TrackField Recruiting

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longhorns06

100+ Posts
I can mention a commitment since it's been announced:

Ryan Dohner (Klein Oak) Commits to Bubba and the Men T&F squad!

Just wanted ppl to know that Prezel Hardy committment is for track (as previously mentioned in earlier thread)
The Link
 
That's great news, thanks for posting longhorns06. I am really excited about the women's incoming class also; in addition to the nation's top recruit, Chalonda Goodman, I noticed a couple of other additions to the roster that should really bolster the squad. As far as Goodman goes, I don't know if anyone posted this previously, but in June she won the Nike national meet in both the 100 and 200 for the third consecutive year. Even more impressively in the 200 she broke Sanya Richard's national meet record, and in the 100 broke the meet record that had been held jointly by Muna Lee and two ex-Horns, Richards and Alexandria Anderson. I went back and looked at the past results and when she won both events as a sophomore in '07, she beat seniors Tiffany Townsend and Gaby Mayo in the 100 final, and then beat Townsend again in the 200. Goodman just might be the top recruit the Horns have ever signed, and that's really saying something!

As far as the other additions to the squad, I noticed that sophomore Kendra Chambers has transfered from UTEP. She was 5A state champion in the 400 in 2008 and has a personal best of 53.64. We also have Alicia Peterson coming in, who finished top 2 in the state in the 400 as a freshman, sophomore and senior (she also won the state high jump crown). Depth in the 400 had been a hallmark of some of our best teams in the past, and we already had four sub 55 runners returning, including three legs of last year's NCAA champion quartet. With the newcomers the Horns now have six sub 55 sec runners on the squad (three sub 54 and one with a 52.90 PR). It's been a few years since the Horns have had so much quality depth and it ought to be fun to see how the team develops.
 
Chalonda Goodman could be the next face at the 2012 Olympics (prolly 2016). She is an incredible athlete who's extremely coachable. I believe a lot of ppl are seeing her as the star of the new batch for America. She is extremely versatile like Sanya Richards.... I felt Alexandria Anderson was versatile too w/ 400 possibly being her best event (despite rarely focusing on it). I'm glad AA finally had her breakthrough her senior yr.

I know Chalonda and her family is big on education. She's a extremely smart and class-act girl and I would be more than happy to have Chalonda stick around for 4 yrs.... It's too bad Bianca Knight pulled the trigger to go pro early. I hope Chalonda will soon have a fellow teammate for a training partner... but something tells me Bev might have have a star short sprinter if things work out in the next yr...

The 400/400H runners will be interesting.. more than a handful to work with: Stacey-Ann Smith, Alicia Peterson, Judy Nwusu, Chantel Malone, Kendra Chambers... Angele Cooper, Ashley Starks, Destiny Lumas, Taylor Mockler.... I believe some of the recruits we are looking at have solid 400 times as well. So our 400 core could get even stronger... I think the hurdlers could surprise people this yr..... Last yr people were saying watch out for Angele as she was prolly the diamond in the rough of the 2009 group. I think she has now vaulted herself as potential All-American...... Ashley Starks proved a lot of ppl she belongs in the All-conference group and seems to be determined this yr. I think she could make the biggest improvement this yr and surprise people again. Destiny was a star hurdler in HS, and now that she finally has time to train off-season in college, i think she could possibly put herself in nationals with the 2 girls.... Taylor could be a great development story too.
 
It would be nice to see Chalonda stay for a full four years, though I don't hold it against Marshavet or Sanya for going pro when they did. Hooker stayed three years and won multiple NCAA individual and team titles and Richards stayed two seasons. Bianca is another story; she didn't even last a full-season, and apparently hasn't done very well on the circuit. I think her times are quite a bit slower as a professional than they were during her brief stint at Texas. She should have stuck with Bev and the Horns!
 
Agreed, Knight should have stayed a couple of years. He leaving early really hurt the team. Staying for 1/2 a semester (1 indoor season) was somewhat strange. Hopefully she gets her pro career in gear.
 
do you guys expect a busy first dayof signing for men/women? Hardy still on board I assume---he is critical. Might women be looking again at VJ?
 
Depth wins conference and national team championships. I hope there is something behind these guys.
 
Depth wins Conference Championships...SEE NEBRASKA! NU used to win the conference all the time and completely $uck at nationals.

Quality wins NCAA Championships...SEE TEXAS WOMEN...2006-2007. Won NCAA with just 6 or 7 girls.
 
Big xii is changing big time. There use to be a few good teams with stacked rosters. Now u have lots of teams who can score in multiple events. A&M has a crazy roster and will for the next few yrs, but even TT has some great sprinters now. Big xii has beefed up and so it's gonna take a combo of depth and star players to succeed.

Bubba is finally getting much needed sprinters. We did lose Devon bond who is a valuable HJ and TJ, but he def has a well rounded roster soon.

