Last To First: Virginia's Shane Cohen's Path From Division II to NCAA Championship Glory

"You never know what you can do until you're going out and doing it. You have no shot at running fast unless you give yourself an opportunity to run fast. If you go out in a race slow, how are you going to run fast if you’re already not going out hard enough? I think that’s just kind of given me the confidence that, ‘You can do it.’"

The University of Virginia star stole the show on the final day of the NCAA Championships with a crazy kick in the 800 meters. Cohen went from last to first in the final 100 meters, clocking a personal best of 1:44.97.

Cohen’s journey is nothing short of inspirational. Just a year ago, he was virtually unknown, running for Division II University of Tampa and struggling to regain his form after a stress fracture in his femur. Despite a personal best of 1:48, he never broke 1:53 in six 800-meter races last spring. With results like these, Division I interest for his fifth year wasn’t extreme. But University of Virginia coaches Vin Lananna and Trevor Dunbar saw something special in Cohen’s kick and decided to take a chance on him.

Throughout the 2024 season, Cohen showed remarkable improvement, running 1:47 in April and third at the ACCs with a 1:46 in May. He ran 1:45 at regionals. Even after these impressive times, he was still largely overlooked heading into the NCAA Championships. That all changed during the prelims, where Cohen showcased an insane burst of speed, going from last to first in the final straight. That video caught my attention and some of the track internet community.

In the final, Cohen replicated his prelims strategy and ran close to even splits and finishing in 1:44.97. His racing style drew comparisons to Robby Andrews, who won the 2011 NCAA 800 title in similar fashion for the same school. Although Cohen was only ten years old during Andrews’ iconic race, he now finds himself following in those legendary footsteps.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

👟 NEW BALANCE: Discover the ultimate running shoe: Fresh Foam X 1080. With unbeatable comfort and top-tier performance, it's perfect for any occasion, from daily runs to races. Its innovative design includes Fresh Foam X midsole for seamless transitions and a breathable, supportive mesh upper. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit NewBalance.com/Running⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🍊 OLIPOP: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order online today and use code CITIUS25 for 25% off your order at https://DrinkOlipop.com (click the link or use our promotional code for the discount)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🩴 VELOUS: VELOUS RECOVERY FOOTWEAR is the active recovery footwear brand that is designed to help you Restore, Revive and Reenergize before and after you train. We are excited to announce an upcoming collaboration with the team at VELOUS with their number one selling recovery sandal the Hoya adjustable Slide. Enjoy a 20% discount by entering the code: CITIUSMAG20 at checkout at VelousFootwear.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

💻 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit CITIUSMAG.com⁠⁠⁠

🎙️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

🎥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel⁠