There’s a reason why Peter Harrison ’11 is in a Facebook group entitled “Sexy Cross-country Runners.” Although the rest of the Amherst community might not have figured it out yet, those who know him best seem to have their finger on it. “Peter Harrison is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He is sweet, caring and fun to be with, and his quirky yet charming sense of humor can put a smile on anyone’s face,” said first-year Erica Deane, who attended St. Paul’s School—a private, co-educational boarding school in Concord, N.H.—with him. “I really admire his dedication to school and track, and I am constantly impressed by how well he manages to balance out his commitments to both. Over the past four years that I’ve known Pete, I’ve never met anyone who has had anything bad to say about him, and I don’t think I ever will.”
There is no doubt that high school was a time of growth and learning for Harrison, both mentally and physically. High school provided Harrison with a solid foundation in work ethics and opportunities to competitively participate in the Independent School League—one of the higher tier private school leagues. Known most for his prowess in running, Harrison has actually been playing basketball for years—10, to be exact—and loves it on the same level as running. This first year at Amherst is the first time Harrison will not dribble a ball for a team. Harrison’s achievements in high school running deemed him a coveted addition to the men’s track and field team. He had been named All-ISL, All-New England and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic runner by the time his tenure at St. Paul’s was done. He posted an 8:53 in the 3,000-meter run, a 3:57.64 in the 1,500-meter run and a 1:56.68 in the 800-meter run for personal bests. But, that was just the beginning.
When asked to speak on Harrison, Head Coach Erik Nedeau said, “He is a very talented runner who is willing, and very committed to working hard to achieve all that he is able to. We had a rough fall with the cross country season, but he used it as a valuable learning experience and I believe that it has made him a better runner, and he is clearly showing that on the track. He is the kind of runner that you want—as a coach—to have up near the front of the race in the last 100 meters because he will be hard to beat, but for the guys racing him, they probably do not like it nearly as much as I do!” With Nedeau’s respect for his talent established, Harrison would next have to ear in from his peers. The transition to college running, as Nedeau pointed out, was not easy for Harrison.
“This fall’s cross country season quickly made me forget about my high school achievements by slapping me in the face and bringing me back down to reality,” said Harrison, reflecting on his cross country season. “Racing five-mile races instead of the high school three-mile races that I was accustomed to was a much harder transition than I thought it would be. The workouts were longer and the pace was faster than everything we did in high school. So, after having a less than stellar cross season, I wanted to bounce back and contribute to the team during the indoor track season.” Harrison stayed quite true to his word, nearly qualifying for Div. III National Championships in the 1,500 during the indoor season. This was the beginning of Harrison’s return to success, but it was hardly to end of it.
Jimmy Swanson ’10, one of Harrison’s closest teammates as they both run similar distances and train together, commented on their goals. “Training with Pete has helped me immensely. We both have similar goals—to become outdoor All-Americans—and we both know that in order to achieve our goals, we have to push each other every day. If I didn’t have Pete to push me on every workout, it would be quite easy for me to slack off. I contribute all of my success this year to the addition of Pete to the middle-distance squad.”
Harrison’s commitment and contribution to the team are solidly felt every time he steps onto the track. Swanson corroborates this and so does Nedeau. “He is dedicated to the team and helps not only getting himself faster, but the other guys he is working out with and I think that they are better for having him out there day in and day out,” Nedeau said.
With his outdoor season off to a rocketing start, one must wonder if Harrison only spends his time running. He is also quite busy off the track, as a new group has been brought to campus with the help of Harrison—ByStudents. “ByStudents is a company that is creating college guides that are written entirely by college students. By getting students to answer the several free-response questions in their online survey, they hope to get the most accurate picture of what college life is really like … I was really curious as to what ByStudents was all about, so I checked out the site and noticed they were looking for unpaid interns at each college they are getting info on … I sent them a little resume and got the internship,” said Harrison. He is also involved with College Motion, a student-run and student-created group here on campus.
“In my next three years here at Amherst, my goal is to push both my academic and athletic limits past my and everyone else’s expectations,” said Harrison. “Running is the best sport to prove yourself in because every aspect is on you. There is no referee ... There are no bad calls that throw the game nor are there teammates who hog the ball. It’s just you and the competition. You get out as much as you’re willing to put in.” But maybe Harrison’s plans for his future at Amherst are best characterized by Harrison’s religious views on Facebook: Improving everyday.