Iowa High School Track & Field State Meet Day 3 recap 

I spend a lot of time trolling around for vids about Sadie Engelhardt, Addy Ritzenhein, Beth Leachman, Bethany Michalak, Jane Hedegren, Lily Alder, the Humphries Girls and others. But it is real fun to drop in on state meets that aren't exactly in the spotlight of the main streaming networks. Earlier today I watched a 20 minute vid of the introductions at the 2019 Foot Locker xc champs. It left me with a melancholy feeling. Of all these champions, but four and a half years later, not many of them are around. Scan the 250 or so finishers at the 2023 NCAA D1 XC champs and see how many names you recognize. This illustrates how difficult is the transition of an elite runner from high school to college. To me, it means your local champions should not be ignored or forgotten. It is a lot harder to get recruited anywhere whether D1 or D3 in athletics than in football, basketball or baseball. By the way D3 doesn't't give out athletic scholarships. No D3 rides for exceptional athletes like Fiona Smith, a grad transfer from the College of St Benedict (The Bennies) to NC State, where she is surely getting support. Footnote: Fiona came in first in the NCAA D3 XC champs, beating the field by something like a minute. Had she run the same time in the NCAA D1 champs, she would have been second guy in for the Wolfpack in 23rd place, just nipping Tyynismaa Moral: there is life beyond DI..

Congratulations PV on the fifth girls track and field championship