Nate Bussiere - Men's Cross Country

Nate Bussiere is a senior captain on the Carnegie Mellon men's cross country team. Nate is pursuing a degree in chemical engineering and just competed at his second NCAA Cross Country Championship meet.

I’m writing this entry for the “Captain’s Chair” just days before the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, where the Carnegie Mellon men’s team is making its 6th consecutive appearance. It’s been a long time since summer training began (5 months and 10 days, to be exact), and this is what it all comes down to. Every morning run and mile repeat, every foam roll and pasta dinner, every blister, and every extra mile has been devoted to making it to the national meet, for the opportunity to compete against the best Division III schools in America. It is an honor for us to be able to represent Carnegie Mellon and showcase our hard work on the national stage.

When I first came to Carnegie Mellon, I wasn’t sure what to do with my athletic career. I was a soccer player in high school, and didn’t have much of a background in running. After being on campus for a couple weeks and passing up my opportunity to walk-on to the soccer team, I caught wind of a fall training program for track, and decided “why not?” It was the best decision I’ve ever made. After joining the track team, I realized why so many students at Carnegie Mellon decide to take on the rigors of both academics and athletics – the friends you make, the diligence you gain, and the joy you get from watching yourself improve and achieve your goals over the season, are all priceless.

Running with the track team my freshman year inspired me to join the cross country team during my sophomore year, thus becoming a three-season athlete. An injury kept me from competing for most of the season, but during this time I was able to observe the dynamics of a tight-knit, competitive collegiate team. I learned that training together every day and travelling across the nation to compete forges bonds with your teammates that will last a lifetime. These friendships transcend regular acquaintances; I know I will be close with these guys forever. I also realized that the diligence demanded by my coaches and peers translated into my academic life, and made me a better student as well. A lot of people wonder how it is possible to balance schoolwork with running the seasons a year, and my answer is because of the discipline that working on a team instills. Lastly, Division III athletics offer a unique opportunity to succeed both academically and athletically, and watch yourself develop concurrently in both. It has been one of my most rewarding experiences to be able to set goals at the beginning of the season (or semester), and reflect upon my progress at the end of it all.

As one of my teachers used to say, “Fun is the end result of hard work; everything else is just cheap entertainment.” I think this is a mantra that can be adopted by all student-athletes at Carnegie Mellon. If you are willing to be dedicated and put in the time, effort and sacrifice needed to give your best as a competitive athlete and top-tier student, then you will really learn what it means to have fun. As the last couple days of my cross country career tick away, I’m itching with anticipation to see how much fun I can have at Nationals.