More than a military college: How Norwich University recruits cross country runners

The program and the coach

Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, was founded in 1819 and is the oldest private military college in the United States. It is one of six Senior Military Colleges, with about 2,400 undergraduates. The Cadets compete in NCAA Division III and the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), with men's and women's cross country. Costs, academics, and facilities are on the Norwich University cross country program page.

Michael McGrane coaches the men and women as one team. He ran cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field for four years as a Division III student-athlete, then coached for years before moving into the college game. At Norwich, he is a two-time GNAC Coach of the Year. The men won GNAC titles in 2022 and 2024, the women have produced three GNAC Rookies of the Year since 2021, and Norwich hosted the 2024 GNAC championships on campus. He also brought the Norwich Cadets Invitational back to campus after a 24-year break in home meets, and was on the Boston Athletic Association staff for its club qualifiers at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. His full background is in his Norwich staff bio.

The goal

McGrane is in the middle of a long build, and the next step is a national one:

"After five seasons of building the foundation of the Norwich program with excellent student-athletes, talented athletes, close family-like team chemistry, and athletes dedicated to a team-first, selfless attitude, Norwich coaches and athletes are ready to elevate the cross country program to a higher level of competitiveness, beyond the conference level. Over the next several seasons, we're committed to recruiting the future generations of top-level cross country runners who want to train at a level to compete on the national stage."

Division III distance running is deep at the top, and a program aiming past its conference needs runners who arrive ready to keep improving. Our guide to how NCAA D1, D2, and D3 differ in track and field explains where D3 fits.

The challenge

McGrane named three challenges that make recruiting harder than it looks from the outside:

• Location and size narrow the field. Norwich is a small university in a small state, far from where many of its recruits live.
• Visits cost families money. Flights and long drives make a campus visit hard to justify early in the process.
• The military label hides the civilian side. Recruits often do not know Norwich has civilian students as well as cadets.

He described the biggest one the way he would explain it to another coach:

"We are a small college in a small state, but we attract students from all parts of the US. It is challenging to recruit in person, other than through video calls, and it is challenging for students to make a campus visit, especially in the current economic climate, with high fuel costs raising the cost of flights and long drives."

And on the perception he wants recruits to get past:

"Although Norwich is a Senior Military College, with over 50% of the student body in the Corps lifestyle, we do have a civilian student population that may not be as well recognized."

Many Division III recruits judge a school on unofficial visits their families pay for, because official visits are less common at D3. Our guide to official and unofficial recruiting visits covers the rules and how to plan a trip that is worth the cost.

What changed

Before Norwich joined Streamline Athletes, its recruiting started with athletes who had already found the school:

"Before Streamline Athletes, most of our recruiting was talking with cross country runners who were already looking at Norwich for their military or academic careers and also wanted to run cross country in college. Our recruiting opportunities outside of the admissions portal were narrow."

Now the search reaches runners who would not have looked at a small school in Vermont:

"We are able to cast a wider recruiting net and bring awareness to more students who live outside of the New England and New York region."

Norwich sets its recruiting criteria in the Streamline Athletes coach app, and distance runners who fit hear from the program directly. The athlete decides whether to share their contact details. Our article on how athletes and coaches reach each other in the Streamline Athletes app explains how that works from the athlete's side.

The Streamline Athletes Advantage

For a small Division III staff that cannot fly across the country, the first conversation now happens on a screen. Distance runners who fit Norwich reach the coaches all year, from regions the staff could never cover on the road, and a video call stands in for the trip a family cannot yet afford. A family can find out whether Norwich fits before they book the trip to Northfield. For another small program's view from northern New England, read how Southern Maine recruits Canadian and out-of-state athletes.

What this means if you are targeting programs like this

McGrane's answers describe how many small cross country programs evaluate recruits. Here is how to use them.

Show a cross country history that keeps improving

McGrane reads your seasons, not one race:

"I'm looking for true cross country runners with several years of high school cross country experience, and a progressive time improvement over several seasons that shows their training and racing development is on track for them to keep improving and thrive at the college level."

