Not a great 1500m from Nyoak, Hasty, or de las Heras, all of whom ran slower than 4 minute mile pace here (3:44-45), whereas Nyoak and de las Heras ran 3:57-58 indoors. But if Sahlman is running 3:33.96 over that field, what is Nico going to do? Remember that he beat Sahlman at altitude in January by six seconds in 3:57! And he's just run 1:48 flat to go with his 12:57/26:52.
Is it just me or everyone else thinks NAU crew so suspicious?! Start with Nico Y. All of the sudden he is unbeatable and now Colin 3:33 and beating the pros including Engles?
If Collin gets the 1500 NCAA record this season before Nico goes pro, the current NAU team will include the NCAA record holders in the 1500, 3000, 5000 and 10,000 with Colin, Drew and Nico. Has any team done that? They could also possibly get two current distance athletes on the Olympic team with Nico and Colin.
Crap! Does this mean we have to start another Henry Rono thread to get people to remember for another 10 seconds, if that?
It’s worth noting that Colin didn’t even make NAU’s 7 man XC team his Sophomore year & Nico got stomped twice by Banks who wasn’t at 7,000’. I am a huge fan of Smith but there are some fair questions to ask here. This is where so many here can’t get beyond blind loyality.
Yes I am a fan of coach Smith. His interview at Buffalo Park - every team mate is important to our success. Nico citing that team culture was high on his reasons for picking NAU.
Smith seems to have a spooky intuition about his runners: past and present, did he bench Colin because he knew OSU would probably be dominate and there was a track season coming up where he would shine? Nico save his peak for track & Olympics. Maybe right? Asking questions is important.
Is it just me or everyone else thinks NAU crew so suspicious?! Start with Nico Y. All of the sudden he is unbeatable and now Colin 3:33 and beating the pros including Engles?
You conveniently omit that Young and Sahlman have been incredible, fearless talents for many years before NAU. It is not as though NAU created superstars out of two nobodies.
Pretty obvious with the conditions if you watched the race. Obviously 2-3 seconds is a stretch I would only give him 1 second. Maybe 3:33 or just under.
I watched the video and it looked like there was no wind and if it was raining, it wasn’t more than a sprinkle. In other words, it looked like perfect conditions.
You are obsessed with former Newbury Park athletes its kind of creepy. If there is ever a thread about Newbury Park or Brosnan you have to comment with obsession. You even use Brosnan quote as your handle.
I watched the video and it looked like there was no wind and if it was raining, it wasn’t more than a sprinkle. In other words, it looked like perfect conditions.
You are obsessed with former Newbury Park athletes its kind of creepy. If there is ever a thread about Newbury Park or Brosnan you have to comment with obsession. You even use Brosnan quote as your handle.
What's the deal!?!?!?
Lighten up. There were posters that claimed the weather conditions were bad but based on the video, they looked perfect and Conor’s time would seem to prove that.
What bugs me about the NP runners is that their coaches are taking way too much credit for their success. It now seems to be the consensus that Brosnan is the greatest HS coach of all time and Smith is greatest college coach.
I chose that handle because I think it’s funny, it’s well known on LR and because I’m not sure what point Brosnan was trying to make.
You are obsessed with former Newbury Park athletes its kind of creepy. If there is ever a thread about Newbury Park or Brosnan you have to comment with obsession. You even use Brosnan quote as your handle.
What's the deal!?!?!?
Lighten up. There were posters that claimed the weather conditions were bad but based on the video, they looked perfect and Conor’s time would seem to prove that.
What bugs me about the NP runners is that their coaches are taking way too much credit for their success. It now seems to be the consensus that Brosnan is the greatest HS coach of all time and Smith is greatest college coach.
I chose that handle because I think it’s funny, it’s well known on LR and because I’m not sure what point Brosnan was trying to make.
You need to get a life and move on from the message boards. Your reply says it all and proves my point. Saying you're creepy in an understatement. It's an actually on par with a stalker.
A great job by Sahlman !!! 3:33.96 at 20 yrs old....winning (which matters when you compare times). Good for him. Damp conditions as well. I expect he will shave a second off this later in the year.
He is not close to the best time by a collegian, look at what Spencer has done, he is fast and can close, and gets race strategy (3:31, Aussie 1500 crown in a loaded field). How did he get there; maybe someone should look at his coach, who is really underrated. He has two NCAA athletes and two Pros at they had one first and two seconds and a third. Would you bet on Sahlman over Spencer?, and with his teammate taking third.
Maybe the claim that Sahlman and his teammate are the best NCAA duo in history is weaken by not necessarily being the top ones this year. I do not think that the NAU guys are as good tactically as they are time wise; of course they are young and will learn. Who would you bet on to make the Olympic Final, Spencer or Sahlman?
