Colin Whitaker is set to join the Fighting Irish, Photo Above by Dan Loughlin
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Two Weeks ago, Whitaker ran a PA #2 All-Time 14:42 5K. Today, he announced his verbal commitment to the University of Notre Dame via Instagram on Thursday afternoon.
He joins a Notre Dame squad that is currently ranked ninth in the Nation and second in the Great Lakes Region (USTFCCCA Rankings).
Whitaker's recent PA #2 All-Time mark is certainly nothing to balk about, but he also has a list of other accolades that have helped him stand out.
In 2022, he finished fourth at the PIAA 2A State XC Championship before running to All-Region honors at the Champs Northeast Regional. He then represented Pennsylvania on the national level.
On the short track (indoor track), he ran 8:30.92 over the 3000m distance to finish third at the PTFCA Championship. He then found similar success on the outdoor circuit. He finished sixth in the 3200m at the state championship and ninth in the 1600m, running personal bests of 9:00.66 and 4:12.16, respectively.
Ultimately, Notre Dame is having a lot of success recruiting Pennsylvanian boys. They've recruited three top 2024 PA male distance recruits: Drew Griffith (Butler), Ryan Pajak (Ringgold), and Colin Whitaker.
To this point, Notre Dame arguably has one of the best recruiting classes in the Nation. Aside from the Pennsylvanian additions - Notre Dame recently added Jason Parra, Jack Henzke, and Cameron Todd.
As such, they now have four nationally ranked recruits: Drew Griffith - US #3, Cameron Todd - US #9, Ryan Pajak - US #15, and Colin Whitaker - US #37.
Parra and Henzke are both sub-4:12 1600m runners. Parra also ran 8:46.5 over 3200m last outdoor season at the Arcadia Invitational.