Non-Recruited Athletes Surprise, Star

The captain of the soccer team, a record-holder for the women's track team and a leading runner for the men's track team all share something in common. They are all non-recruited athletes.

Soccer Captain Robert Bonnie is one of five non-recruited players on the men's soccer team. He played J.V. during his freshman year, but won a starting spot on the varsity team in his sophomore season.

Ted Ullyot is a first-year member of Harvard's track team. This summer, Ullyot won a two-and-a-half mile run at Fresh Pond. Track Coach Frank Haggerty spotted the results of that race in the Boston Globe and asked Ullyot to join the team.

Ullyot was the top Harvard finisher in all four of the team's races he participated in this fall. Ullyot has missed the last two races because of injury.

Meredith Rainey is another member of the track team who was not recruited. Rainey ran when she was younger but did not participate in track in high school. "I wanted to do an organized sport in college," Rainey says. "I never dreamed it would work out so well."

Rainey has set records in the 200 and 400 meter races and in the one mile relay.

"Some of the better people in track weren't recruited," Haggerty says. Because the track team is so large, "We can't get all the people we need through recruiting."

Haggerty estimates that 50 percent of the members of the cross country team were not recruited.

Bonnie is not the only non-recruit on the Crimson soccer team. Senior David Kramer, last year's leading scorer, was recruited for lacrosse. Seniors Chad Reilly, Louis Lyons and F.J. Gould were all walk-ons.

Three players on the men's basketball team were not recruited: junior Steve Bowsher and seniors David Lang and Kevin Collins. Bowsher played J.V. for two years. Basketball coach Pete Roby describes Bowsher as a "great person to have in practice."

"Lang was good player in high school that I was not familiar with," says Roby.

Collins was recruited for football, but he came out for J.V. basketball his freshman year and was brought up to varsity for the last eight games that year.

This is an "unusual amount" of non-recruits for basketball, says Roby. "You'd like to think recruiting is good enough that you don't have to go outside."

Athletic recruiting is an integral part of assembling a college sports team. At most schools, coaches can offer scholarships and other incentives. At Harvard, coaches can offer need-based financial aid packages and the school's academic reputation.

"There are various ways coaches identify athletes," says Assistant Director of Athletics Robert Malekoff. "All coaches identify a pool of athletes...and then find out what kind of students they are."

Coaches play a limited role in the admissions process. "The athletic staff furnishes the admissions office with information about kids that are good," Malekoff adds. "Decisions are made by the admissions staff."

Because Harvard does not offer athletic scholarships, non-recruited athletes are not at a disadvantage. "Everyone is in the same situation," says Roby.

Most non-recruited athletes enter the J.V. program to develop their skills and gain experience. "There is a real commitment to J.V. at Harvard," Malekoff says. "Having a J.V. program provides a kid who isn't wellknown a place to develop and play."

"It is very much a feeder system to our varsity," says Field Hockey Assistant Coach Patty Shea. Lacrosse Coach Scott Anderson notes that "quite a number of J.V. players are non-recruited."

Coaches never count non-recruited athletes out. As baseball Coach Alex Nahigian says, "You might find a diamond in the rough."