As stated earlier, some schools do not value the combined events. To see consistent improvements that event area needs a lot of coaching. Without a dedicated multi coach it falls on the whole staff and they may not see the value for a few points at conference, especially if that school isn't aiming for conference level success. Many ACC schools primarily target nationals.
You also get the person who runs a race in perfect conditions and think that it means he would have score in the conference because they ran slow for 2/3rds the race before turning it on.
Heck it could also be as simple as the schools liability insurance not covering the pole vault. Trying to read the coaches mind is impossible.
Most high level deca guys don’t do the dec at conference meets. They are able to help score more points in individual events like sprints/jumps/hurdles or as an extra relay leg.
The P5 conference deca guys are usually 2nd tier or maybe they need a better qualifier score for bigger meets.
I have experience working as an administrator in D1 mid-major and D2 athletic departments and I actually think this is an issue in many sports. Lots of coaches seem to have a really arrogant attitude towards walk-ons that could potentially contribute to the team. It's like they don't want to admit that they may have possibly missed somebody in the recruiting process.
I know of a guy who wanted to walk-on at a good mid-major baseball program. Talented kid, not sure why he didn't have better offers out of HS. Coach wouldn't give him the time of day. He played on the club team for two years and dominated that level. They made a coaching change on the NCAA team, and the new coach let him tryout. He not only made the squad, but ended up getting drafted and playing professionally.
To be fair, many sports have a roster limit imposed on them for budget and Title IX reasons. And you do get a fair amount of delusional kids who walk into the office thinking being the 8th best player on their high school team means they should be a D1 basketball player. But I do think in general a lot of coaches should have a more open mind.
Obvioulsy not very common because there are few high school seniors who would score at a P5 meet. But it is quite common for schools to not respond to athletes who would be contributing members. Coaches are not the smartest people nor the most energetic. They didn't major in physics.
Physics majors don’t have energy either. Well maybe in theory they do.
Obvioulsy not very common because there are few high school seniors who would score at a P5 meet. But it is quite common for schools to not respond to athletes who would be contributing members. Coaches are not the smartest people nor the most energetic. They didn't major in physics.
Physics majors don’t have energy either. Well maybe in theory they do.
Elite athletes in team sports get cut and traded all the time for being a “locker room cancer”. If said 27:50 runner has a terrible or narcissistic attitude/personality no group wants that around.
I know someone who ran under 9:10 going to a P5 school (admittedly close to the top of their conference) and the coach didn't even reply to his email about walking on.
I keep wondering if UNC is going to allow RJ Gajan to walk-on (NC champ 1k indoors at 4A) a year after taking Dylan Look (Chapel Hill High) as a walk-on.
Decathlon is a big investment for a coach. Even if its free points. And here, its "maybe" points. If this guy was a lock top 5, then I could see a complaint but the resources invested to return is not adequte in the coach's estimation. Also, if this team in question is uncompetitive in the conference, then it's even more reasonable for the coach to pass.
Now, if the athlete could possibly score in an individual event as well, then the coach should reconsider.
Couldn’t agree more HS Decathalon performance is not the same as collegiate. How does he compare at the events that are truly apples to apples? Sounds like Pole Vault he is at the bottom how about 100,400,1500?
All true but not typically what happens in track. Many track coaches are just not the smartest or most energetic. I have experienced it many times. Athletes get no response from dozens of programs where they are better than multiple current athletes only to land a scholarship on the best team in the same conference.
Lol at the one poster declaring war on coaches energy levels and intelligence because they won’t make a huge effort to add marginal talent to already limited roster space.
My experience is the opposite if what you said. I have had athletes contact coaches and get no response even though they are better than mwny current team memebers and recruits. It has been fun to see several get a scholarship at better programs and beat every memeber of the snubbing team at the conference meet or XC regional. It isn't hard to figure out why the better teams are better.