Bev seems to have a core 400/400H. If she can pull in the recruits, they'll be very good next yr
 
Prezel Hardy was incredible at the state meet this year. First he almost ran down Marquise Goodwin on the anchor leg of the sprint relay, coming from way back to get 2nd for his team. Then he beat Goodwin in the 100, running a 10.08 to Goodwin's 10.24. He beat the national record of 10.15, but the 2.2 wind was barely over the legal limit.
 
Some more committments I can mention:

Nathan Christensen
Alex Lugo
Will Nation
Devon Snacks
John Trucilla

Marielle Hall


These are pretty big time committments. The recruiting class for both squads should be really good this yr.
 
This is great news especially since Destinee will not be here for her senior year. Hopefully they can work hard and beat the Aggies in the State Farm Showdown and challenge for the Big 12 and NC.
hookem.gif
 
Don't hold your breath for us to beat the aggroids in track anytime soon. They just signed #1 recruiting classes in both men & women for 2010. Henry is lapping both Bev & Bubba single handedly.
pukey.gif
 
Glad... Bev & Bubba are doing their thang. They have done really well with their rosters and am proud of all the graduates who have done well after UT. Did u see all the UT reps at USA Nat'l??

I kinda question Pat Henry's recruiting and such (eeen during LSU days)....

That said. Bubba and Bev do it right! And every yr ppl say this is a down yr, they do better than ppl's expectations. If all the pieces align this yr, both men and women should have a huge class!!
 
What fraction of a scholarship is normally given for a T&F athlete? I know it probably varies, but what are the normal ranges? There are a lot of names on the roster, but there's no telling how many are walk-ons.
 
Bev has some great sprinters that are considering UT. She'll keep this program going. Hooker leaving for Pro ball will hurt them this yr as a team, but she will be fine aftewards. She should get a big class this yr.... so is Bubba so far.
 
We should have had a 4x100 team had LaKeidra not left.... The 4x1 squad was making some progress.... I bet no one would have thought the 4x400 would have even scored at nationals... look at what happened. They won the NCAA outdoors... Just wait til signing day. People will be pleased about the men's program. I have a feeling about the same w/ Bev's women's class
 
overseas,

I stand behind my comment. If you want some commentary, try this on for size:

2006 Big 12 Indoor Championship
1) Texas - 125 points; eventual National Champs
8) Texas A&M - 56.5 points

2006 Big 12 Outdoor Championship
1) Texas - 132 points; eventual 3rd place nationally
2) Texas A&M - 111.50 points

2007 Big 12 Indoor Championship
1) Texas A&M - 141 points
2) Texas - 104 points

2007 Big 12 Outdoor Championship
1) Texas A&M - 140 points
3) Texas - 89 points

2008 Big 12 Indoor Championship
1) Texas A&M - 119.25 points
4) Texas - 79 points

2008 Big 12 Outdoor Championship
1) Texas A&M - 157 points
7) Texas - 59 points

2009 Big 12 Indoor Championship
1) Texas A&M - 130 points
5) Texas - 83.5 points

2009 Big 12 Outdoor Championship
1) Texas A&M - 126.5 points; eventual national champs
5) Texas - 79 points

Now, I understand that conference versus the NCAA meets are very different. At the national level, one or two elite level athletes will help you finish in the top 5 team rankings. Obviously, that isn't the case at the conference meets, where depth across the board is a necessity. I remember the days when Bev's teams had both . . .
 
At this point, comparing A&M squad to any squad is crazy. They are going to be good for the next couple of years. They have athletes who placed in the olympics and they have depth.
If A&M was in any other conference, they would win by a landslide. Depth in BIG XII in general is huge and is unlike most other conference. You got even llke Nebraska, Baylor, etc... who could possibly win other conference titles. They just don't have one or two elite athletes that can dominate events for NCAAs. (especially short sprinters, who can usually gain valuable points in at least 2 individual plus 1 relay event).

Pat Henry has made it even more difficult to recruit now that he is in A&M. He's gonna get his athletes.... I am glad Bev and Bubba recruit the right way though. Bev had to change her recruiting a lil bit. I don't want to name one particular class, but there was a recruiting class that just didn't pan out. They were suppose to be the foundation for 4 yrs but it just didn't work out at all.

You also have Steve Sisson who is a great up and coming XC/distance coach who I feel Bev really trusts and is allowing him to do his own thing. She has changed her team focus now into distance as well, which changed her recruiting philosophy. It's definitely paying off. The Team chemistry in XC is great and he is starting to get the elite recruits i.e. Marielle Hall (and believe an upcoming State XC is serious about us too).
Bev is getting her groove back and her upcoming signing class will be good.

I haven't followed the women's bball all that much, but if u can give GG some praise, i don't see how it's any different for T&F. You can say GG is still in transition, but when u are an olympic coach and elite College coach, players follow u regardless. She's gonna get her recruits too. They are doing their thing. BIG XII is just getting that much harder but they'll find ways to come out on top.
 
