Wither JR?

[PFFlyer]

Heard that John Richardson has left Villanova and is back in Lexington Ky.

[king99]

PF, your source is reliable. I would rather not elaborate or editorialize on this. But when folks get to Penn Friday expecting to see John run for Villanova and he was not, this would have raised interest , and actually i info is out there already.

[king99]

That also shocked me.Even though I knew he had left. Interesting choice.

[kerm-ott]

He ran unattached this weekend at a meet at Eastern Kentucky and it led to a thread on Letsrun.

I wonder how much elgibility he has left. He RS'd indoor and out last year at UK.

[king99]

If John has indeed transferred back ..he will have one year plus left.he will have to sit one full on this move.

[kerm-ott]

2 Richardson, John Unattached 1:53.14

[Grote]

Not sure if people are saying JR is back at Kentucky or EKU? I do know that the NCAA frowns upon multiple transfers. You lose a year of eligibility on the second one. If he redshirted both tracks last year, he should still have 2 of everything left after he is ineligible for a year. In fact, if he is enrolled somewhere now, he should be able to run spring of 2006, as he is already sitting out.

My eligibilty situation was somewhat similar to JR's, give or take a few thousand miles geographically, his sub 1:50, sub 4:10 credentials.

Entered U. of Washington in fall of 1992..."ran" x-c as a frosh, redshirted indoors and outdoors as a frosh. Ran x-c on UW's only PAC-10 Champ x-c team in fall of 1993, 8th at NCAAs.

Left Washington right after that. Not quite sure why. Transferred to NC State, not Colorado. Not quite sure why.

Ran indoors and outdoors at NC State in 1994. Left NC State after semester and outdoors of 1994.

Went to U. of Portland in fall of 1994, too much shame to go BACK to Washington. Not quite sure why. Didn't go to Colorado. Not quite sure why.

Bottom line. I had used 2 x-c seasons, 1 indoor, and 1 outdoor. I was ineligible x-c 1994 and indoor/outdoor 1995 at Portland. Since I had already redshirted, I lost those seasons of eligibility for track, but used the unused redshirt in x-c, so that in fall of 1995, I became eligible and had 2 years of everything left.

I was released both transfers, which helps. Also, the rule is or was, that while ineligible for the 2nd transfer, there is not supposed to be any scholarship money. That is a rule that has been worked around or circumvented...or just flat out broken, though.

So, assuming he's been released, which usually happens with runners (Portland released our Swiss guy...school record holder 1500, 3k, 5k to go to OREGON 3 days after dropping out of x-c regionals...), JR should be able to still have 2 seasons of everything to use after sitting out a full year or everything. Better make this transfer count, though. No more eligibility in D1 after this one.

Grote

[king99]

Good info. Good to hear that he may have two full seasons left.

[Scotty]

First thing is first for JR...Find some focus, get comfortable wherever he lands (Back at Kentucky, I have heard), and his natural talent and ability will do the rest. As shown over the last 20mos, without focus and stability, even the best will falter.

Nova is spiraling. JR is not the only front line guy to leave recently.

[your boy]

Speaking of Villanova, Billy Sepich from Delran will be running there in the fall. From Reuben Frank's Friday column:

Sepich's friend knew Division 1 potential when he saw it
By REUBEN FRANK
Burlington County Times

Billy Sepich was hanging out in his friend Sal Carollo's basement a few months ago when Sal predicted that Billy would wind up going to college for track and not for swimming.

"I told him there was no way," Sepich recalled. "He said, 'I'll bet you $100 you go to college for running.' I forgot about that, but he came up to me the other day and said, 'Told you so.' "

Sepich, a senior at Delran High School, has decided to retire from competitive swimming and pursue distance running in college. Sepich this week signed with Villanova, where he'll run for four-time Olympian Marcus O'Sullivan.

Sepich grew up with swimming and had a lot of success with it, but after running a 4:19 mile last spring and then struggling through a disappointing, injury-plagued winter in the pool, he made up his mind where his future was.

"When I started running, it was always just something I did after swimming," Sepich said. "I never thought I'd keep doing it. But I guess I just really started to like it. Once I realized how good I could be, I just realized it's what I wanted to do."

Sepich was New Jersey's sixth-fastest underclassman last year with the 4:19.01 that earned him fifth at the Meet of Champions. But he's been under the radar since, with an injuries during cross country and then more injuries during swimming.

"I seem to get hurt a lot," he said. "I never get sick, but I always get hurt."

The latest setback was a severely sprained ankle suffered while playing volleyball a couple weeks ago. Sepich is scheduled to have his cast replaced today with a brace. If all goes well, he'll be back running in a couple weeks.

