Someone gave Colin Sahlman really bad advise to scratch the Mile and or the 800m at NCAAs

It is refreshing to read serious runners discussions, instead of the constant gibberish in other threads of LRC Message Board. I've been a fan of Colin since his days at Newbury Park. I just hope he doesn't burn himself out. Never quite understood why runners take indoor track so seriously.

Not a smart move for Colin to run the 3000m only. It actually makes very little sense. He’s already shown repeatedly that he struggles to win Championship races in the 800m and mile, and instead of fixing that he’s just avoiding them altogether. Bailing out of the events that matter most for a pro contract doesn’t exactly scream confidence. If anything, it sends the message that he’s okay graduating in June with a pretty low-value deal

1:44 / 3:33 / 7:36 / 13:38 / 28:33 (xc) and Nike just built a giant chunk of it's pro infrastructure around his old college coach in Flagstaff. I think his contract is gonna be pretty solid.

Those performances would be stellar if this was 1985. But I will not comment on his contract nor his decisions to run what events at NCAAs. It is only indoors after all.

It signals he is sahl-vaging the indoor season to some extent. Maybe he doesn't feel as confident about the 800 / mile these past few weeks and wants to explore the 3000, sahl-ve the 1500 for outdoors and not ruin his mentality? Yes, even he needs to be coddled. It can be lonely at the top.

Are you serious?

He is the all time CR holder at 800

The race people really wanted to see and he owes no one that … is the 800 with PSU guys and Matsatsa from GTown

I think his worst chance of winning anything is the 3k

amd I cannot believe how soft that is not running him in DMR with the big Dogs as well on anchor

I think this is a pretty common double. It’s to prioritize being fresh for the DMR and having enough time to recover for the 3000m.

Good move

add this thread to the list of NAU criticisms that aged quite poorly.

Whoever said he wasn’t running the DMR is never to be trusted again lol. Good win for NAU tonight. I’m sure Sahlman feels great about making the decision to give his teammates as good a chance as possible by scratching the mile and 800. Now we’ll see if he can get an individual title tomorrow too.

Colin could have been a National Champ in the 800 or Mile. DMR is fun , but not going to help in in the long run

Let us count the clowns in this one

Help what?

I don't love Sahlman, but he gave a great interview after the race, that a told a truth that any successful high school coach knows. Doing it with teammates is JUST MORE FUN. He said he has the rest of his running career to do it for himself. But in college, there is nothing better, nothing more fun than doing it WITH TEAMMATES!

I had a kid win a state title in the mile one year, and the next year, he came back and helped his teammates win the 4x4. He asked me point blank after which was better and I didn't hesitate to say there's nothing better than doing it with a relay. And he 100% agreed. I could tell by his demeanor he was being truthful.

Running can be the most lonely sport in the world. Those moments with the relays are a momentary cure.

Winning the DMR is great, no doubt about it. But from what his own teammates said, he was a late add to the DMR lineup, and it does raise questions that he skipped the 800 and the mile. Those are the events where the real head-to-head competition was. If he doesn’t win the 3000m now, it’s going to look like he avoided the tougher races. I hope he wins it , genuinely , because otherwise the decision will be second-guessed

Hard disagree. Regardless of the 3000m result, he won a title with his teammates. I'm sure the team goal was more important and that's why they team.him chose to scratch the 800/mile which had prelims before. He can chase individual glory on Day 2 but in the meantime, rest up for the anchor on Day 1. Nothing wrong with that. Team over individual is a strong motivator. And the 3000m is stacked... Samuel, Langon, Couttie, Birnbaum, Kitchen, Sands and more, thats not a "tougher race"??

Props to Tor Hotung-Davidsen who ran in the mile prelims and doubled back on the DMR 800m leg though

This is so silly. “people” wanted to see it? Get over yourself. The DMR/3000 double has been run by a long list of very accomplished athletes. Did “people” want to see Yared Nuguse in the mile?

And as someone who once competed in the relay at nationals and other years as an individual, not much can compare to lining up with your boys and a stick. The difference is Colin had a choice and chose to run with his teammates. Most of us didn’t.

Kudos to Colin; I will now be rooting for him in the 1500 outdoors.

Let’s be honest, most teams don’t run their true A-team in the DMR at NCAAs. They just don’t. Programs shuffle lineups based on who they need fresh for individual events the next day, so the DMR often ends up watered down compared to what it could be.
Good for NAU and Colin for winning it, a national title is a national title. But let’s not pretend it’s the same as winning an individual NCAA title.
What’s more puzzling is Colin scratching the 800m, the event he literally holds the NCAA record in and the mile, which is arguably his best event and where he was ranked #2. When you’re that good in those events, people are naturally going to question the decision.
Hopefully it’s just strategy and not a case of overthinking things with all the “mental health/anxiety” talk that seems to follow some athletes these days.