Newbury Park boys’ runners chasing history at indoor meet

If you wish to run quick, neglect about setting targets based mostly on instances.

That angle has catapulted the boys’ distance program at Newbury Park Excessive to attain outcomes past some other faculty within the U.S. — ever.

The Panthers are so good that — barring one thing unexpected — they may lop 30 seconds off the nationwide highschool file within the boys’ indoor four-mile relay after they run within the New Stability Nationals Indoor Meet on the Armory in New York Metropolis on Saturday.

“That mindset has actually developed and developed over these final three to 4 years,” stated senior Colin Sahlman, Newbury Park’s high runner. “It’s identical to it’s reworked into one thing that we by no means thought was attainable. Now we predict something’s attainable.”

It’s simple to see why.

Through the 2021 observe season, Newbury Park grew to become the primary U.S. highschool to have 4 boys break 4 minutes 10 seconds within the mile in the identical 12 months and to have 4 runners run 3,200-meter instances that have been equal to a sub nine-minute two mile.

To place these accomplishments into perspective, beforehand just one highschool crew within the U.S. had ever had three runners notch sub-4:10 miles in a single season, and simply two groups had had three runners obtain sub-9:00 two-mile marks.

Newbury Park adopted its excellent 2021 observe season with an unprecedented cross-country marketing campaign that was even higher.

Take into account: The Panthers’ common rating in 5 main meets was a ridiculously low 21 factors, and their common margin of victory over the second-place crew was 114 factors.

They swept the primary six locations within the Division I race of the Southern Part Championships and took the primary 4 within the California Interscholastic Federation State Division I remaining, Clovis Invitational and Woodbridge Basic.

Newbury Park totaled a minuscule 16 factors — one shy of the fewest attainable — within the state meet.

Colin Sahlman, heart, led Newbury Park to a 1-2-3-4 end within the Division I remaining of the California state cross-country championships in November.

The next week they topped that efficiency within the Garmin RunningLane Championships in Huntsville (Alabama) when their high 4 runners positioned first, second, third, and sixth in a race that included most of the nation’s high groups and people. The time hole between the No. 1 and 5 runners on the crew was 42 seconds, three seconds higher than within the state meet.

“We all know methods to carry out on race day,” stated junior Lex Younger. “It’s uncommon that we don’t execute how we should always. Plenty of that comes all the way down to the onerous exercises we do in coaching that put together us properly for races.”

Lex Younger and his twin brother, Leo, and Colin Sahlman and his junior brother Aaron, will comprise the Newbury Park foursome that’s anticipated to obliterate the nationwide highschool indoor file of 17:01.81 within the four-mile relay — set by Loudoun Valley Excessive College in Purcellville, Virginia, in 2019 — within the New Stability meet.

Colin, who has signed a nationwide letter of intent with Northern Arizona College, capped Newbury Park’s stupendous cross-country season by profitable the Garmin meet with a scorching 14:03.29 clocking over the flat 5,000-meter course whereas being pushed all the best way to the end line by Leo and Lex Younger.

Newbury Park has continued its phenomenal roll throughout observe season.

On February 5, Colin Sahlman grew to become the fourth U.S. highschool runner to interrupt 4 minutes within the mile indoors when he ran 3:58.81 to win a race in opposition to open and collegiate opponents within the Dr. Sander Columbia Problem on the Armory.

In the identical meet, Lex Younger and Aaron Sahlman positioned fourth (7:57.06) and eighth (8:01.72) within the males’s invitational 3,000 to maneuver to second and fourth on the all-time nationwide highschool checklist.

Two weeks later, Colin Sahlman clocked 8:33.32 within the 3,200 in a Sunset Monitor Collection meet at Azusa Pacific College to maneuver to fourth on the all-time nationwide checklist in that occasion. Leo and Lex Younger completed second and third in 8:39.57 and eight:43.93 within the Sunset meet, and Aaron Sahlman received the mile in 4:05.00.

Newbury Park Coach Sean Brosnan is happy with the best way his expenses have began the season however is making daring predictions in regards to the future.

