I've never been to UO. So, is the Eugene community as crazy about their XC/Track teams as many around the country make it out to be? Can't imagine what it's like being in an area where runners actually get widespread notoriety for their performances. I think just about every elite runner in high school would have Oregon in their top 5 wish list for an ideal place to run collegiately.
NAU has a long, stable history of success. And Flagstaff is at an elevation around 7,000 feet. I can't imagine them not being a nationally elite program anytime soon. I did a few workouts with one of their runners a few years back. He was consistently doing 100+ miles a week, IIRC. The crazy thing about these top programs, is they're able to snag several 4:15-4:20 milers as walk-ons. When you have 5-10 that fit that mold, a few of them will eventually be really solid contributors. It is interesting how mid-majors can compete with the big schools.
Portland has a solid track record. Cool to see it's not just one school in the state that consistently does well on the national stage. Furman, which is a little over an hour from my hometown, finished in the top 15 last year for men and women. I've heard they ideally like to redshirt their freshmen, and start out with low mileage, around 55-60 per week. His process for development is slow, but deliberate - and successful. With the right coach, I suppose you could build up most any program. When recruiting, coaches mostly don't have to feel insecure about not being a big-time program, as you're not competing in an arena with thousands of spectators. If a coach at a non-power school can build good rapport with a recruit, he can easily sign several high-profiled runners.
