Colorado University Athletics
Buffs' Harris Ready To Race At NCAA West Prelims
May 25, 2016 | Track and Field, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado middle-distance runner Nick Harris doesn't run for times.
Harris, a junior transfer from the University of Washington, runs to race. His reasoning is this: if he does well in the racing part, solid times will come along for the ride.
Thus far in his career, the strategy has worked. Thursday, Harris will line up for the NCAA West Preliminary meet for the third year in a row. If all goes as planned — if his 1,500 race strategy plays out — he'll qualify for the NCAA Championships, a trip he earned as a freshman but one that he missed out on a year ago.
“I haven't necessarily run a super-fast 1,500 yet, but that's never really the goal for me,” said Harris, who attended nearby Niwot High School. “Times don't matter that much to me. I'd rather go race and have fun racing. It's why the 1,500 is so interesting, because it's so strategic. The problem is you have to be strategic for three laps before you get to kick, and that's a little nerve-wracking.”
It's not that Harris doesn't have some solid times. He'll enter Thursday's first round of the 1,500 in Lawrence, Kan., with the 15th-best time in the west, 3:43.07. He also had a good enough time to qualify in the 800, but chose to concentrate instead on the 1,500 because it offers the best chance for him to score points for the Buffs at the NCAA Championships — if he advances.
“That's the plan,” Harris said.
According to CU assistant coach Billy Nelson, Harris' strategy is somewhat rare in today's track and field world.
“In this day and age, a lot of people just want to run fast, but they don't run to win,” Nelson said. “There's a lot of people who say, 'I don't care if I get last as long as I break four minutes in the mile.'
“They're not in it to win it. Nick is different. He closes well, he's always in good position coming off the turn and he's strong coming down the lane. You can tell he's going for the win — and if you win your race, your time is going to be there. When you get to this level, winning races is just as important as running fast, and Nick realizes that.”
Harris enjoyed a successful start to his career at Washington, advancing to the NCAA Preliminary round both years there and the NCAA Championships as a freshman.
But he missed the championships last year, and is aiming for a return trip this season.
“I think ignorance of what it takes to get to Eugene (site of the championships) was a big factor when I was a freshman,” Harris said with a laugh. “I had no idea how hard it is or what it takes, or who anybody was. I was just having a good time and racing. Sometimes, it kind of sucks to not have that purity or naivete, and instead know how hard it actually is to get there.”
Harris transferred to Colorado after two years at UW in order to be closer to home.
“I joked that I didn't want to be part of a team that would have me as a member, so I called up Colorado and they said they didn't want to have anything to do with me,” Harris said. “I said, 'That's perfect. I'll be there in a week.'”
Harris' version might not be the whole truth. CU coaches were glad to get his phone call.
“Honestly, I knew Mark (Wetmore) was a super good coach,” Harris said. “I wanted to be closer to home, I wanted to keep running and I had two years of eligibility left. I needed a change and this was the perfect place.”
Now, Harris is aiming for a return to Eugene. To get there, he'll need a top-12 finish this week in Lawrence. His qualifying time of 3:43.07 puts him well within reach of such a finish — 15 of the top 21 times are within three seconds of each other, including a 3:43.76 from Harris' CU teammate, Zach Perrin.
It means strategy will almost certainly play a big role.
“The 1,500 can have four or five different strategies,” Nelson said. “It's chaotic. It can go from being a 65-second pace to the equivalent of a 52 just like that. Understanding that fact and being comfortable with it is a key. What we've seen from Nick is that he handles the stress of a race really well. He lets it unfold and responds as needed.”
Harris said his strategy will be no different than it always is.
“You can usually gauge within about 200 meters and know what's going on,” Harris said. “You just have to feel it out and react — that's what I love about racing, and that's what I hope to do in Lawrence. Try to stay near the front and keep qualifying. I think there's an expectation to qualify for Eugene, and that's good. Pressure is good. I know what I have to do and I'm excited about racing.”
Harris will run the first round on Thursday. The top five times from each heat, plus the next-best four times will advance to Saturday's quarterfinal round. There, the top five from the two quarterfinal heats, plus the next-best two times, earn trips to Eugene.
Harris is one of 26 Buffs who will be competing in the NCAA West Preliminaries, which begin Thursday and run through Saturday.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
