First Thoughts: Nico Young & Colin Sahlman Run 3:34 (1500), Nick Plant Posts 1:46 (800) PR & A Big Weekend for the Penn Women

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It was another one of those weekends that produced some interesting headlines, but also didn't leave your writers at The Stride Report drowning in a tidal wave of results. Even so, the Northern Arizona men, a few Ivy League races and a handful of half-mile efforts left us with plenty to analyze. Let's dive in and chat about a few of these performances, shall we?

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Nico Young & Colin Sahlman Run 3:34 (1500), Young Doubles Back to Run Sub-13:40 (5k) Later That Day

After a long-awaited return to racing a discipline above 800 meters, Nico Young toed the line with superstar teammate Colin Sahlman on Saturday night to attack a fast 1500-meter effort. And in case it wasn't obvious from the results, it seemed fairly clear that these two NAU stars were gunning for the NCAA metric mile record of 3:33.74.

Ultimately, that didn't happen as both men ended up just shy of the record. Nico Young produced a time of 3:34.56 while teammate Colin Sahlman ran a time of 3:34.64. Of course, just because they didn't run an NCAA record doesn't mean that these weren't wildly impressive times.

For Nico Young, I have to admit, I'm not surprised in the slightest. This is a guy who ran an altitude converted 3:48 mark in the mile this past winter. He's also shattered NCAA records left and right. Based strictly on his raw fitness and strength, seeing him run under 3:35 for the metric mile is hardly a shocker.

And again, that doesn't mean that it's not an incredible performance.

While this may seem like a silly question, I can't help but ask it: Would Nico Young potentially defer the 5000 meters (and presumably the 10,000 meters given that he doesn't technically have a qualifying time yet) in favor of the 1500 meters at the West Regional Championships?

With the Olympic Trials likely holding greater emphasis than the NCAA Outdoor Championships, could Young possibly go all-in for the 1500 meters in an effort to preserve his legs for late June?

I doubt that's going to happen, especially since Young doubled back after the 1500 meters to produce a sub-13:40 mark over 5000 meters, a clear sign that he wanted a regional qualifying time. Even so, Young would still be viewed as a national title contender in that event. And assuming that he makes the finals, the NAU star would have avoided a total of 4000 meters of extra racing (between the regional and national rounds) if he chose the 1500 meters over the 5000 meters.

As for Colin Sahlman, I would argue that his result was more important than what we saw from Nico Young. After running 3:33.96 to win the men's 1500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, he further validated his talent with a 1:45 (800) win over Rivaldo Marshall. And since then, there hasn't really been a need for Sahlman to attack another fast 1500-meter race.

And yet, he did so anyway.

With a second sub-3:35 (1500) performance now on his seasonal resume, Sahlman just showed us that there was nothing flukey about his Bryan Clay race. If he really needs to, he can throw down an all-time elite mark on seemingly any weekend in the right setting.

Photo via Josh Kutcher

Sure, the outdoor national meet will still be tactical, but there's no denying that in terms of raw fitness, Sahlman can match any legitimate national title contender in this year's 1500-meter field. After all, Sahlman just took down Matthew Centrowitz, Abdi Nur and Craig Engels in that same race!

Between his youth and still-developing tactical savvy, Sahlman may still not be viewed as the one and only national title favorite this spring. However, he has largely done enough to show us that the need for intangibles may not apply to him as much as they would for a few others.

Salt Lake CC's JaQuavious Harris ran 3:39 for 1500 meters while Cal Poly's Davis Bove ran 3:40 at the same distance as well.

Harris, at least to our knowledge, is shockingly not signed by any non-JUCO program yet. That's pretty surprising given how incredible he has been throughout this year. The current JUCO star has been rewriting the NJCAA record books and has shown incredible range as well.

Keep an eye on him as the next few months unfold.

Penn Duo of Lily Murphy & Maeve Stiles Headline Fast 10k Race & Upset Columbia Star Phoebe Anderson

Alright, hand up. I was wrong.

I was very, very wrong about this race.

Going into the women's 10k at the Ivy League Outdoor Championships, I was convinced that Columbia star Phoebe Anderson would win. The Lion star was incredible over 5000 meters during the winter and had run a 15:29 (5k) PR less than a month ago. Sure, she didn't enter Saturday's 10k race with a seed time, but it was seemingly clear to me that this aerobic-centric Ivy League ace was a perfect runner for the 10k.

