At first look, the residents of 122 Carmichael Hall seem like your average freshmen. Yet along with the academic stress of midterms that most freshmen are experiencing, Nathan Brigham and Brian McNamara must also focus on their athletics. As members of the cross-country team, the two have had an immediate impact on the team's performance this fall.
The men's cross-country team has on of the strongest group of runners in recent history and features an unusual varsity setup. Four seniors lead the seven-runner lineup, while the other three spots are taken by freshmen, Brigham, McNamara, and Michael Don. And despite their inexperience, as the team enters the post season, much of its success will rely on these freshmen.
While most freshmen begin their collegiate racing careers with the JV team, Brigham and McNamara have catapulted into the team's top ranks, and in turn have taken on a great deal of pressure.
"They're two freshmen who are in a difficult position," coach Connie Putnam said about the team's expectations of their performances.
Yet Brigham and McNamara have welcomed this pressure with enthusiasm.
"I wanted to go to a place where I could contribute right away," Brigham said.
Contributing to the team effort is what Brigham and McNamara have done best so far, despite having to make the transition from high school to collegiate racing.
For McNamara, the atmosphere among the Jumbos was not much different from his high school. He came from a successful program in Saratoga Springs, New York, and his high school track team was nationally ranked.
"The team was always a big deal there instead of individuals," he said.
He has found this same mentality at Tufts, where once again the Jumbos emphasize the team's running ability instead of relying on one man to carry the load.
This individual mentality was what Brigham experienced at his high school in Merrimack Valley, NH. Coming from a program that focused on his ability to carry the team, Brigham welcomed the change in atmosphere at Tufts.
"Being part of a team and having people to run with is so much easier," Brigham said.
Yet for both roommates, the transition to college running has come easily, whether similar or different from their previous experiences.
"They integrated really well into the team," senior co-captain J.R Cruz said.
Teammates point to the duo's dedication to the sport as the main reason for their continued success. The two are constantly immersed in looking at results and comparing themselves to other, and always strive for improvement. McNamara's dedication is extraordinary, as he holds a four-year streak of running every day despite sickness and weather.
"They're mature distance runners and really dedicated guys," senior co-captain Ben Smith said.
For McNamara, running came naturally, as he followed in the footsteps of his mother who was also a runner. He began with the middle school recreation program, and his strong school program motivated his efforts.
Meanwhile for Brigham, his cross-country career began more by default than a desire to run. Considering himself a competitive person, Brigham's search for a sport to participate in was narrowed by his lack in dexterity.
"I needed to do something that didn't require any coordination because god knows I don't have any," Brigham said.
Brigham's efforts were also supported by his father, a cross-country runner at the University of Maine and his primary coach throughout high school. Even so, Brigham does not consider himself a natural runner and instead credits all of his accomplishments to the hard work he put into his sport.
"Cross country is one of those things where you work hard and you see the results," he said.
Under the fa?§ade of serious and dedicated runners, the two rookies have not allowed the pressures of the team to minimize their enjoyment of the season. Both Brigham and McNamara take pleasure in running and look forward to practices.
"For every time I don't want to go to practice, there's more times that I'm excited to get out there and run," McNamara said.
While many freshmen would keep to themselves amongst a group of seniors, these two have created roles for themselves as the team's jokesters. McNamara tells the jokes, and Brigham attempts cartwheels and impressions, all in an attempt to bring the team energy and make practice more enjoyable for themselves and their teammates.
"If we're not having fun, then we're doing it for all the wrong reasons," Brigham said.
For now, these two have yet to be intimidated by the pressures of post-season varsity running, and continue to take the challenges of the season in stride.
