Brigham Young University's success in distance is due to the Latter-Day Saints community's discipline and work ethic

Get out of here with that reasonable and logical thought! We don't accept your kind!

You don't think distance running talent has anything to do with their success?

who cares?

I think their age gives them an advantage but who cares? Non-profit interscholastic sports are basically really advanced intramurals. Some teams will be better than others, some teams have an advantage over others, that's always been the case.

People watch NCAA basket precisely too see the underdogs take on the teams with huge advantages.

BYU's age thing is an interesting wrinkle

Schools recruiting overseas ringers is an interesting wrinkle

in the end it pushes our top athletes more to reach the international level.

besides, it's fun to have teams to boo.

I have always advocated drinking like a Mormon as an avenue to success.

God Bless all of the BYU men.

Thank you for posting something constructive and rational. Anyone who knows what it is like to take just a few months off from training when they are competing in the NCAA knows that it would be the LAST thing you would want to have to miss two years in a row of training, even if you still could keep those two years of eligibility. The lost fitness does not disappear. Apparently you usually gain some real weight on these missions as well.

Isn't Ed Eyestone the Distance Coach? That is the reason for their success, a coach who was at a high level, who knows the work it takes to get there, Who are the best PRO Coaches in the USA Salazar who was World Class in his day, Mark Rowland who is STILL Greab Britains Steeplechase Record Holder decades after he retired, in 10 -15 years the top coaches will likely be Galen Rupp, Evan Jager top runners who know the work it takes to get there, if someone does not know how to drive a car, then they will not be a good driving instructor, same principle.

BYU draws its runners from a very specific pool, and it’s a very small pool. Mormons make up less than 2% of the country’s population. From that pool, they’re drawing from an even smaller pool - talented runners who are super committed to their religion. I’m sure there are plenty of good Mormon runners who aren’t interested in having the full Mormon experience at BYU. What they’re left with is a group of runners who have the type of mentality that allows them to be fanatical about their commitments - religion and running.

There’s also probably something to the gene pool itself rather than just chalking it up to the Mormon “values.” The original Mormons who survived to pass on their genes were obviously very hardy people to survive moving across the country in some seriously challenging conditions.

Who is the best post college Mormon runner ever? Jared Ward? Are they particularly good in high school? The fact that their success is mostly confined to the NCAA makes me think it has more to do with age than life style. If it was about life style, their success should be pronounced in high school and continue into the professional ranks.

Dillllllllllll wrote:

Who is the best post college Mormon runner ever? Jared Ward? Are they particularly good in high school? The fact that their success is mostly confined to the NCAA makes me think it has more to do with age than life style. If it was about life style, their success should be pronounced in high school and continue into the professional ranks.

They've had like 3 out of the last 5 NXN champions so its not like all these guys are coming from nowhere. Worth noting that 4 out of the 6 BYU competitors last night (including 3rd and 4th place) were no older than your typical NCAA athlete so there goes the argument that its just age.

Thank you Hardloper for providing truth.

Dillllllllllll wrote:

Who is the best post college Mormon runner ever? Jared Ward? Are they particularly good in high school? The fact that their success is mostly confined to the NCAA makes me think it has more to do with age than life style. If it was about life style, their success should be pronounced in high school and continue into the professional ranks.

They actually have a pretty impressive list of Olympians, a few more than I thought:

In the distances, Jared Ward, Josh McAdams, Jason Pyrah, Ed Eyestone, Henry Marsh, Doug Padilla, Paul Cummings, and more if you go further back

Admittedly many of their runners also lose interest after college and have little to no pro career (like Shaquille Walker and Miles Batty)

We also have to credit Eyestone. He’s one of the best coaches in running, so I guarantee he’s a big factor on the success of the team.

To be honest, these people are more balanced than you'd like to admit. Combine these two comments, the interview of Clayton after his win, and you might find a different idea; for many BYU runners, the sport gets them through college (or is something they love, as there simply aren't enough scholarships to go around for the pool they have), but family and careers quickly take precedence. Both of the above are right - it IS about religion, and it is about lifestyle...both of which value family and successful careers more than spending ten years on the professional racing circuit. Some make it work, to be sure. Jared Ward is a great example.

Please look at NXN results from the last ten years.

You do NOT need religion to be a good runner. FYI.

Dillllllllllll wrote:

Who is the best post college Mormon runner ever? Jared Ward? Are they particularly good in high school? The fact that their success is mostly confined to the NCAA makes me think it has more to do with age than life style. If it was about life style, their success should be pronounced in high school and continue into the professional ranks.

Jared Ward? Who is that? Is he better than Doug Padilla, Henry Marsh, Ed Eyestone, Jason Pyrah? That's 4 olympians off the top of my head who went to BYU.

Hayduke wrote:

Jared Ward? Who is that?

Can't tell if you are trolling or not.

Lol... wrote:

Hayduke wrote:

Jared Ward? Who is that?

Can't tell if you are trolling or not.

it was semi troll based on the previous posters thinking that Ward was the best post collegiate mormon... who is a good runner, but would not be mentioned in the same conversation as Padilla, Marsh, Eyestone or even Pyrah.

Seventh-Day adventists have similar lifestyle and cultish beliefs, and outnumber LDS 25 million to 20 million, but have never produced a single decent runner. What's the difference? Veganism. Maybe Sage can convert and give them a runner who can get within a few minutes of the OTQ.