"It's tough being hurt senior year," he said. "I partially tore my calf in cross country and that didn't finish the way I wanted, and then I was hurt in swimming (abdomen, back).

"But at least I'll be back for the big meets. My goal when the season started was 4:13 and I'm not going to back down from that goal. I'm staying in shape the best I can. I'm still confident it'll be a good season for me."

At Villanova, Sepich will join one of the nation's most storied track programs, one that has had a strong Burlington County presence over the years with Michelle DiMuro, Mike Brown and currently Marc Pelerin.


Just don't look for him in the pool.

"Swimming's over," he said. "A lot of my swimming friends were surprised with my decision, but I really think I'll be able to progress more as a runner in college.

"When I made my college visits, I just felt really comfortable at every school I visited for track. I only made one visit for swimming (Johns Hopkins). At some point, I just realized, 'I want to keep running.' "

[Fabolous Wilson]

First thing is first for JR...Find some focus, get comfortable wherever he lands (Back at Kentucky, I have heard), and his natural talent and ability will do the rest. As shown over the last 20mos, without focus and stability, even the best will falter.

Nova is spiraling. JR is not the only front line guy to leave recently.


Who else has left recently??

[Scotty]

Rather not say right now (it will be public knwledge soon enough - none of this stuff rises to the level of National Security info ;) ). My point was simply that Nova has enormous issues. They did not get JR out of HS, then were fortunate to have him transfer in, only to lose him 7mos later. Not the school's fault; just circimstance. 20 yrs ago, Nova rightly considered itself a rival of Arkansas'. Seems like a century ago now.

[Fabolous Wilson]

I'm not very knowledgeable of the inner-workings of Nova, but I think that Richardson's reasons were not of that nature.

[Scotty]

Richardson's reasons are his own; they have nothing to do with my post. Also, keep in mind that JR was a Nova guy for all of 7mos.

[king99]

JR there for 7 months? He was there 3 and a half, if that. January-April 10th or less?

Nova did not recruit JR heavily out of Hs, as it turns out, that was not gonna happen anyway.

The other runner had legit medical problems and will be back in the fall.

[king99]

By the way , Scotty is right Nova is NOT what they once were especially at Penn, but:

Consider this, and there have been plenty of teams at each:

2003: At Penn, 2nd in 4 x mile, by a bit........3rd in DMR .6 behind winner and .5 behind 2nd place Ark.

2004: 4th in 4 x mile.............3rd in DMR

They were 3rd in Indoor Nats in DMR in 2004

1st in DMR in 2003


in 2003 They had top 2 finish in 3K Indoors and 5th in mile as well.

many schools would still like this resume.

In the same period:

2003 Gtown was 2 seconds back in 4 x mile of Nova in 3rd

4 seconds back in DMR in 6th

2004 Gtown 12 seconds back in 4 x mile in 9th

2nd in DMR over Nova by 2

BUT Gtown won 4 x 8 in 2004 and was second in 2003 showing a little more flexibility.

Gtown has also had challenges , their last two classes have not turned out well, on and off the track.
Lukezic is a budding star but really has nor run any faster at 15 than Blincoe or Hayden did.

[Scotty]

Sorry about the months thing...I was counting from September. It was actually even more brief (3+mos).

GTown has had their own problems (losing a very good kid to transfer, another to disciplinary action). They, like Nova, have had guys not run to expectation. This, of course, in no way helps Nova. Blincoe was their only real highlight of late. He was a great runner, but has been gone for a while now. Post Blincoe (2004-2005), Nova has not done anything. Hayden is good, but no THAT good. I would not compare him evenly with Lukezic (whom, I believe, has run faster 1:47pt/3:38pt).

GTown also gets back (in September) one of the guys who left the team.

My point is that Nova MUST do a better job of getting (and keeping) top guys. If not, the spiral will continue.

[king99]

And you are of course correct, Hayden has run 1:48.xx and not sure for 15 anymore. Lukezic is of course tracking unbelieavbly , and is a great runner with huge upside still!

Hayden actually has done very well at NC's 4th In Indoor mile and 6th Outdoors..8:00 3K, so 1:48.5 to 8:00 range

[GeorgieTheK]

I would not compare him evenly with Lukezic (whom, I believe, has run faster 1:47pt/3:38pt).


Lukezic's best is 3:39.90

[king99]

Hayden , I found a 3:40.62 for him.So, slower than CL.

[Bucrunner]

Hayden ran 3:39.78 at Gateshead last summer.

[king99]

Nice work..and nice running by you!!

[Scotty]

Parlapiano ran very well on that day, but Nova finished only 3rd or 4th in the race. Schools like Arkansas, Stanford, Michigan and even GTown win titles at Penn. Nova does not win anymore.

