Penns Valley state champion long-distance runner Colton Sands to continue career at UNC
Colton Sands sat in the car with his parents on Aug. 22 as they traveled to their home in Centre Hall. The Sands family was on its way back from Chapel Hill — where they visited the University of North Carolina.
They discussed the trip at length, as Sands grew increasingly joyful as the conversation continued. His parents quickly caught on to how their son was feeling.
“My parents were like, ‘You seem really excited about this place,’” Sands told the Centre Daily Times. “I really liked it.”
The Penns Valley senior long-distance runner made his decision official and committed to the Tar Heels with a phone call Monday to the North Carolina coaching staff. His choice came after a recruiting process that started in his junior year and took a strange turn as it came to a close.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic halted college recruitments across the country and stifled official visits. Sands planned to take those visits heading into his senior year with the hope of putting his recruitment behind him before the fall championships and Foot Locker Nationals take place. Instead, he was forced to make due with what he had and take visits on his own and rely on video calls with coaches on Zoom to determine his next destination.
His first trip led him to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia — his other finalist — earlier in August. After wrapping up a successful trip with the thought of becoming a Cavalier a lingering possibility in his mind, the Sands family made their way to Chapel Hill.
It was there that any doubt dissipated and Sands knew what he wanted to do. He took Sunday to sit down and gather his thoughts. The high school senior wanted to make sure those thoughts matched the exuberance he had on the trip home. He didn’t want to make a hasty decision.
After taking the day to think about it, Sands made the call and sent out a tweet to let the public know he was closing down his recruitment.
“I was really excited,” he said. “It’s been a long process. ... It’s been a lot of fun; I loved it. It’s been a great year. It was really exciting to have it be over and know what my next step is going to be.”
The intuitive decision wasn’t reactionary. The high school senior saw plenty of what he was looking for in a college.
“I loved it down there,” Sands said. “Great town, great campus, great weather, and a great place to train. ... Everything just worked. The coaches are really great down there and that’s where I want to be.”
While his college choice is behind him and his future destination in plain sight, the Penns Valley Ram hasn’t taken his eyes off the current prize. He still has plenty to accomplish in his final year of high school. Sands won the PIAA Class A cross country state title as a junior and earned a qualifying spot at Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego — where he finished as an All-American in 10th place.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, he didn’t get a chance to defend his state title in the 3,200 during the spring track and field season.
His senior year will be far from normal — with the fall season starting later than usual — and there’s no guarantee that Sands and the Rams will have the usual PIAA Championships to run at with uncertainty enshrouding the postseason. But he’ll still be able to run for now, and Sands wants to take advantage of that.
Once he moves on to UNC, Sands will run cross country, and distance in indoor track and outdoor track and field. He’ll be there on scholarship and has a great deal to accomplish in his five years.
The high school senior doesn’t know what he wants to study but thinks he’ll have the time to finish a master’s degree in his time as a Tar Heel and hopes to do just that.
Athletically, Sands has a plenty on his mind.
“I want to be a part of building UNC into one of the best programs in the country,” he said. “Especially in cross country. I think making nationals every year I use eligibility would be awesome. If we can win a national title as a team, it would be insane.”
For now, Sands just wants to reflect on how far he’s come and what he’s learned during his recruitment.
“Everyone in the NCAA cross country community is awesome,” he said. “So many great people. So many interesting people. It was just great to meet everyone during my recruitment. As I move through my running career, I’m sure I’ll draw back on some of the connections I made.”
