
When Bailey Hertenstein completed her undergraduate profession at Indiana College along with her diploma and two runner-up Massive Ten cross nation finishes in hand, she appeared for a college to get a graduate diploma and use her remaining yr of eligibility, searching for, she stated after we chatted after a exercise earlier this month, a college the place she might “run happier.”

Hertenstein discovered her blissful place on the College of Colorado Boulder, as did seven different graduate switch pupil athletes — Gabrielle Orie, Ella Baran, India Jones, Charlie Sweeney, Andy Kent, Seth Hirsch and Brendan Fraser. The graduate transfers got here from completely different faculties, backgrounds and undergrad success, however all have been united by the widespread theme of discovering the very best place to pursue instructional and working success.
That is by far the most important variety of grad transfers Colorado coaches Billy Nelson, Heather Burroughs and Mark Wetmore have introduced in, due primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled many collegiate sports activities’ seasons and gave athletes additional eligibility. “We’re happy with all of them,” stated Wetmore, CU’s longtime head coach. “Everybody has made a particular contribution.”
One motive for the transfers’ success, a number of stated after a session of 500-meter repeats on the soccer follow area — “enjoyable onerous” is how Wetmore described the presumptive tempo as he went over the exercise along with his runners — is the supportive environment they discovered on the staff.
“I’m working a lot happier right here,” stated Hertenstein, the Pac-12 cross nation champ who sped to a fifth-place particular person end at Saturday’s NCAA championship. “I really like the staff; I really like the coaches.”
Hertenstein smiled as she described how after one not-so-stellar exercise — sure, even convention champs have off days — her teammates boosted her spirits, saying, “You’ve helped us a lot, allow us to provide help to.” The “protected, optimistic” setting fostered by returning runners comparable to Emily Covert helped make her extra outgoing, Hertenstein added.
One other of the supportive teammates is Orie, who’s engaged on her grasp’s diploma in Integrative Physiology. After graduating from Cornell College, “I wished to go someplace the place I’d have the very best likelihood of chasing my goals,” she stated, “and this was this system that may let me try this.”
Orie added that being in Boulder, within the mountains and in nature, was a part of the attraction of becoming a member of the Buffs. Now, she stated, wanting over at her teammates altering again into coaching flats after the exercise, “These girls are my finest buddies. We work onerous to raise one another up.”
One among CU’s key runners this season, Brendan Fraser, matriculated at Notre Dame. Sitting in entrance of the Indoor Follow Facility after cooling down along with his teammates, Fraser stated that when it got here time to switch, he appeared for a college that may let him discover “a stability with every thing, working and having fun with life.” At CU, he stated, “I’ve discovered happiness and success on the identical time. I want I had extra time.”
Don’t all of us, Brendan, don’t all of us.
Listening in was CU’s prime runner this fall, Andy Kent, who completed his collegiate profession Saturday. (The opposite transfers have 2023 observe eligibility remaining, together with Jones.) Kent’s motive for transferring to Colorado after finishing his undergraduate diploma at Georgia Tech was easy — the possibility to coach below Wetmore. “Mark has a lot expertise and is aware of precisely what exercise is correct for us. We could be feeling good, and he’ll have us run a straightforward day, as an alternative of a exercise. He is aware of what’s finest.”
Earlier than and after the set of 500-meter repeats, the Colorado runners exchanged simple banter. There was, a customer might sense, a sense of quiet confidence and satisfaction, the sort you get from sharing “onerous enjoyable” together with your friends. That’s what Sweeney discovered right here after ending his undergrad at Western State Colorado College in Gunnison.
“Everybody right here is like household,” stated Sweeney. “I actually benefit from the staff and at all times have since I obtained right here. The older guys look out for the youthful guys greater than I personally have ever recognized on a staff. The youthful guys are by no means afraid to succeed in out and ask questions or for something from the older guys.”
Added Sweeney, who’s engaged on a grasp’s of science in Organizational Management, as is teammate Fraser, “I sit up for going to follow each day and simply with the ability to meet up with my finest buddies who additionally occur to be my teammates.”