Also, Sage ran 4:04 for that 1600m leg.

[dand]

Who else has left?

[king99]

Scotty a little rough on the Nova , don;t you think..I posted the facts and only two teams team have outperformed them post Blincoe really, in 4 x mile and DMR..if that on balance

Stanford has won what? They beat Nova once in 4 x mile by 2 seconds..and Nova returned favor in DMR..Nova's results are actually better POST Blincoe..

Only Michigan and Arkansas have beaten them good last two years. And Nova would have beaten many if not for inexplicably bad 12 leg by Curtis at 3:04.2 last year. I don;t think its a stretch to say he would not have run that slow in HS, the race was run,

the result is in, but that was puzzling.

Give Curtis or anybody conservatively a 3:00 or better and Nova is close in that race .Didn;t happen.

Also does not wipe out their back to back Indoor Titles at DMR in 2002 and 03, thats not that long ago..

So for all the down turn , and Ark dominance and this and that, Nova has 2 DMR wins out of last 4 Indoors and a third as well. So they go 1-1-3 and DNQ this year by 1 second.

Were in top 3 in 4 x mile and DMR last two years at Penn, it;s tough to win anymore, unless you're a Razorback.And they didn;t win both either .

Look at the teams talent is more spread out now. Michigan is a real factor in everything, as well.

[king99]

You know what? I don't want to get in a back and forth on this . Scotty is right about a lot. Nova is no longer the dominant force they once were at Penn a favorite meet of his and mine, but only one meet a year.

But clearly Nova's annual used to be, showcase.

Every year there are 1-2=3 real bangers out there in HS, that you can say will be program makers or changers , with either their versatility and talent.

two years ago, it was Vazquez, Solinsky(a swing guy but at 15 and up) , Curtis, Debole and I thought John Richardson.

Vazquez absolutely flunked out as many know by now of Arkansas, didn;t hurt them that much as they are deep.

Solinsky is at Wiscy

and at one Point three months agao which is how we got to this thread.

Nova had two of arguably top 4 overall talents in that class..one could argue and back up their point, but I think it's fairly accurate.

Nova's class would have then looked like:

Keino, 4:05 as a frosh

Korich 1:50 point

Curtis 4:04 yards and this year 15th at XC Nats

And JR..1:49.8 relay 4:09 meters and 1:50.67 scratch and a 2:56.xx indoors this year.

Put togther with Hayden and a rapidly improving Kerrigan they would have looked pretty good.

Unfortunately , since this is now no longer a secret , it has been reported on other boards as well. JR left, and Curtis is not running this spring and is on a medical red shirt from both Indoor and Out.

In MRR land they would be pretty strong, but , oh woulda coulda don;t play in this town.

So they look a little different. They got Tully brothers and Sepich who will be very good as he was lightly trained in HS
Never ran Cross that seriously from what I know and swam.


So, it's the rub of the green , you do not get credit for times not run or relays not put togther, but some of this was/is uncontrollable. Some of it it within control, I would guess.

Gtown had Jaworski leave and Debole ineligible.

Stuff happens. State schools which are advantged in giving academic rides to less than Elite students(this is simply a fact) will continue to have more depth than Gtown or Nova.

[Scotty]

I agree with all of it.

This was not meant to be a drawn out thing. My point was, I have followed the college sport very closely since 1980 (my Soph HS yr), and Nova is NOTHING like it once was. Given the fact that Nova was one of the two dominant teams in the nation from 80-89, dropping a bit is perfectly acceptable. However, they are nowhere near what they were while the Razorbacks (the other dominant team) have set a standard of excellence the last 25 yrs that is difficult to fathom.

As for Penn (yes, a big fave of ours), the Hoyas have won a coupla 4x8's recently. Nova just does not seem to win. Without Blincoe the last two yrs, they do not seem to have a realistic shot at a big relay title. With regard to Curtis, sure he was off that day running 3:04pt for meters. But he was also miserable at Holmdel 6wks later running 4:13.4y. At a certain pt, it is what it is. Not running well falls on him, I would say.

Richardson was never really a Wildcat; he barely had time to eat a sandwich while there. Not what most would call a tough loss for the program. After not even recruiting him out of HS, Nova is very fortunate to even have JR for the 14wks that they did. The "real" Nova guys like Keino, Korich and Curtis are simply not keeping pace with the best guys from programs around the country. I make the comment only because I am shocked and surprised by how far they have fallen. Deep down, I may still see the team as the Nova of my HS/College days.

Edit: In fairness to the Hoyas, they were every bit (if not better than) Nova during during the 86-90 period. With guys like Stahr, Irish, Trautman and Holman, you rarely (if ever) get beat ;)