Elizabeth White just finished her freshman year at the University of Hartford. There, she was a three-season athlete, running cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Elizabeth is also a Sports Media & Journalism major, which was an important aspect in her recruiting process. Today, Elizabeth walked us through what her track and field recruiting process was like, and how she ended up at the University of Hartford.

1. What was your thought process for deciding on the University of Hartford?

I chose the University of Hartford because it was close enough to home and had a good program for my major. Also, when I visited the school and met the team, I really liked the team dynamic.

2. What did you do to gain the attention of college coaches?

My coach reached out to me after my outdoor track state meet during my junior year. From there, we kept in contact until I ended up committing to Hartford.

3. What events did you attend to gain exposure with college coaches?

Track and field recruiting can be hard because most of what goes into committing to a school just depends on if your times are fast enough. Once I figured out the schools that would be in my ability range, I went to open houses for the schools where I got to meet with coaches and see what the schools had to offer.

4. What are the top dos and don'ts for cross country and track and field recruiting?

5. What are some key items a high school runner should look for in a successful sports program in college?

• The team's success rate at important meets
• Team dynamic
• The dynamic between the coach and their athletes

6. Were you able to do a campus visit? If so, what advice do you have to make the best use of your short time with the team and coach?

Yes, I did a few campus visits. My advice would be to ask as many questions as you can when you get the opportunity. I think some important questions that I found useful were about the coach's training philosophy because different runners succeed with different types of training. If you get the chance, I would also ask about the team dynamic and how everyone gets along.

7. What qualities did you look for in a college coach and a team?

During my track and field recruiting process, I looked for someone who understood everyone's different athletic and academic abilities, pushes their athletes to succeed, and most importantly, seems like they really care about their athletes.

In a team, I tried to look for athletes who were friendly and welcoming toward me. Sometimes you can tell when athletes look like they are being forced to talk to recruits and they don't really want to be there. I wanted to find a team that would be kind and have a fun dynamic that I could see myself fitting into.

8. Can you tell us about the facilities and resources available for you at your school?

The University of Hartford has a good weight room for athletes and a training room for injured athletes. Our track is currently under renovation, so it has been a bit of a pain to use the local high school track for workouts.

9. What are some things that incoming athletes can expect entering their freshman year?

My team was very welcoming to me and I had a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work. I made lots of friends on my team and I was also able to make some friends who were not track and field athletes! In terms of academics, we have a study hall for athletes only where we have to go for 6 hours a week during our freshmen year. I would say there are a ton of opportunities to get any help you need for your classes.

10. What does a typical day look like for you during the season?

There is not much of an off-season for cross country and track and field athletes, so year round, the schedule looks pretty similar. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we would have practice at 6 am where we had to run to the local high school track and do a workout. Then at 2 pm, we had a lift until 3 pm on those days. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we would have practice at 12:30 which was normally an easy run.

Related: Daily Grind: University of Hartford Runner Mathias Nevin

11. What kind of competitions do you compete in and how often do you compete? What does the travel look like?

I could compete in Cross Country and Track meets. For cross country, we compete every other weekend, and for track, we compete almost every weekend. When we travel we take a coach bus and then share a hotel room with one other person.

12. How has being part of the team impacted your overall college experience?

Being part of a team has made my college experience a lot better because I met some of my closest friends and we all share a similar interest. If I could, I would do it all over again, because I think that already being a part of a team and having immediate friends was a great way to go into college.