The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Get to know the newcomers: Nathan Christianson
10.07.2010 | XC: Men_Old, Track & Field / Cross Country
Oct. 7, 2010
Freshman distance runner Nathan Christianson is no stranger to success. Coming from the Texas 4A State Championship Cross Country team at Boerne Champion, Christianson knows a thing or two about what it takes to win. The freshman claimed first place at the state cross country meet as a senior after claiming the state title in the 3,200 meters as a junior.
On top of his accomplishments on the track, Christianson has quite the résumé academically. The Boerne, Texas native was a member of the National Honor Society and president of his high school class. After having the choice of a number of universities to spend his college career, Christianson chose The University of Texas.
TexasSports.com was able to chat with Christianson about his choice to be a Longhorn, the UT coaching staff, his time in Austin and the camaraderie between the Texas runners.
Why did you choose to run for The University of Texas? I came from a team that was pretty successful. When I was there I knew the elements of what a good team can be - how everyone has to get along and everything. This was the one school where I could relate to the guys the best. I felt like everyone meshed really well. Unity and family are key elements in having a successful program.
What do you like about the coaching staff at UT? Coach Hayes has had a lot of success. He's very knowledgeable in running and patient with us. I trust him 100 percent.It's different from high school. High school is a lot more aggressive.
How has it been transitioning from high school to collegiate running? At first it's overwhelming, the first couple of workouts. In high school you'll be beating everyone. Then you come here you might be in the middle or back of the pack. It's hard to not be anxious, because you feel like you have to prove yourself a little bit. When I first got here, some of my runs I was feeling good and I thought I needed to be in front so Coach Hayes would see. It's really competitive, a lot more competitive than high school. You just have to be patient with it all. I'm a young 18-year old and there are guys out there that are 23-years old. They've had a lot more time to develop as a runner. It takes years to become a good runner. It takes a lot of patience.
How have the older guys on the team helped the freshmen? They've been in our shoes before. They give us a lot of tips. They help me with the whole being anxious thing - about wanting to go run hard. I go to them if I have any questions. They're all real cool. We don't have cars, so they'll come pick us up. Academically, I'll ask some of the guys about tips for studying. Some of them have been in classes that I'm in. It's a big family. We're together in all aspects of life. It's a great environment to be in.
How have you been able to balance academics and athletics? Before I came here the older guys told me that time management is a big deal. I kind of underestimated that. We're really busy. We'll have practice at 6:30 am, class at 11, get out of class at 2, another practice at 3:30, dinner at 6, study hall at 7. You have to really manage your time wisely - rest when you can, study when you need to. It's difficult and it's tiring. That's the biggest change in the transition from high school to college.
How is the team chemistry? With all of the guys from all over the place, coming together and wearing the burnt orange gets everyone really excited. We know we're here to work. We're here to get good grades. I say I'm here to get good grades and run fast. Everyone here has the same mentality and same goals. Everyone has their personal goals, but as a team we want to keep improving until nationals. At workouts, yesterday (Brian Rhodes-Devey) and some of the team leaders were getting us psyched up. Moments like that give me goose bumps that I'm out there with these guys working hard. It's awesome.
What do you like about the city of Austin? It's a cool environment. Back home in Boerne, it's a lot of country roads. It's not a big running scene at all. It's pretty much just the high school cross country runners. Here, it's a very fit city. Everyone is health-conscious. Distance runners can relate to that. There are great places to run. I'd much rather be in a place like this than anywhere else.
What are you looking forward to as a runner? I'm just excited to run. I haven't raced since the state high school meet. I can't wait to start racing again. Freshman year is rough because there aren't a lot of meets and you can just get thrown into NCAA Cross Country Championships, which is considered one of the hardest championships to get to. As an 18-year old, you're lining up against those big guys. That can be intimidating, but you can't let it get to you. I know that each year I'm going to improve. It's all about being patient. I'm excited for track. I've never raced indoor, so that should be a lot of fun. There are a lot of things to look forward to here.