s Gatorade Back-to-Back Runner of the Year (2011 and 2012) and won three-consecutive state cross country championships. He also qualified for Foot Locker in ’11 (finished eighth) and ’12 (DNF). On the track, he was the GA 3200m state champion at 3200m his sophomore and junior year and has run 14:46.35 for 5k.
’13 Furman XC Classic: N/A
Brock Baker (Murfreesboro, TN); Oakland HSView full Fast 100 rankings
800m – 48th
1600m – 8th
3200m – 11th
He was his class valedictorian, prom king, and dubbed “King of the Track” one week by Marc Bloom. "With the purity of a young Jim Ryun together with the cunning of a Marty Liquori, Baker is poised to try for a 4-minute mile later this season,” Bloom said of the 800/1600/3200m Tennessee state champion back in May. That's quite the compliment, especially from Bloom.
Baker is an absolute beast and incredible addition for the Paladins. We’re pretty sure he was originally committed to the University of Oklahoma, but with some big coaching changes that happened at UO, he’s now down in South Carolina.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 24:16.65, 12th overall, and Furman’s 5th man.
Troy Reeder (Fishers, IN); Hamilton Southeastern HSView full Fast 100 rankings
1600m - 17th
After taking second at the Indiana state championship 1600m as a junior, Reeder came back to win the event his senior year. He finished third at the state cross country meet that fall and has a lifetime best of 15:19.70 for 5k on the grass.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 24:04.80, 4th overall, and Furman’s 2nd man.
Photo: Leo Collins, Milesplit
Connor Sorrells (Montgomery, IN); Barr Reeve HSView full Fast 100 rankings
3200m – 80th
Speaking of Hoosiers, Furman also picked up Indiana’s ’12 Gatorade Runner of the Year. Sorrells won the state cross country meet as a senior and took second in the 3200m as a junior.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 24:15.11, 10th overall, and Furman’s 4th man.
Photo: Leo Collins, Milesplit
Tanner Hinkle (Mason, MI); Mason HSView full Fast 100 rankings
Michiganders, man. They’re good. Hinkle was the runner-up at his ’12 state cross country championships and won the state 3200m as a senior. His most impressive mark was a 14:34 seventh place finish at the ’13 New Balance Outdoor National 5k.
’13 Furman XC Classic: 23:53.87, 2nd overall, and Furman’s 1st man.
Photo: glcrosscountry.com
The Furman Elite Roster (from coach Robert Gary)
CORY LESLIE
3:34/1500 (A-standard), 8:20/steeple (2nd fastest American 2013)
JEFF SEE
3:35/1500, 13:29/5000
NICOLE BUSH
9:39/steeple (A-standard) & 2013 USATF STEEPLE CHAMPION
HEIDI GREGSON
Member of Australian 4 x 800 national record at Penn Relays, 4:13/1500, 2:04/800
JACK BOLAS
3:35/1500
MICHAEL HAMMOND
NEW Virginia Tech graduate – 3:39/3:58 … All-American, USATF 1500 Finalist
CRAIG FORYS
NEW Michigan graduate. 8:28/steeple, runner-up NCAA steeple, Big 10 meet record holder … finals USATF Steeplechase
STEPHANIE GARCIA
NEW Virginia graduate. 9:41/steeple … 2011 World Team … USATF steeple finalist
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