Beth Alford-Sullivan talks about recruiting

Francis,
I'm sure seeing you say that you're "their loss" to whoever doesn't recruit you would make other coaches think much more highly of you.

coward nice post but youre wrong...borchers was the 1200 leg of the dmr...tim johnson ran the mile

With all respects, Sam Borchers should probably be running faster than a 4:01 mile split, as he was a 4:04 full miler in high school.

Lion Slayer,
I am happy that you are running well, but cearly your maturity level indicates that you would not have been a good fit for PSU. As she says in the video, there is more to an athlete than just running or just academics. You need to be the total package to fit in at PSU. Maybe they did not feel your personality would fit in well - and by bashing individuals and coaches you are clearly showing that. There is no need to criticize Sam Borchers or any other individual on the team. FYI - he split 4:01 on the DMR that finished 9th at the NCAA meet indoors.

20 20 yes I did get in and yes I do race them. I'm very happy where I'm at and know it was the best choice for me, I agree with the previous poster and don't understand why she is so picky. PSU does very little with the talent they are dealt. The greatest thing Sam Borchers did last year was dress nice for the track shack video. Oh well I guess will see at nationals when it really matters.

ARe you kidding? Ryan is a great interviewer, he's my favorite. And he can interject about his personal experience any time.

And I don't think PSU has any great cross program for the results of the last few years. Surprised she is so picky because it doesn't seem like her recruiting classes are any thing to get excited about.

im an 8:36 3k, 15:18 5k xc, and nxn individual qualifier. this lovely lady would not even return 3 of my emails. thanks a lot. Now im being recruited by the number 2 team in the country right now. Your loss

lion slayer, did you actually get into PSU? I bet if you had you could have walked on the team, but i doubt the coach is going to pull academic strings for every "hopefully will break 9:30 in the future" type or else Penn State would have 30 new walk ons each year. Congrats on your development though, hopefully you're happy where your at and get to race PSU to show how far you've come

I know your going to say none of you or I psu men have raced fast yet, but based off the end of last yr I would have been on it and since they lost top guys I'm assuming they aren't better.

I knew a teammate who went there not asking for any money but simply the chance at being a walk-on, she called several times, finally after persisting, the coach agreed to see her. She turned her away because she had run a 5:05 mile, her senior year and was a "developmental athlete" who had just peaked a little too late for colleges to notice her. Why would you turn away someone who was already accepted and was asking just the chance to walk-on? seems like she has much more of a strict idea of who she wants to key on, and is not exactly "open" to others.

What did Ryan run for the mile in high school?
Maybey 4:17......

Nittany. Joe does not let footballers out for track and when he does they usually stink up the joint because they get too big in the football weight room

Lion Slayer what are you basing your information about being in the top 5 off?

Beth,
Nice job with the program. The future is bright.
With regard to recruiting, you don't have to go far to fill your greatest need - male sprinters and jumpers - and it won't even cost you any scholarship money. Just walk over to Lasch Building and talk to AJ Price, Derrick Moye, Knowledge Timmons, Devon Smith, and others. You might have to work on JoePa first ;)

Ryan..add some spark to your voices. Prepare your questions before. Don't tell us about your high school experience...be a more engaging interviewer!

I can answer one of those questions Dave .. she is looking for middle distance runners who can run XC also...Lion Slayer look at it from her point of view... how can she risk a spot on a 9:30. runner.. One of my runners just left Happy Valley two weeks ago... they make PSU look very inviting...

I got rejected from PSU and this lovely lady, A give me a call when you run 930 or faster type email. Well Beth Sullivan, I would be in your top five right now, thanks for not looking though.

Dave has hit the nail on the head

Dave = dead on

Go Dave. This was very vague, "keep knocking on the door" , "give us a call." Come on. . . Very little specific info given, and very little insite into Penn State.

What Dave said.

Penn State is a fine school and I am sure she is a great coach, but I was hoping for a little more "meat" in this.

This is the second interview with a head college coach recently about recruiting.
Every top, and near the top, track athlete watches flotrack. I suspect their parents too. Is there not more to say than “we want kids who are passionate about academics too”? It is Penn State after all. Academics go with the territory.
Here is what I would like to hear from the college coaches about recruiting:
How many kids do you target?
How many kids that you target do you get?
What events do you target? I know Pat Henry at TAMU wants jumpers and sprinters. Dave Smith at OK State wants distance. What about the other teams?
How big is the team?
How many walk-ons vs. scholarship?
How many kids who walk on can see some scholarship money?
Any full rides?
Exactly what does a half-scholarship mean?
Does your school help with athletic housing or do all these track shacks happen on their own?
How many kids graduate from your program?
How many kids compete all 4/5 years while at school?
The kids who do not make it the whole way – why do you see them dropping out?
What do you wish kids / parents knew about the recruiting process?
How do the scholarship opportunities for track/XC compare to other sports?
If a kid is a top 100 basketball players in the country, they make the McDonalds All American camp and hear all this. What do the runners have besides flotrack?

very good. As she said some people are very academically focused and look at the school for education and the running will figure its self out. Those that are athletically focused should look more at the education. I mean she said it is important for the next 4 years of your life but in reality your education is important for the rest of your life. I agree that when looking at a college you should also look at the coaches philosophy and see what they can do for you. Finally i really suggest that one look for a place where they are comfortable and where they can fit in. when you walk on that team or campus you should feel at home.

Nice lady.