University of North Carolina Athletics
2025-26 Track & Field Roster
Colton Sands
- Position:
- Distance
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Spring Mills, Pa.
- High School:
- Penns Valley
2026 INDOOR SEASON: Made his season debut in the invitational section of the men's 5000m (13:17.88) at Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener and lowered his PR by nine seconds...
2025 XC SEASON: Made his season debut at the Adidas XC Challenge, where his fourth-place finish helped the Tar Heels win with a score of 15 points... Second-place finish at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational (8k)... Led the Tar Heels with a top-15 finish the Nuttycombe Invitational (8k)... Led the Tar Heels with a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championships earning All-ACC honors... Led the Tar Heels with a eighth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast regional earning All-Region honors... Was the first Tar Heel to cross the finish line at the National Championship...
2025 INDOOR SEASON: Competed in five meets… Earned Second Team All-America honors in the 3,000m at the Indoor NCAA Championships… Finished in third at the ACC Championships in the 5,000m… Ran the third fastest 3,000m time in program history (7:39.60) at the Valentine Invitational… Ran the eighth fastest mile time (3:58.82) in program history at the Terrier Classic… OUTDOOR SEASON: Competed in five meets in the 5k, 10k 1,500m … Earned his first career outdoor All-America honors when he finished in 12th in the 5,000m at the Outdoor National Championships… Ran the fifth fastest 5,000m time in program history at Penn Relays (13:31.62)... Earned College Sports Communicators All-District Honors.
2024 XC SEASON: Opened the season with a second-place finish at the Charlotte Opener to help the Tar Heels to a first place finish … Helped the Tar Heels posted their second straight win with a fifth-place finish in the Virginia Invitational … finished 24th overall in the Nuttycombe Invitational as Carolina took fourth as a team … Posted his best 8k time of the season during the season with his 12th-place finish in the ACC Championships… Finished in 52nd in the 2024 NCAA Cross Country National Championships, which was a 177 spot improvement from last year's championship performance.
2024 INDOOR SEASON: Competed at two meets during indoor season in the 5,000m ... Qualified for the ACC Indoor Championships in the 5,000m ... Finished 10th at the ACC Indoor meet in the 10,000m with a personal record 13:59.77 ... Moved into the No. 10 spot on the UNC all-time performers list for 5,000m ... OUTDOOR SEASON: Recorded a personal best 13:45.54 in an 11th place finish at the Raleigh Relays to start the outdoor season ... Set another personal record of 29:49.31 in the 10,000m at the prestigious Bryan Clay Invitational ... Moved into the No. 2 spot on the UNC all-time performers list for 10,000m ... Qualified for the ACC Outdoor Championships in both the 5,000m and 10,000m ... Finished 8th in the 10,000m (28:49.31) and 13th in the 5,000m (13:45.54) at the ACC Outdoor Championships ... Competed in the 5,000m at the NCAA East First Round in Lexington, Kentucky placing 15th (14:01.09) ... Named outdoor Academic All-ACC.
2023 XC SEASON: Earn NCAA All-Southeast Region honors … Posted a time of 32:52.2 at the NCAA Championship meet … Placed 18th at the regional championship meet (29:33.1) … Finished 29th at the ACC Championships (23:59.3) … Ran in the Charlotte Opener, Virginia Invitational and Nuttycombe Invitational.
2023 SEASON: Earned a spot on the 2023 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-ACC Team ... Qualified for the ACC Outdoor Championships in both the 5,000m and the 10,000m ... Finished 12th at the ACC outdoor meet in the 10K in 30:35.50 ... Also finished 12th at ACCs in the 5K in 14:12.52 ... Posted a season-best 5K time of 14:05.04 to finish 19th at the Wake Forest Invitational.
2022 XC: Ran one race for the Tar Heels, finishing 17th at the Charlotte Opener.
2025 XC SEASON: Made his season debut at the Adidas XC Challenge, where his fourth-place finish helped the Tar Heels win with a score of 15 points... Second-place finish at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational (8k)... Led the Tar Heels with a top-15 finish the Nuttycombe Invitational (8k)... Led the Tar Heels with a sixth-place finish at the ACC Championships earning All-ACC honors... Led the Tar Heels with a eighth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast regional earning All-Region honors... Was the first Tar Heel to cross the finish line at the National Championship...
2025 INDOOR SEASON: Competed in five meets… Earned Second Team All-America honors in the 3,000m at the Indoor NCAA Championships… Finished in third at the ACC Championships in the 5,000m… Ran the third fastest 3,000m time in program history (7:39.60) at the Valentine Invitational… Ran the eighth fastest mile time (3:58.82) in program history at the Terrier Classic… OUTDOOR SEASON: Competed in five meets in the 5k, 10k 1,500m … Earned his first career outdoor All-America honors when he finished in 12th in the 5,000m at the Outdoor National Championships… Ran the fifth fastest 5,000m time in program history at Penn Relays (13:31.62)... Earned College Sports Communicators All-District Honors.
2024 XC SEASON: Opened the season with a second-place finish at the Charlotte Opener to help the Tar Heels to a first place finish … Helped the Tar Heels posted their second straight win with a fifth-place finish in the Virginia Invitational … finished 24th overall in the Nuttycombe Invitational as Carolina took fourth as a team … Posted his best 8k time of the season during the season with his 12th-place finish in the ACC Championships… Finished in 52nd in the 2024 NCAA Cross Country National Championships, which was a 177 spot improvement from last year's championship performance.
2024 INDOOR SEASON: Competed at two meets during indoor season in the 5,000m ... Qualified for the ACC Indoor Championships in the 5,000m ... Finished 10th at the ACC Indoor meet in the 10,000m with a personal record 13:59.77 ... Moved into the No. 10 spot on the UNC all-time performers list for 5,000m ... OUTDOOR SEASON: Recorded a personal best 13:45.54 in an 11th place finish at the Raleigh Relays to start the outdoor season ... Set another personal record of 29:49.31 in the 10,000m at the prestigious Bryan Clay Invitational ... Moved into the No. 2 spot on the UNC all-time performers list for 10,000m ... Qualified for the ACC Outdoor Championships in both the 5,000m and 10,000m ... Finished 8th in the 10,000m (28:49.31) and 13th in the 5,000m (13:45.54) at the ACC Outdoor Championships ... Competed in the 5,000m at the NCAA East First Round in Lexington, Kentucky placing 15th (14:01.09) ... Named outdoor Academic All-ACC.
2023 XC SEASON: Earn NCAA All-Southeast Region honors … Posted a time of 32:52.2 at the NCAA Championship meet … Placed 18th at the regional championship meet (29:33.1) … Finished 29th at the ACC Championships (23:59.3) … Ran in the Charlotte Opener, Virginia Invitational and Nuttycombe Invitational.
2023 SEASON: Earned a spot on the 2023 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Academic All-ACC Team ... Qualified for the ACC Outdoor Championships in both the 5,000m and the 10,000m ... Finished 12th at the ACC outdoor meet in the 10K in 30:35.50 ... Also finished 12th at ACCs in the 5K in 14:12.52 ... Posted a season-best 5K time of 14:05.04 to finish 19th at the Wake Forest Invitational.
2022 XC: Ran one race for the Tar Heels, finishing 17th at the Charlotte Opener.
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