It was already a dream junior season for Colton Sands. It got even better on Saturday when he ran to a tenth place finish and All American status at Foot Locker Nationals at Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
In the spring, the Penns Valley Area distance runner captured the PIAA Class AA state title on the track in the 3,200 meters. He followed that up with a big cross country season. He won the District 6 title in 15:14, his 5K best and then a week later went 15:56 to win the PIAA Class A state title.
At Foot Locker Northeast, Sands earned one of the ten national-qualifying spots, placing ninth at Van Cortlandt Park in 15:33. That wasn't enough for Sands. He moved up considerably as the race progressed and ended up tenth in the nation, closing out his terrific junior season.
Sands answered some questions for PennTrackXC on his race plan, his thoughts on the Foot Locker experience, and his reaction to his top ten run.
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PennTrackXC: What were some of your expectations for the race? Obviously it's a small field, but a very strong and top-heavy field, which is a lot different than most every race you've seen this season.
Colton Sands: Going into the race, I tried to not put a lot of pressure on myself. I knew the 39 other guys on the line were some of the best in the country, and all were capable of running very fast. I had a goal in my mind of an All-American finish, but I wouldn't say it was an expectation I held. I just hoped to go out and run a good race.
PTXC: You moved up quite a bit from the start of the race. Was it part of your plan to go out on the conservative side?
CS: On the line, I was sort of having a mental debate whether to go out really hard and mix it up upfront for the first half and try to hold on or go out a bit slower and run a stronger second loop. Ultimately, I didn't have the best start so I defaulted to the second plan.
PTXC: Knowing the depth of the northeast region and making it out of there with a ninth-place finish, did it give you confidence going into nationals that you could perform well?
CS: Definitely. I believe the Northeast had the strongest region on the boys' side and to just make it out of regionals let me know I had the ability to run with the best of the best.
PTXC: Describe your emotions when you crossed the finish line with a top ten finish.
CS: When I first crossed the line I didn't know what place I had come in. I knew I had done well but I wasn't sure of a place until I found my parents. I was thinking I was in a fringe All-American spot and was just hoping to be 15th. When I learned I was in the top ten I was kinda in disbelief. To place so well in that deep of field certainly is something I'll be proud of for a while.
PTXC: You are the No. 2 returner for next year for Foot Locker Nationals. How excited does that make you for your senior year?
CS: It certainly gives me a different outlook going in. It's a whole year away and I don't want to get ahead of myself but I am definitely very excited about next year's Foot Locker National Championship.
PTXC: How did you enjoy the whole Foot Locker Nationals experience from the pre-race to the post-race activities?
CS: Without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life. Everybody out there was really cool and the whole atmosphere was great. Getting to spend the weekend in San Diego with so many incredible runners and incredible people was amazing. I want to thank Footlocker, New Balance, and Eastbay for making the experience possible.
PTXC: What's your post-XC plan? Are you taking some time off now?
CS: I'll be taking two weeks off of running to give my legs a chance to recover. I hope to spend the winter developing my total fitness and getting ready to come out and have a huge outdoor season!
