Colin Sahlman Named Gatorade National POY In XC

Feb 23, 2022

* Newbury Park's Colin Sahlman accepts the trophy for being announced as Gatorade's 2021 Player of the Year in cross country

Photo Credit: Gatorade

"We're used to that pain. We're used to pushing through it. In a race, when you feel that pain, it's not new. It's something you can push through even if it hurts." -- Colin Sahlman

By Cory Mull - MileSplit

- - -

Two years ago, at right about this same time in February, Colin Sahlman was a face in the crowd of Nico Young's surprise announcement as Gatorade's National Player of the Year.

Inside the Newbury Park High School cafeteria, among family and friends, Young was granted one of cross country's top honors as its national Runner of the Year.

Back then, a younger Sahlman -- sporting longer hair, wearing a white Newbury Park hoodie and ripped jeans -- remembered thinking to himself whether he could follow that same path.

Two years later, he got his wish.

"I think that kind of pushed me to be the athlete I am today," Sahlman, 18, said. "Now to walk in and have that happen, it's really special."

This time, the Northern Arizona signee, who earned a national team and individual title in 2021, walked into the Newbury Park High School gymnasium and was announced as Gatorade's 2021 National Player of the Year in cross country, an honor bestowed to the country's top runner from the previous season.

Following Young, who won two National Player of the Year recognitions over his tenure with Newbury Park, Sahlman becomes the second in the school's history to earn the honor, and became the second Newbury Park athlete to win the national cross country award over the past three seasons.

In December, Sahlman broke an unofficial national record with the fastest 5K ever recorded in high school history, winning the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships in 14:03.29.

In a race that saw four athletes break the previous record of 14:10, Sahlman scored top honors.

It followed a season where he helped lead Newbury Park to wins in every major race across the season, scored his first CIF Division I title and culminated with a national team championship in the final meet of the season.

He won his last four races, with each of his last three efforts all going under 14:30 for 5K.

Sahlman credited his training at Newbury Park, his exceptional teammates and his ability to push through difficult moments in major races as critical factors in his success.

"I'd say that's the biggest challenge in cross country, just pushing through the pain," he said. "But that's something we practice every workout. We practice on hurting. And if you're hurting mid-workout, you still have to do a couple more reps. You have to do it. You have to hit your times.

"Everyone has bad workouts. But that's what we push to do. We strive to hit all of our times, even if we're in pain or if we're struggling. I think that's what helps us get through races. We're used to that pain. We're used to pushing through it. In a race, when you feel that pain, it's not new. It's something you can push through even if it hurts.