Mooooo, everyone is aware the Horns have't performed as well at the Big12 Championships the past few seasons and that lack of depth is largely responsible for this. That's why they finished 5th at the conference meet last year and a few weeks later finished 4th at the NCAA Championships. There are a lot of programs that have won conference titles this season or last, and a few boast back-to-back league championships. None of them won a national title, however. Ultimate success is measured in terms of national championships and you can't argue with women's T&F's achievements on that front. My post speaks to that. There are many Horn programs that have won multiple league titles since 1998 and never brought home an NCAA Championship; Bev has delivered 6. And everyone of those other programs would trade a dozen conference championships for a single NCAA title. I still say your comment was inflammatory and not intended to specifically address conference results or lack therof the past few seasons. When there are so many teams that have come close but couldn't deliver the ultimate prize I don't understand why you are so critical of our most successful program.
 
longhorns06 is just making a comment about A&M having a deep and talented squad at this point, but to say that Bev hasn't put up a fight the past few years is ridiculous. She has still brought in big name recruits and done well at the NCAA meet. Criticism about lack of depth and the increased competition from A&M probably caused her to make some adjustments and I think everyone agrees she has done a great job of addressing some areas, including depth in the 400. We won the NCAA title last season in the 4X400 with three freshmen on the squad, and have added several more top quarter-milers this season. Every need can't be addressed in every class but she is doing what she needs to as quickly as she can. You highlight a recruit who transfered but there are always athletes who transfer out of all programs, and the same is true at every school. We also had a top athlete transfer into the program this season.

Not only did we win the 4X400 last season with three newcomers, we also had a freshman make the final of the 400H (the only frosh to do so if I remember correctly). That is why we continue to attract big name recruits...Bev brings out the best in her talent. And the Horns had been ranked as low as 16th during the Indoor season but ended up finishing 4th at last year's NCAA meet. Outdoor champion A&M had tons of depth and were huge favorites entering the meet...no team was even close to them in the rankings...and they ended up finishing 2nd. The fact is you can win championships when you're not supposed to, as has happend with Bev in the past, and can lose them when you are heavily favored.

Your comments (this program is sinking at an alarming pace) make it sound as though the program has fallen off the face of the map. The Horns have competed in six NCAA meets since winning back-to-back national championships in 2005 and 2006. The have finished top 5 in three of these and top 10 in five of the six. Those are great results for any program, much less one that is supposedly rebuilding and admittedly lacks depth in some areas, including the short sprints. It is also worthwhile to point out that our six NCAA championships since 1998, more than any school in the country during the same timeframe - and best of any Horn program by a wide margin - could have been considerably more had ahtletes like Sanya Richards, Marshavet Hooker and Bianca Knight not left early to turn pro. But I am thrilled we had such high calibre athletes regardless of how long they stayed; all are great ambassadors and continue to bring prestige to the program.

As I said before I don't understand why you are critical of our most successful program, and coach. No program can win a conference or NCAA title every year, but Bev and women's track have won far more than most. And every program has years where they aren't as strong, but even the past few seasons have been good in terms of individual performances and team finishes. How many programs would like to say they finsihed top 5 during a down year, as happend with Bev and the Horns as both NCAA meets last season. No one is questioning the fact that A&M has some great athletes and has done well the past few years; and while they only have one national title to show for it there is a good chance they will add to that this season. The Horns also have some great talent, though perhaps not enough to finish near the top this time around...we'll have to wait and see. But to answer your question I certainly see us winning another championship within the next 4 years, if not sooner. Given our top 4 and 5 team finishes in 2009 in what most considered an off year, we were only a couple of sprinters and a 4x100 away from taking another title last season.

Since winning her first title at Texas in 98 Bev has put together a phenomenal run and I thought it might be a good idea to point out how her record stacks up against other Horn programs during the same timeframe:

NCAA Championships since 1998:

Women's T&F - 6 (21 top 10 finishes inc 11 top 5)
M Swimming - 3 (last championship 2002)
Baseball - 2
Football - 1
Softball - 0
Basketball - 0
W Basketball - 0
W Swimming - 0
Volleyball - 0
M Tennis - 0
W Tennis - 0
M T&F - 0
Soccer - 0
M XC - 0
W XC - 0
Rowing - 0
M Golf - 0
W Golf - 0

Many of the above programs have brought in top ranked recruiting classes, won multiple conference championships and made a final four or championship meet, match or game. The fact most have never won an NCAA title shows just how elusive and difficult it is to win a national championship. We should be thankful for all of the success and consistent top results produced by Bev and her staff. She is the last coach anyone should have to spend time defending on this forum and I hope we aren't going to have to deal with negative commentary whenever the Horns lose a championship, or something good happens for another program. IMO we should all be appreciative for all she has done, and show even more support at those points we aren't winning championships.
 
longhorns06, do you know if chambers is going to be eligible this season? i noticed that she ran unattached last week and i don't see her on the preivew for this week, so was wondering if her eligibility kicks in this year or next.
 
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