Why did you choose to attend Middlebury?
There are plenty of things that drew me to Middlebury, but it was meeting with the team and our coach, Nicole Wilkerson, that sold me over similar schools. Even over Zoom, I could tell how special the team culture was and how excited and proud everyone was to be a part of it. The idea of frolicking around Vermont and ripping 8K races with those dudes sounded pretty good to me.
What is the best thing about being part of the NESCAC?
I love the simultaneous competitiveness and community of the NESCAC. Over my years competing, I’ve gotten to become friends with so many people on other teams, including national-caliber athletes. There’s intense rivalry, but behind it we all enjoy watching each other succeed. It is something I have embodied with my twin brother, Will, who runs for Bowdoin. We have both become close friends with each other’s teammates and want to see each other race well, but there is no holding hands across the finish line. I’m hoping to give him the smoke at nationals.
Looking back on your college years, what are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of how I’ve handled adversity in my sport. I’ve dealt with a handful of injuries that have kept me from running for up to a few months, the worst of which was a knee injury I had last winter and spring. It is so discouraging to miss out on so much of the season, but in these moments, I’ve believed in myself and have done what I needed to do to show up and compete when it matters.
What is something you enjoy doing that you never get tired of?
Team dining hall dinners.
Who is your favorite professor?
My favorite professor is my advisor, Will Amidon. He’s a beloved geology professor whose classes are some of the most engaging and memorable classes I’ve taken at Middlebury. His environmental geology class is the reason I became an Earth and Climate Sciences major, which is a remarkably common experience among my peers in the department. Will is also easily the funniest professor I’ve had.
Have you studied abroad during your collegiate experience?
I didn’t do a semester abroad, but during our January term last year, I got to spend almost two weeks in Costa Rica as part of a class called “Geohazards of Central America”. We traveled all around the country and studied volcanic and tectonic risk, geologic history, and geothermal energy. It was an incredible experience and a welcome escape from winter in Vermont. And I saw a monkey, which I was stoked about.
What internships/research projects have you participated in?
This past summer, I was at Middlebury working with my Glaciology Professor, Lizz Ultee, studying glacier change in South America. I was looking at several cities that rely on glacier runoff for water resources, and used Python and a glacier model to simulate glacier change to the end of the century under a variety of climate scenarios. The results were discouraging, but it was enormously valuable to gain experience and comfort with coding and modeling.
What has been the most interesting part of your major?
I’ve gotten to travel all around the Middlebury area and much of Vermont for my lab classes. For instance, right now I’m taking a class about Vermont’s geologic evolution which consists of going on weekly field trips around the state to study bedrock formations and piece together the associated geologic history. It is so special to be able to learn outside of the classroom and to deepen my relationship with the place I live.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned from being a student-athlete?
I have learned, from bouts of injury and sickness, how much of a gift it is to be healthy and able to do my sport. Running is hard, but it is so much harder to not be able to run—not just because I enjoy doing it, but because it gives me several hours every day where I have nothing else to worry about. Having this outlet makes school so much more bearable, even if it means having less free time.
What is your favorite place on your campus?
I’ve lived in the Ross Complex three years in a row now, and so that has to be my favorite place if just for the sheer number of memories I’ve made there. Nothing beats Saturday night Ross dinners, or chilling in my suite after a hard day of school, or walking outside and looking at the Green Mountains on a fall day. My honorable mention goes to Atwater Dining Hall.
Who has been the most influential person to you during your time in college?
As an athlete, I’ve been most influenced by my teammate, Zander Kessler, who graduated in February of my sophomore year. He had a remarkable commitment to the team which he expressed in unreal race performances that left him half-dead on the finish line. His leadership and fearlessness are things that I always try to emulate.
What is something you enjoy doing when not in class or competing in your sport?
I love pretty much anything water related—fishing, surfing, going to swimming holes. I don’t get to do these things much when I’m at school, especially in the winter. But there is nothing I enjoy more than frolicking in some body of water when the weather is warm and schoolwork is done.