Not a great 1500m from Nyoak, Hasty, or de las Heras, all of whom ran slower than 4 minute mile pace here (3:44-45), whereas Nyoak and de las Heras ran 3:57-58 indoors. But if Sahlman is running 3:33.96 over that field, what is Nico going to do? Remember that he beat Sahlman at altitude in January by six seconds in 3:57! And he's just run 1:48 flat to go with his 12:57/26:52.
Straight up! I really hope we get to see Nico run a fast 1500. Very curious to see how fast he’d go. Crazy to think he is a 5/10 k guy but could seriously break the ncaa record for 1500m.
Not a great 1500m from Nyoak, Hasty, or de las Heras, all of whom ran slower than 4 minute mile pace here (3:44-45), whereas Nyoak and de las Heras ran 3:57-58 indoors. But if Sahlman is running 3:33.96 over that field, what is Nico going to do? Remember that he beat Sahlman at altitude in January by six seconds in 3:57! And he's just run 1:48 flat to go with his 12:57/26:52.
Straight up! I really hope we get to see Nico run a fast 1500. Very curious to see how fast he’d go. Crazy to think he is a 5/10 k guy but could seriously break the ncaa record for 1500m.
I've always thought Colin was the greatest of the talents between the two sets of brothers. Not only does he have the most speed, but he is built like an ostrich. He's always flown over the ground in a way that looks effortless.
Bone density and speed usually peak around 24-25, which lines up with Oct. 28 2027 and 2028 for Colin. It's not at all out of the question he could be an American Record holder in the 1500 around the 2028 Olympics and then the 5000 and/or 10000 AR holder before the 2032 Olympics.
how is he clearly capable of runnin g times 2-3 seconds faster
he was less than 1/10th under 3:34.00
.04
So, now he is a capable 3:32 or 31 guy from 3:34 3:33.96?
How?
Well you should him credit for what he ran then, he ran 3:33.9, not 3:34. 3:32 from 3:33.9 is 1s (3:32.9 since math seems hard for you). Also, to give him credit for what he ran, he ran 3:33.9 in the rain to win by almost 1s over the reigning NCAA 1500m champ after being well back with a lap to go.
I think he could've run under the NCAA record in better conditions. I'm less sure about 3:32, but since it's only April, I am pretty confident he could run 3:31-3:32 come May/June.
+1
It is quite normal that a middle distance runner goes several seconds faster in the high season than in the season opener (Centro often 5-10 s faster).
Last year Jakob opened with a dominant win in DL Rabat in 3:32.59 and he ran almost 5.5 s faster in DL Silesia. Nuguse improved even more from his season opener (if we convert his Bowerman Mile result to a 1500m time).
It is the same with 800m runners who normally at least improve with 2-3 s from their season opener to their best race in the season. Nothing sharpens better than running competions.
Whoa, that is impressive. Nuguse only ran 3:34 something in college. There also is a lesson there in that he struggled last year so it's taken him some time adjust to college and the training. But the talent is undeniable.
I've seen him interviewed a couple of times over the past few months. He attributed the improvement this year to being able to train more consistently / injury free vs last year.
I've always thought Colin was the greatest of the talents between the two sets of brothers. Not only does he have the most speed, but he is built like an ostrich. He's always flown over the ground in a way that looks effortless.
Bone density and speed usually peak around 24-25, which lines up with Oct. 28 2027 and 2028 for Colin. It's not at all out of the question he could be an American Record holder in the 1500 around the 2028 Olympics and then the 5000 and/or 10000 AR holder before the 2032 Olympics.
Really? I thought it was Aaron. He ran 1:48 as a junior then won NXN senior year. I think out of every NXN/FL/RL champ, he had the fastest 800pb going into it. He also ran an 8:01i 3k at 16 years old. My ideas about 'talent' have been shifting as of late though. Starting to think the Youngs and Sahlmans are pretty even talent-wise, with the Youngs probably tending towards longer stuff and the Sahlmans to shorter stuff.
In 2022, Nico's sophomore season, he ran 13:11, just off the 13:08 record (Nur ran 13:06 same race), and came 3rd at NCAAs behind 2 covid-seniors. Now, in Colin's sophomore season, he ran 3:33, just off the 3:33 record, and beat the NCAA 2022 1500m, 2023 mile, 2023 1500, 2023 3k, and 2024 champs in the process. Clear threat for the title. Surprisingly similar timing to Nico.
Still, I'm hesitant to say the Youngs are naturally gifted at longer stuff, and the Sahlmans are naturally gifted at shorter stuff, because I think it's a bit misleading. Even though Nico probably gets beat in an 800, in a fast mile, Nico is still beating Colin. He's fast enough at 800 that he could break 3:30 (given he had the fitness for it), and at that point, the difference in raw speed is negligible in a distance race. Also, Leo ran 4:00 as a junior in March running solo after 1k. If he hadn't gotten sick, he could've broken 4 as a junior, which Colin didn't do. He ran 3:39 a few times as a senior, which is only a bit slower than Colin's 3:56. Leo only ran 1:50, but again, it seems like that difference in speed is pretty negligible once you get to the mile, much less the 3k/5k. Also, Aaron ran 8:01 as a 16 year old, and won NXN at 17. I think he'll probably end up a 1500/3k type, but his 5k potential is underrated imo.