Yes, I did acknowledge how good Penn's Lily Murphy and Maeve Stiles were. However, Murphy was still in the midst of a breakout season and had only contested one 10k race before this past weekend. And while Stiles had proven to be plenty talented in her own right, the Quaker standout hadn't been quite in top form over the last year or so...that is, until now.

Anderson led a group of five other women for a while and nothing really happened until the lead pack was 8000 meters into the race. There, Murphy took control of the race after sitting on Anderson's shoulder up and to that point. The Penn sophomore would then crank up the pace, giving herself a surprisingly large gap on her conference rival. That move also seemed to benefit Stiles who was also able to establish a gap on Anderson.

In the end, Murphy cruised to the line looking unbelievably smooth. Her winning mark of 32:45 (10k) was just a touch off from her PR of 32:40 while Stiles ran 32:51 for a new 10k personal best. Anderson would finish 3rd overall in 32:54 while Harvard's Ella Gilson admirably ran 32:59 for 4th place.

Saturday felt like a career-defining race for Murphy. The Penn ace showed tremendous promise with her 32:40 (10k) effort at the Raleigh Relays, but a win over Phoebe Anderson and a validating 32:45 mark truly shows us that this Quaker talent is the real deal. I can't stress enough how calm, relaxed and poised Murphy was throughout the entirety of her race. I wouldn't at all be surprised if she was able to run under 32:30 (10k) on the national stage (assuming she qualifies).

As for Stiles, this is also a fantastic performance. The Penn veteran (who only has sophomore eligibility) proved to be nationally competitive during her early days in the NCAA. However, a few setbacks have seemingly left her at 80% of what her top-tier form truly is.

Thankfully, after running a 33:15 (10k) PR at the Raleigh Relays earlier this spring, Stiles is beginning to catch fire at just the right time. A 32:51 personal best over 10,000 meters is a major step in the right direction. And given her pedigree, I wouldn't at all be shocked if she advanced to the outdoor national meet in this event.

However, the party who is maybe the most excited about Stiles' result is actually the University of Washington. That's because Stiles will be a graduate transfer for the Huskies starting next fall. And with all but one woman set to return from last year's cross country lineup, a fully fit Maeve Stiles could further elevate an already-great top-seven come October and November.

As for Anderson, I'll admit, I was expecting more from her, but I can't be too upset about a sub-33:00 performance in her first-ever 10k. The 5k has always been her bread-and-butter, although it will be interesting to see if she'll attack the 10k/5k double at the East Regional Championships after Saturday's race.

Also, great run for Ella Gilson who has sometimes been overlooked by how good the Harvard women have been in the middle distance events. However, she continues to quietly piece together a few excellent runs. Don't forget, this Crimson veteran placed 65th at the NCAA XC Championships this past fall.

Virginia Tech's Nick Plant Runs 1:46 (800) PR to Secure Win

If you're a regular reader of The Stride Report, then you know that I am a very big fan of the Hokies. That, of course, is because I am a Virginia Tech alum.

Is that partially why I am such a big fan of Nick Plant? Absolutely.

But is that the only reason why I'm such a big fan of Nick Plant? No, definitely not.

Plant was a national-caliber superstar over 800 meters during his time in high school. And once he graduated, the Ohio native ventured to Virginia Tech where he showed early success, even winning the ACC title last spring as a rookie, running 1:47 (800) multiple times and advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

However, the VT sophomore has only grown over the last year. He has displayed incredible poise, a strong understanding of positioning, is tactically strong and has proven to be effective at distances over 800 meters. And after securing a massive 4th place All-American finish at the 2024 indoor national meet, Plant feels like one of the more complete half-milers that the NCAA has to offer.

The only catch?

He didn't have an 800-meter PR that truly stood out.

Sure, Plant's 1:47 mark was more than admirable, but many of the nation's top half-milers held personal bests of 1:46, 1:45 and, in the current case of Sam Whitmarsh, 1:44.

That, of course, all changed this past weekend when Plant dropped a fantastic time of 1:46.35 for an 800-meter win. In the process, he positioned himself to run under 1:46 in the near future, rounded-out his resume in a major way, began to show that he's peaking for the postseason and was able to take down a quietly deep field in the process.

No, I'm not saying that Plant is ready to be a national title contender (yet). However, it's incredibly hard to see a scenario where he's not an All-American over 800 meters in June. Of course, before then, he'll need to take down 1:45 man Rynard Swanepoel, 1:46 man Tarees Rhoden and strong contingent of UVA middle distance talents to defend his ACC title from last spring.

