Indoor MacEwan Runner Scott Kohlman
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
At the 2015 Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) Track and Field Provincial meet held in Lethbridge, Scott Kohlman placed third in the senior boys 3,000 metre in a time of 9:03.35 and fourth in the 1,500 behind a 4:07.06 timing.
A year later at Edmonton's Foote Field, the then Grade 12 student from Banshaw High School, once again placed third in the 3,000 (9:05.15) and 1,500 (4:06.68).
For the 2017-2018 season he would find himself switched to indoor track, with training and competition in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) ranks as a member of the MacEwan Griffins.
Although the competition may have been stiffer at this level, he improved his standings with an outstanding showing at last year's 2017 ACAC indoor track championships March 3 - 4, 2017 and hosted by the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.
He placed second in both the 3,000 (9:24.83) and 1,500 (4:20.74) with SAIT Trojans' Alex Howells winning both events behind times of 9:14.52 and 4:20.13 respectively.
Kohlman would also add to his running repertoire by placing second in the 1,000 m (2:45.77) behind SAIT Trojans' Jacques Saayman (2:44.34) along with a bronze medal in the 600 m (1:29.50).
Another silver medal came his way as a member of MacEwan's 4 x 400 relay team.
For his efforts he was named ACAC Male Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
"I kind of knew he might be the athlete of the year by making the podium each time and with how many points he racked up, but it was a nice surprise that he won, for sure," said coach Drew Carver at the time, of the first-year Engineering Transfer student-athlete. "He and teammate Brandon Toal carried the load of work for the men's team, running in every event except the sprint – yeoman's service like you wouldn't believe."
Kohlman, who also competes in U Sports cross country for the Griffins, says he prefers competing in the ACAC.
"I do really enjoy the ACAC a bit more," says Kohlman. "I know a lot of the track community there and it is always nice to compete at those meets."
A multi-sport athlete in high school, with the aforementioned track and cross country included with basketball mentioned as his favourites, Kohlman trained periodically during his high school days with the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings in Camrose, which was about 60 kilometres away.
"Mainly I trained on my own as with Banshaw there are a lot of gravel roads, so I ran mainly on those," recalls Kohlman, 20. "But every once and a while I would train with Augustana. They were nice enough to me and I learned a lot."
Of the transition from high school to post-secondary, Kohlman said: "The biggest change was not the (athletic training) but moving from a rural area (Banshaw, population 830) to an urban centre (Edmonton, population 1,321,426). It is a lot busier and you had the little things to learn...like learning how to use the transit system. At first it was difficult getting around the city and knowing where to go. After the first two months everything was OK."
At the first ACAC meet of the season held January 27, 2018, he placed first in the 3,000 (9:28.96) with Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves' veteran Brandon Wladyko placing second (9:35.86).
He was also a member of the MacEwan 4 x 400 men's relay open second place team at Kinsmen Field House in Edmonton.
Of the ACAC sport, which has seven schools participating, Kohlman said: "I definitely think it will grow once it catches on. Track in Canada is emerging and there is a lot more interest in it and that is why the ACAC implemented it and it can only get bigger."