He anticipates Colin Sahlman may problem the nationwide highschool out of doors file of three:53.43 within the mile, Aaron Sahlman may break 4:00, and the Sahlmans and Youngs may all run below 8:34 within the 3,200 within the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia Excessive on April 9. As well as, he feels a fifth Newbury Park runner may break 8:50 at Arcadia and two extra may dip below 9:00.

For somebody who encourages his runners to not set targets based mostly on time, Brosnan isn’t afraid to speak about numerous limitations he thinks they’ll break. The behavior goes again to his collegiate working days at Adams State School, he stated, when his outdated coach would usually say, “Let’s rewrite the file books.”

“That didn’t all the time imply going for nationwide information, however once we ran a race it meant we wished to do one thing that had by no means been carried out earlier than in that meet,” Brosnan stated.

Northern Arizona standout Nico Younger, who led Newbury Park to the Nike Cross Nationals title as a senior in 2019, stated Brosnan desires his runners to strategy races with a curiosity to see how briskly they’ll run.

“That’s so significantly better than setting a restrict on your self or taking pictures for a selected time you need to run,” he stated. “It simply brings a significantly better vitality to the race. You’re there seeking to see what you are able to do, versus I’ve to do that or that is all I’m going to have the ability to do. It’s a significantly better mentality.”

Nico, the older brother of Leo and Lex, was an incoming 5-foot, 100-pound freshman who had run a superb — however not nice — 5:02 within the 1,600 as an eighth grader when Brosnan took over the Newbury Park boys’ cross-country program in 2016.

He remembers the pre-season assembly with runners and their mother and father when Brosnan stated the crew would win a state title inside 4 years.

Newbury Park had not certified for the state meet since 2000, however Brosnan felt strongly that top faculties with scholar enrollments (2,400) as giant as Newbury Park’s ought to contend for state titles frequently.

“I get in hassle for saying this, however I don’t suppose most excessive faculties do all of the little issues you might want to do to be good,” he stated. “When you’ve got a coach who’s tremendous devoted, I’m not saying you’d win nationals or be pretty much as good as we’re, however I feel you may be a high program. As a result of I do know different coaches I’ve friended over time and so they don’t all the time have essentially the most proficient groups, however they’re all the time a high nationwide program.”

Nico Younger, who set an American Junior (below 20) file of 13:22.59 within the indoor 5,000 in December, is the runner who laid the groundwork for Newbury Park’s present dominance.

He received state Division II cross-country titles in 2018 and ’19 to guide the Panthers to the crew crowns, and received the three,200 within the 2019 state observe and discipline championships throughout a season during which he ran a nation-leading 8:40.00 within the occasion.

He was not in a position to race a lot open air in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, he did set a nationwide highschool file of seven:56.97 within the indoor 3,000 — earlier than COVID-19 took maintain within the U.S. — and later ran 13:50.55 within the 5,000 open air to maneuver to fourth on the all-time nationwide highschool checklist in that occasion. Senior teammate Jace Aschbrenner ran an impressive 8:44.93 within the 3,200 that 12 months.

“Nico had this inside need to be the most effective at what he did,” Brosnan stated. “He set the precedent and confirmed our youngsters what was attainable as a result of he was so devoted… Now our youngsters are available in and anticipate to run quick like him.”

Nico, who will compete within the 3,000 and 5,000 within the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday, stated Brosnan’s dedication to his runners is aware of no bounds, and his data of the game is one other power.

“He ran semi-pro for some time and is aware of lots of people within the working world,” Nico stated. “He additionally knew methods to practice us. He may coach skilled athletes and doubtless assist them make the Olympic crew. He is aware of a lot and he cares a lot.”

That caring can take many varieties, from reminding his expenses to get a correct quantity of sleep every night time, to creating positive their blood iron ranges are good, to telling a child to name it a day if he sees a hitch of their stride throughout a exercise, to holding power and stretching classes earlier than faculty three mornings per week to stop accidents.

All of these issues have performed a component in Aaron Sahlman reducing 43 seconds off his mile greatest since coming to Newbury Park. So has Brosnan’s behavior of designing particular person exercises for his runners.

“I by no means thought I could possibly be this good, or have a coach who individualizes exercises that suit you completely,” he stated. “Very hardly ever does every of us do the very same exercise. We’ll all have totally different modified exercises, and I feel that’s key.”

