Devastator of the week

Name: Sage Bailin ’20
Sport: Track and Field
Hometown: Amherst, MA
Why: Bailin won the 400 meter hurdle at the New England Division III Championships this past weekend. This performance came off his win in this same event at the NESCAC Championships one week prior.

Bailin sat down with the Echo to discuss his winning performance.

Colby Echo (Echo): Could you walk us through what you were thinking just before the event started?

Sage Bailin (SB): I have really been trying to improve at focusing myself before races this year, because it helps me become less nervous and more confident. I knew I was the fastest runner in the field coming in, so I just told myself to run my own race and not worry about the other competitors until the end. I was just trying to zone in and make sure I had a strong push out of the blocks to start the race off right.

Echo: Did you ever expect to achieve this level of success during your time at Colby?

SB: Absolutely not. I only started track & field my senior spring of high school, after playing soccer since kindergarten. Even preparing to walk onto the Colby team after a successful first season of high school track, I didn’t really understand track and field enough yet to realize how much I could improve as an athlete. When I first got to Colby, I remember my coach, Coach Cusano, mentioning that I had the ability to make nationals, but upon seeing the times that qualified I thought he was completely insane!

Echo: What part of your team’s weekly preparation do you find most helpful (or enjoyable)?

SB: I really enjoy the warm spring days when we can get outside and do 200 meter hurdle reps on the outdoor track. The atmosphere is always really positive and enthusiastic, and the energy is infectious. It is also really nice that the coaches supplement the hard workouts with recovery days to keep our bodies fresh and ready to perform on meet day!

Echo: What has being a member of Colby Track and Field meant to you?

SB: It has been an amazing experience to be part of the Colby Track and Field team. I have been surrounded by great teammates and many of my close friends are on the team. As a freshman, all of the upperclassmen really took me under their wing and showed me how to do things, which has positioned me to take over and be a leader on the team. Track has also taught me a sense of commitment to excellence and the drive to succeed. It has been a great journey so far and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!

Echo: Anything else you want to say?

SB: If you want to see us tear up All New England’s this weekend, tune into NSN [Northeast Sports Network] Sports Friday and Saturday. Go Mules!