There are the outliers who come out of nowhere from high school to become real talents, but the majority of athletes who do well in college and beyond already show talent in high school. However, there are many talented high school athletes who level off in college. Smith should get credit for taking two very talented high school athletes (Nico and Colin) and continue to develop them.
Straight up! I really hope we get to see Nico run a fast 1500. Very curious to see how fast he’d go. Crazy to think he is a 5/10 k guy but could seriously break the ncaa record for 1500m.
I've always thought Colin was the greatest of the talents between the two sets of brothers. Not only does he have the most speed, but he is built like an ostrich. He's always flown over the ground in a way that looks effortless.
Bone density and speed usually peak around 24-25, which lines up with Oct. 28 2027 and 2028 for Colin. It's not at all out of the question he could be an American Record holder in the 1500 around the 2028 Olympics and then the 5000 and/or 10000 AR holder before the 2032 Olympics.
Whoa, that is impressive. Nuguse only ran 3:34 something in college. There also is a lesson there in that he struggled last year so it's taken him some time adjust to college and the training. But the talent is undeniable.
I've seen him interviewed a couple of times over the past few months. He attributed the improvement this year to being able to train more consistently / injury free vs last year.
Stark contrast to Jerry and Rheinhardt Harrison. Both injured freshman year, unable to be super consistent and deal with the heavy workload of elite college training. Some disappointing early results - a 4:03 and 4:04 in his big opportunities at the mile, a 3:47 early season outdoors. Smith keeps Sahlman under control, keeps him racing, has him focus on the 800 for a nice low-pressure outdoor season. Ends up running a surprise 1:46 to keep the momentum going and the confidence high.
Harrison on the other hand, gets redshirted, doesn't get a chance to race for the entire regular season, then pops a good time in a rabbited race in June. Flames out at USAs, wins U20s against high schoolers.
Sophomore year, Sahlman starts to find his footing training-wise, and only then does Smith allow him to open up and hit some bigger miles/workouts. Start to see the effects indoors, allowing him to go back to his primary event but still keeping him focused on speed with plenty of 400s and 800s. And now outdoors, with months of solid training and momentum on his side, starts to really shine, having now dropped 2 seconds off his high school 800, 6 seconds off his high school 1500, and 9 off his high school 3k - hard to do when you were that good in high school!
Meanwhile Harrison, having been thrown straight back into the fire after injury, is only just getting back to training. Runs one XC race and it actually goes alright, but not given any chance to back it up and start building some momentum, because right away he's injured again. Doesn't race indoors - still not ready of course. Why would it be worth racing if it's not a perfect setup and you're not perfectly fit and everything isn't perfect? Now outdoors, he's finally getting to race a bit, but at this point his rival has 5 seasons of college running under his belt, and he's getting in faster sections, running with more confidence, and pulling farther ahead every day. Must suck to be on the other end of that.
Not a great 1500m from Nyoak, Hasty, or de las Heras, all of whom ran slower than 4 minute mile pace here (3:44-45), whereas Nyoak and de las Heras ran 3:57-58 indoors. But if Sahlman is running 3:33.96 over that field, what is Nico going to do? Remember that he beat Sahlman at altitude in January by six seconds in 3:57! And he's just run 1:48 flat to go with his 12:57/26:52.
Pretty much every 3:35 guy is running 1:48. Give him a second for being a distance guy and we are looking at like a 3:34 guy. Or basically where Rupp was when he was running those 5k/10k times.
It’s worth noting that Colin didn’t even make NAU’s 7 man XC team his Sophomore year & Nico got stomped twice by Banks who wasn’t at 7,000’. I am a huge fan of Smith but there are some fair questions to ask here. This is where so many here can’t get beyond blind loyality.
Yes I am a fan of coach Smith. His interview at Buffalo Park - every team mate is important to our success. Nico citing that team culture was high on his reasons for picking NAU.
Smith seems to have a spooky intuition about his runners: past and present, did he bench Colin because he knew OSU would probably be dominate and there was a track season coming up where he would shine? Nico save his peak for track & Olympics. Maybe right? Asking questions is important.
I think he benched Sahlman because he simply was not top 7 in results at any point in the season. He may have had the potential to be top 7 that season, but he was 9-10 in results consistently that season and never had a breakout race that showed he was ready.
Gorgas, Quax and Nyoak all had at least one great result in the leadup that mixed them into the top 5 runners. Sahlman was in the next group of guys in terms of results. He just doesn't seem to be exceptional at 10K XC distance, but that is fine since he's blowing people's doors off at <=5K distances.