First off, I will say that I am a member of the University of North Dakota track and field team. I would like to remain anonymous, but if a significant number of people feel this diminishes my credibility, I will gladly reveal my name.
The first thing I am going to say is that I can attest to everything siouxrunner said. The issues I would like to weigh in on are how facilities and recruiting tie together and coaching.
The fact that the University of North Dakota does not have a field house is not a big deal. The way 'coach', and I use that word lightly, Grandall tries to 'build' the team with what we have is a total joke. Because there is not a real distance runner that gives two rips about the indoor track season, that is who you recruit. So yeah, you almost have to throw the emphasis on your sprinters out the door. But at the same time would you rather have a snowmobile or a four wheeler? You can use a four wheeler year round but the sprinter only gives you five months. Your main seasons become the outdoor track season and the cross country season and the indoor season is used as preparation for the outdoor season. The recruiting budget is not a big deal. It costs very little to make a phone call to a potential athlete once a month and send out our 'recruiting guides' with a card for their times and personal info on. High school athletes LOVE hearing from college coaches. The fact that there is really no structure or goal to the recruiting really bothers me. Just a side note there are seven (7) guys competing for the men