Add every cross country season to your profile, including the slower early ones, so a coach can see the trend. Our look at cross country runners who broke out in college shows why coaches value steady improvement over a single fast result.

Be honest about cross country versus track

The most common reason a recruit who fits does not end up at Norwich has nothing to do with times:

"Norwich does not currently have a varsity track and field program, but we do have a track club and opportunities to compete in indoor and outdoor track during the non-traditional spring semester season. If an athlete is more track-focused than cross country-focused, Norwich may not be the best fit for them."

If cross country is your main sport and track is a bonus, say so. If track is your priority, Norwich is probably not the school for you, and knowing that early saves both of you time. Our guide to choosing the right track and field or cross country college walks through the questions to ask.

Tell him you love to run

McGrane asks every recruit the same question:

"I ask prospective student-athlete recruits if they love cross country or love to run. If not, I'm less interested in them joining our program. They have to be passionate about running cross country as a team and want to run every practice, not just be a fast runner with talent."

Have an answer ready, and make it specific: the workouts you look forward to, the team you train with, the race that hooked you.

Write like a future Norwich student

Early messages count for more than you might think:

"I'm looking for prospective student-athletes who are genuinely interested in learning more about what Norwich has to offer academically and as a prospective cross country team member. Professionalism, respect, and good communication are signs that they are potentially a good fit for Norwich University as a future student and athlete."

Ask about the academic program you want, say whether you are interested in the Corps of Cadets or civilian life, and reply promptly. Our email templates for college track and field coaches show how to keep a first message clear and professional.

Who they recruit

Norwich recruits men's and women's distance runners for cross country. The table below is the program's floor: the performance a runner needs to beat to make the roster. It is a minimum, not a recruiting target. Coach McGrane is looking for runners well under these lines who are still improving.

Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships. Norwich offers academic merit awards based on GPA, and ROTC scholarships for students in the Corps. The details are on Norwich's scholarships, awards, and military benefits page. To see how your performances compare with programs at every level, use our college track and field recruiting standards.

FAQ

What does Norwich University look for first in a cross country recruit?

Coach Michael McGrane looks for true cross country runners with several years of high school cross country and times that improve over several seasons, a sign they will keep developing in college.

Does Norwich University have a track and field team?

Norwich does not have a varsity track and field team. Runners can compete in indoor and outdoor track through a track club in the spring semester, so Norwich fits athletes who put cross country first.

Do you have to join the Corps of Cadets to run cross country at Norwich?

No. More than half of Norwich students live in the Corps of Cadets, and the university also has a civilian student population. Coach McGrane says the civilian side is not as well known.

What times do you need to run cross country at Norwich University?

The floor to make the team is 18:00 for men and 23:00 for women over 5k. It is a minimum, not a target: Coach McGrane recruits runners well under it who are still improving.

When should I contact the Norwich University cross country coaches?

Coach McGrane wants to hear from athletes in Grade 11. Norwich recruits from every US state and welcomes transfers.

What does Coach McGrane ask every recruit?

He asks whether they love cross country or love to run. He wants athletes who want to run every practice as a team, not just fast runners with talent.

Get recruited to Norwich University

• Create your free Streamline Athletes profile, or log in and update yours. Complete every section so Norwich sees the full picture.
• Add every cross country season. Coach McGrane wants to see your improvement over several years, not one race.
• Be clear that cross country is your priority. Norwich has no varsity track team.
• Decide whether you are interested in the Corps of Cadets or civilian life, and say so in your first message.
• Read the Norwich University program page for costs, academics, and facilities, and fill out Norwich's prospective athlete form.
• Reach out in Grade 11. A video call is a good first step before you plan a visit to Vermont.

Follow Norwich cross country

Follow the Cadets on Instagram at @norwich_xc, with the men's team at @norwich_mxc and the women's team at @norwich_wxc, for meet results, signings, and the road to nationals.