Searching for the right university, going through the recruitment process, and managing the pressures of high school can be overwhelming to say the least. But just know, there are hundreds of possibilities and programs in the collegiate landscape that are just waiting to be explored!
Streamline Athletes hopes to highlight collegiate track and field recruitment stories and experiences of all kinds to provide soon-to-be high school graduates with more insight into the recruitment process and tips as to how they can start and progress with their own journey.
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Corey Bellemore got introduced to track and field in Tecumseh, Ontario, when he was in Grade 6 and has not looked back since. He is currently sponsored by Adidas, graduated from the University of Windsor, a member school of the U SPORTS association and OUA conference, and up until 2019 was in the same training squad as Melissa Bishop, fellow Windsor alumni and 800m Canadian National record holder.
Fun fact, Corey is also the current Beer Mile world record holder with an official time of 4:33.6 but his focus definitely remains on the Olympics; he has dedicated himself to securing a spot on the Canadian team for the upcoming games.
Here are some stats on Corey’s progression from high school to now.
| Events | High School PRs | Current PRs |
| 800m | 1:50.9 | 1:47.68 (in college) |
| 1500m | 3:53.49 | 3:39.36 |
| 3000m | 8:43 | 8:11.29 |
He ran his PR of 1:47.68 when he was a University of Windsor athlete, this ranked him within the top 5 in Canada. With this time, he would have also been ranked within the top 20 in the NCAA, having a high chance of qualifying for the NCAA National Championship.
But the NCAA is not the only path to success, Corey achieved a great deal while competing within the U SPORTS association and the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference, which set the pace for his current athletic career as a professional runner.
Now let’s get into some more details!
High School Training Days
Corey’s focus has always been on track, this was clear from a young age, although he did play some basketball throughout Grade 7 and 8. His parents grew up running too, so he would always bike next to them on their runs. Corey was surrounded by a lot of good athletes from the track and field community; sport was just a part of his life.
Here are some of the highlights from our interview with Corey, which can be found on the Streamline Athletes YouTube Channel.
What made you start track and field?
In the summer of Grade 6 I got invited to the University of Windsor track and field camp and a bunch of the camp counselors were high level athletes. Amongst them was Jamie Adjetey-Nelson, (2010 Commonwealth Games decathlon gold medalist), Osie Nriagu (Melissa Bishop’s husband), Hannah Garton and many more. They showed me what hard work could lead to and how fun the sport was.
What type of training were you doing in high school?
My coach was always focused on long term goals and would make sure I would not overtrain throughout high-school. He would look towards my university years and beyond (if that was to be the route I wanted to take). In terms of other training, after cross-country season, I would focus on swimming. I would swim throughout the fall, 6 to 7 times a week and then focus on track workouts in the spring. I am still a big believer in cross-training and how it can help you gain fitness without tiring you for the upcoming workouts.
What was your college recruitment experience?
In late high-school, I was proactive and filled out a LOT of recruitment forms for NCAA schools and had conversations with coaches. I did not want to limit myself to only the local universities. I wanted to have all the doors opened and then make a decision on which college was the right fit for me. I would recommend the same to any high-school athlete trying to get recruited.
Keep in mind, there are over 1,700 schools in North America with track and field and/or cross country programs. It all comes down to what is the right fit for you. Browse all the programs here.
What made you choose the University of Windsor?
I grew up watching the indoor track and field USPORTS (formerly CIS) national championships on TV, and they were held in Windsor. I got to see how strong the team was and watched them do well. Then in Grade 11, Denis Fairall the head coach at the time invited me, my brother and other teammates to train with the team once to twice a week. I got into the team environment and it ended up being a good fit for me.
During his time at the University of Windsor, Corey accomplished a lot. Here are just a few of his accomplishments from his early university days. In 2013 he became the CIS National silver medalist in the 4x800m relay. The following year, in 2014, during the collegiate season he placed 4th in the 600m at CIS Track and Field Championships and became a CIS record holder in the 4x800m, where he and his team took home the gold medal. In that same year, during the summer season, Corey placed first in the 800m at the Canadian Junior Championships. It was these beginnings at the University of Windsor that set the tone for Corey’s continued success on the track.
How was your adjustment from high-school to college?
College was definitely a big adjustment. I was 17 at the time and I did not do too well in school that year in my first semester. My coach sat me down and told me my future in athletics depended on my education. As a student-athlete, you need to keep your grades at a certain level or else you can’t compete. Realizing that gave me a huge wake up call and I got the extra help I needed. I got good with balancing school and training after the first year and the remainder of my university went by smoothly.
Do you have any training advice for high school athletes?
I think cross-training activities like swimming and biking can be extremely beneficial to running. If you are injured or too beat up from running, just go in the pool for a hard workout. It gets you fit very quickly aerobically and has less impacts on your body, so you can be fresh for workouts.
What now?
Corey is currently building up for his outdoor professional track and field season and for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. He stays hopeful that there will be some races within the Canadian circuit even with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
And for you, the next generation of athletes, now is your time to find your best fit for collegiate academics and athletics and Streamline Athletes is here to help. Olympians, national record holders and international level athletes have all started their collegiate careers in a variety of different associations. U SPORTS for example provides athletes with a Canadian education, eligibility perks, reasonable tuition, alignment with Athletics Canada, scholarship opportunity and quality competition.
Start your journey today, the Streamline way at StreamlineAthletes.com.
