Colleges began to watch junior distance runner David Fitzgerald during his freshman year at CHS, when he ran a 4:09.52 1500-meter dash at the 2012 New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, NC.

Since then, Fitzgerald has been in contact with many small schools and even some Division I universities that have all been interested in his talents as a runner. For Fitzgerald, a deciding factor has been whether the schools in question meet his educational requirements.

“The schools know that I am interested in physical therapy, and those are the main schools I’m interested in,” Fitzgerald said. “They talk to me about their programs educationally and their running programs.”

According to Fitzgerald, the beginning of recruitment varies among schools, with some schools preferring to begin early to get a head start in making connections with prospects and others starting later to try and steal away potential stars.

“The process has been fine time wise,” Fitzgerald said. “It differs from school to school because you have smaller schools like George Washington that want to build relationships early, and schools like Stanford, Oregon and amazing running schools who can come in last second and steal you away from other schools.”

While Fitzgerald has yet to commit to a school, and still must go through the demands of juggling academics and athletics, he recognizes that the process has eased many of the normal pressures associated with junior year.

“I am still going on with the process and have a while left,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a very fun process knowing that a college wants you and that you probably won’t have to experience as much stress as everyone else with apps and essays. I will hope to commit around September of next year.”