What is happening with Colin Sahlman?

No, not really. He hasn't even had a full calendar year yet.

Not being “fickle.” I’m a fan of Teare and don’t see where I’m calling him dead in the water. This thread is about athletes choosing the best team for their ambitions and strengths. This particular thread is about Sahlman, but Teare’s situation might be analogous based on his interview with JG referencing whether or not Jerry and Cooper even agree on his primary event being the 1500 vs 5000 this year and going forward. That seems odd, no? Not sure what that has to do with with my fickle fandom?

NP trained like a college team. Most will improve less than other college guys.

Although he is a much less scrutinized athlete on these boards, the same could have been said about John Lester prior to this indoor season. He struggled he had a couple of okay results indoors and largely struggled outdoors, failing to be within a half second of his PR. Although he is not a cross country runner, he showed regression in this past fall in the races he did run compared to the previous season. But then, this season, He takes what, 6 seconds off of his mile time, and then drops a 1:46 800 to punch his ticket to NCAA's. I don't know the story of what happened over the last year, just like I don't know the story of Colin. But what we all know about this sport is that progress is not linear. Sometimes when you make adjustments to training or even life in general that will lead to better outcomes long term, the process of adjusting leads to results that do not, on the surface, indicate progress. TLDR-I would wait a little while before writing off a 3:56 high school miler who has a solid high school foundation and is in a very successful college program.

Culture change. He will be fine once he gets fully adjusted to college life

It’s a pattern I’ve noticed from you and maybe it was odd for me to bring it up in this specific thread. I have total respect for you, I just think you’re quick to jump to assertions like “Nuguse is the only guy who can challenge Jakob in the next few years,” or alternatively dismiss someone you were high on 5 minutes ago like I recall you doing with Hocker last year. I should have bitten my tongue because you’re obviously a great fan of the sport, especially versus many of the posters here.

As for Schumacher and Teare disagreeing on Teare’s event - I think it’s fairly likely we’re making something out of nothing, or anyway something completely normal and healthy. A lot of athletes and coaches have this dynamic and it’s not contentious. Hopefully they can make decisions together like two professionals when the time comes, and in the meantime there’s not a big gulf between 5k training and 1500 training.

Nico has improved about the same as every other HSer...

13:24 for a freshman isn't crazy? I call that a solid progression from being a 7:57 guy the year before...

Nico Young ran 7:56.97 (February 2020/13:50 (June 2020) in high school, albeit with a pandemic-shortened senior campaign and a 5k in hot weather with inadequate pacers.

He ran 13:24 as a freshman and 13:11 as a sophomore. He's improved 39 seconds in the 5000m in two years. He's run 7:51/13:15 indoor pr's as a junior this year, along with 2nd in xc, but the previous 7:59 pr was run in Bozeman, Montana and converted to around 7:45, which is about a 12 second pr from high school. In the mile, he ran 3:56 as a sophomore, which is roughly a ten second pr from high school, where he didn't target the mile his senior year.

After winning two de facto national xc titles in high school, his 4th in xc in March as a freshman was a big jump forward, the best finish for an American freshman since Ritzenhein, I think.

I’ll own your critique of my fandom. I like getting swept up in the emotion of the moment….definitely way more a pure fan than an analyst (not at all).

He ran 1:49, 1:51, and 4:04 w/ a 57 close at his conference meet all at 2500’ altitude.
I’d say he’s at least in the same shape he was last year at this point.

Nearly all runners have setbacks (illness, injury, etc) and that is why progress is not linear for anyone. When a runner seems to be on top of the world, not only do they have great talent and good coaching, but they’ve also been lucky to get in a period of very consistent training. When they’re not running as well, it’s usually because they’re training hasn’t been as consistent due to a setback. That doesn’t mean they’re done or they’ve made bad choices. It’s normal. It happens to everyone.

Does that mean he's had a set back? When and what was it?

Isai Rodriguez got 4th in 2018 as a freshman (might've been a redshirt) Which is crazy to me because he was a 4:27 1600 guy in 2017

He ran 1:50 mid or 1:50 high after running the 4xmile at indoor nats weeks later this time last year. He's actually in a pretty good place but people don't look at the full context

I’m my opinion he is wayyyy to weak. Has zero muscle in his quads or upper body. Doesn’t have the strength to battle with adult aged athletes.

Right you are. Isai Rodriguez was 4th as a redshirt freshman in 2018 (2nd at Regionals), then 66th at Regionals and didn't qualify for nationals in 2019, then 8th at Nationals in Spring 2021, 22nd at Nationals in Fall 2021, and then 8th again at Nationals in 2022. So, he's had five chances to run nationals, run four of them, and his top three places are 4th, 8th, and 8th. Pretty incredible for a 4:27 high schooler whose first college race in January 2018 was a 4:16 and who ran 14:13 in his first 5000m, the same calendar year he would finish 4th in xc.

Ha!!! Wise Old Guy got OWNED!!! Didn’t even know Teare PRd at Millrose in 7:34 probably worth sub-730 at BU!!

hater. Stay old.

Not close to the top true Fr - WIll Sumner -> 1:47.02. Maybe he should go to a mid-distance based program, or just somewhere different than NAU.