Lex Younger ran notable instances of 4:45 within the 1,600 and 10:09 within the 3,200 in eighth grade, however by no means imagined he could be one of many high highschool runners within the nation.

“I bear in mind pondering I used to be quick,” he stated, “however on a small scale reminiscent of profitable races in our county. I by no means knew how a lot farther I may take it.”

Leo Younger, who had a better of 4:56 within the 1,600 in center faculty, stated he has not been that stunned along with his race outcomes due to the diligent coaching he and his teammates put in.

“Sean makes positive we don’t set psychological limitations for ourselves,” he stated. “Then once we bounce on the observe for a tough exercise and he says to go for these instances for this many reps, one thing we’ve by no means carried out earlier than, we simply imagine and we do it. These exercises present me what I’m able to and that provides me the arrogance to enter a race and kill it.”

The Youngs and Sahlmans, who all reside in Camarillo simply north of Newbury Park, agree that one other Brosnan asset is his tenacity with regards to getting them in races the place they’ll have the most effective alternative to run quick.

Nico Younger (heart) poses for a photograph with twin brothers Leo (left) and Lex.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Instances)

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One of the spectacular issues in regards to the Newbury Park program is its relative youth.

Jack Shepard, the longtime boys highschool editor of Monitor & Area Information, stated Brosnan has carried out a pleasant job of not over racing his expenses. That leaves them recent for these competitions after they put the pedal to the metallic.

Shepard says Newbury Park reminds him of two different nice highschool distance packages, each from the Seventies.

The primary was Lompoc Excessive, positioned just a few miles inland from the central California coast. The second was from Hammond, Indiana, located within the northwest nook of that state.

Lompoc seniors Alvin Gilmore and Terry Williams ran 4:08.2 and 4:08.4 within the mile in 1973, and Williams additionally ran 8:54.8 for 2 miles. The next 12 months senior Jim Schankel ran 4:09.1 within the mile and eight:57.0 within the two-mile.

In 1975, Hammond grew to become the primary highschool within the U.S. to have three runners break 9 minutes within the two-mile in the identical season when junior Rudy Chapa ran 8:51.0, and senior teammates Tim Keough and Carey Pinkowski clocked 8:52.8 and eight:56.2 to rank third, fifth and ninth on the yearly nationwide checklist.

Newbury Park’s runners won’t have heard of the people listed above, however they’re conscious of the historic significance of their program.

“Understanding you’re a part of one thing that’s by no means been carried out earlier than is absolutely particular,” Lex Younger stated. “It’s superior, and having this many good guys on one crew can actually elevate you. We’re all very pleased with what we have now achieved and likewise tremendous stoked about what we are able to proceed to do. As a result of it’s all about pushing the thought of boundaries and what’s quick.”

Colin Sahlman agreed. “It’s actually loopy that some individuals are saying Newbury Park is the most effective highschool crew, ever, no matter sport,” he stated, including it’s “actually particular as a result of we’re going to be talked about for a very long time.”

One of the spectacular issues in regards to the Newbury Park program is its relative youth. Colin Sahlman and Daniel Appleford, who has run 8:56.77 within the 3,200, are the one two seniors amongst its high seven runners.

Along with the Youngs and Aaron Sahlman, sophomore Dev Doshi and junior Hector Martinez have run 9:09.40 and 9:10.95 within the 3,200.

“By season’s finish and given the appropriate circumstances, they’ll run instances, each individually and as relay groups, that can boggle the thoughts,” Shepard — of Monitor & Area Information — wrote in an e mail in response to my questions on Newbury Park.

“With solely Colin Sahlman graduating from their high 4 runners, the beat will proceed subsequent 12 months with Aaron Sahlman and the Younger twins main the best way.”

For Brosnan, these feedback from a eager observer of the scene are an indication the Newbury Park program has really arrived. Again in his first season on the faculty, he advised somebody he wished this system to develop into so good that individuals would ask, What on the earth is Newbury Park doing?

“Individuals are lastly saying that,” Brosnan stated.

John Ortega is a former Los Angeles Instances sportswriter who has launched a digital publication referred to as “Monitor & Area Knowledgeable with Johnny O” (trackandfield.substack.com).