Lindsey Butler & Billah Jepkirui Produce 2:02 (800) Marks at Separate Meets

We're assuming that Virginia Tech's Lindsey Butler was paced by SOVA's Rachel McArthur (who was listed as a DNF) en route to her 2:02 win over 800 meters. And while I'd like to be stunned or tell you that this result changes the NCAA landscape, it doesn't.

With a 2:01 (800) PR in this event, a 2022 indoor national title, a recent 4:07 (1500) PR and a 7th place All-American honor in the half-mile finals at the NCAA Indoor Championships, seeing Butler run 2:02 is right on par with our expectations. That was, however, an important rebound race for someone who struggled in her last outing, running 2:05 in a loss to teammate Star Price (who ran 2:03).

As for Jepkirui, we knew that she was capable of dropping down in distance and being a legitimate threat over 800 meters. Even so, a 2:02 PR is definitely on the better end of what we thought she could produce.

Admittedly, the women's 1500-meter national title is seemingly going to be locked up by Harvard's Maia Ramsden. But in terms of skillset, national-caliber times, upside and growing experience, Jepkirui is almost definitely going to win a national title before she leaves the NCAA. Having 2:02 (800) speed to pair with being a top-10 talent on the grass should allow her to be competitive with almost anyone in the country.

Also, really great run from Arkansas' Tiana LoStracco who ran 2:03 (800) in the same race. She continues to be a really solid and underrated talent for the Razorbacks. However, despite her strong showing, I think she'll still pursue the 1500 meters come the postseason.

Penn's Bronwyn Patterson Upsets Harvard's Sophia Gorriaran for Ivy League 800-Meter Title

In our predictions/preview article, here is what I said about the women's 800-meter field for this past weekend's Ivy League Outdoor Championships:

"Yes, Sophia Gorriaran may be in this field, but this will not be a stroll in the park. Bronwyn Patterson has been great in the postseason throughout her career and she is looking as strong as she ever has."

*Sigh*

Now if only I had reflected that in my actual predictions...

On Sunday, Harvard rookie Sophia Gorriaran took to the lead, coming through 400 meters in a blistering 59 seconds. Right on her shoulder was Penn's Bronwyn Patterson and Yale's Victoria Guerrier who would eventually fade.

In the final 200 meters, Patterson would make a convincing move to the front, overtaking Gorriaran in an effort to gain separation. And for the most part, it worked! Gorriaran responded, but Patterson simply had too much momentum and too many strides on her Ivy League counterpart to be caught.

And in the end, it was Patterson securing the 800-meter win, 2:04.12 to 2:04.96.

Video via X.com/@PennTrack

Even before this past weekend, I have said previously that Bronwyn Patterson is really good in the postseason. In fact, that's usually when she's at her best. Over this past winter and throughout these spring months, the Penn veteran has posted three different personal bests in three different events. She just ran her 2:03 (800) PR the other weekend and was plenty familiar with Gorriaran from the Ivy League Indoor Championships.

Of course, make no mistake, the Crimson freshman was still the clear favorite going into Sunday. Her times were notably faster than Patterson's and she had made it to the national meet this past winter. But if there was going to be an upset, it was going to come from an experienced veteran who has never been more fit and always peaks for the postseason.

A victory like that will do wonders for Patterson as she goes deeper into the postseason. And given how tactical the East Regional Championships can usually be, I can't help but wonder if the Quaker middle distance runner will be favored to advance to the outdoor national meet.

As for Gorriaran, I'll admit, this isn't the most encouraging result, especially as she preps for the East Regional Championships. Even so, this is someone who ran 2:01 (800) less a month ago and was able to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. She owns a 2:00 PR and boasts really impressive mile strength.

On paper, there are way more reasons to like Gorriaran's chances at qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships than not.

Quick Hits

• Really impressive weekend for Harvard's Maia Ramsden who put together a 4:09/15:47 (1500/5k) double on Sunday to earn two Ivy League titles. Taking down Phoebe Anderson in her primary event despite racing on tired legs (while Anderson had a night of rest) is applause-worthy.

• Strong 1:47 (800) efforts from Butler's William Cuthbertson, Indiana's Nico Colchico and Oklahoma State's DeJuana McArthur. That's a new personal best for all three of those men.

• Navy's Sam Keeny just had a huge steeplechase effort, running 8:41 to win the Patriot League title. Watch out for the Midshipmen runner who has posted new PRs in this event in his last two attempts at this discipline. Army's Nathan Davis (8:43) also posted a fairly significant personal best as well.