Alone at the Top

In collegiate athletics, there is no higher honor than to be named an All-American--a recognition that an athlete is one of the best in the nation, part of an elite.

For many, an All-America selection is the culmination of years of work in playgrounds, little leagues and school teams.

The appellation, moreover, conjures up idealistic images of the hugely talented, passionately driven, and--at all times--eminently humble athlete, almost spiritually committed to the pursuit of excellence.

Enter Tom Peterson, the Harvard Crimson Male Athlete of the Year.

If there is any athlete at Harvard deserving on the title All-American--and at least some of the mythical baggage the honor carries with it--it is Peterson.

Last March, the Eliot senior confounded most in the swimming world by capturing third place in the 400-yard IM and sixth in the 200-yard backstroke at the NCAA championships. Those performances were good enough to secure his childhood dram: an All-America selection.

Peterson's recipe for success is simple: highstandards and perseverence.

Coach Mike Chasson, who began coaching atHarvard this year, says he immediately recognizedthat Peterson had the potential to succeed.

"I definitely saw that he could be anAll-American," Chasson says. "He's very dedicatedand very coachable. He has an incredible workethic. His strength is his competitiveness, hisability to commit himself to a goal."

Last year, the Tyngsboro, Mass. resident gothis first shot at earning All-America honors. But,he says, got "floored by the competition,"finishing a distant 23rd in the 200-yardbackstroke at the NCAA championships.

Making A Vow

After that experience, Peterson vowed he wouldmake his mark this year at NCAAs.

At the urging of Chasson, Peterson focused hisattention during his senior year on establishinghimself as a national competitor.

"This year I focused myself as an individual onmaking the NCAAs. I was not just out to make themeet, but to finish at the top," Peterson says. "Iwanted to finish high at Easterns, not that wasn'tgoing to be the culmination of my season. I wantedto make it to the NCAAs and make a mark there."

The swimmer did everything it took and more.

The NCAA limits coach-supervised practice timeto 20 hours. Peterson put in six extra hours.

The government concentrator abandoned histhesis in October. He felt it was detracting fromtraining time.

And, perhaps his biggest sacrifice of all, hepassed on an offer to attend the Olympic timetrials. Trying out for the Olympics would haveconflicted with Easterns and physically exhaustedhim just before the NCAAs.

In the end, as in all success stories insports, the extra hours and multiple sacrificespaid off.

At Easterns, the Chelmsford High Schoolgraduate made the finest showing of his career,breaking record after record to lead Harvard toits first championship since 1986.

Breaking Records

Peterson broke pool, meet and Harvard recordsin both the 400-yard IM (3:48.34) and the 200-yardbackstroke (1:44.73) and set a pool and Harvardrecord in the 500-yard freestyle (4:22.32). Thesetimes eventually qualified him for the NCAAchampionships.

Peterson's dominance at the regional meet wasnothing unusual. The tall and lanky swimmer wonall three events the year before. (He earned theMoriarty Trophy for highest total points both thisyear and last.)

But certainly, what he would go on to do wasunprecedented.

Though he began sluggishly, recording amediocre time in the 500 freestyle, Petersonbursted out to third place in the 400 IM and thenhe says, with the pressure off, coasted to sixthin the 200 backstroke.

Certainly other Ivy athletes have put in morememorable performances at NCCAs--David Berkoff'schampionship breastroke in 1989 is most notable.

Peterson stands out not simply for the purenumbers of his performance, but rather for thesheer mental and physical energy he exhausted toget there.

Even at the NCAAs, few gave him the respect hedeserved. Fe believed that a student from Harvardcould perform so well in national competition.Berkoff, many would say, was simply an anomaly.

He recalls the minor uproar in Indianapolis,Ind. when the NCAA seeded him third in the 400 IM.He remembers swimmers form Texas (one who hadtransferred from Harvard) heckling him that hewould never finish in the top six.

But despite the opposition he encountered, onefar more poignant memory sticks out.

"A guy came up to me with his son. He said 'Yougo to Harvard. And you're swimming here.' Helooked at his son and said, I want you to be justlike him.

"That was pretty amazing. To be swimming you'rewhole life, and to hear that," Peterson says.

Peterson shouldn't be so surprised. From anearly age, the senior made a serious commitment toswimming and balancing academics with athletics.

Country Club Level

Though he began on the country club level, hequickly elevated his competition. Swimming forformer Harvard coach Joe Bernal's club team (theGators) and on his high school team, Petersonspent almost five hours in the pool five days aweek.

That doesn't include meets. Or the 45 minuteshis parents had to drive him to train underBernal.

"I started swimming with the Gators becausethey were the best team in the state. I lovedswimming, and I enjoyed winning," Peterson says.

And win he did--collecting honors throughouthigh school including a bid to the seniorNationals.

Despite the success, Peterson never seriouslyconsidered going anywhere other than Harvard. WithBernal, then the coach of the Crimson, and hisacademic priorities firmly fixed, Peterson sawHarvard as the ideal school for him to blendathletics with regular college life.

Sights Still High

But that didn't mean he set his sights as aswimmer any lower.

"Coming to Harvard my goal was to be anAll-America. I swam with David Berkoff before, andI knew the possibility was there from Harvard,"Peterson says.

After his light taste of the NCAAs in 1990,Peterson committed himself fulltime during hissenior year. But, now that he's realized hisdream, the All-American is more eager to talkabout the success of his teammates and Harvardswimming than his own accomplishments.

He believes he has made a statement for Harvardand the Ivy League, in general.

"A lot of people have this idea that theEasterns in just an overrated high school meet.There's a lot of hype so people do well. And thenwhen they get to nationals, they fall flat ontheir faces," Peterson says. "I wanted to becomean All-American almost as much to improveHarvard's and the Ivies' name. I wanted to improveour swimming reputation."

When Peterson says this, you can't help butbelieve him. Articulate and softspoken, he carriesno traces of brashness or cockiness.

There's just confidence, sincerity,determination and humility. He doesn't sound likethe average college star.

Then again, why should he? He's not. He's anAll-American

Peterson's recipe for success is simple: highstandards and perseverence.

Coach Mike Chasson, who began coaching atHarvard this year, says he immediately recognizedthat Peterson had the potential to succeed.

"I definitely saw that he could be anAll-American," Chasson says. "He's very dedicatedand very coachable. He has an incredible workethic. His strength is his competitiveness, hisability to commit himself to a goal."

Last year, the Tyngsboro, Mass. resident gothis first shot at earning All-America honors. But,he says, got "floored by the competition,"finishing a distant 23rd in the 200-yardbackstroke at the NCAA championships.

Making A Vow

After that experience, Peterson vowed he wouldmake his mark this year at NCAAs.

At the urging of Chasson, Peterson focused hisattention during his senior year on establishinghimself as a national competitor.

"This year I focused myself as an individual onmaking the NCAAs. I was not just out to make themeet, but to finish at the top," Peterson says. "Iwanted to finish high at Easterns, not that wasn'tgoing to be the culmination of my season. I wantedto make it to the NCAAs and make a mark there."

The swimmer did everything it took and more.

The NCAA limits coach-supervised practice timeto 20 hours. Peterson put in six extra hours.

The government concentrator abandoned histhesis in October. He felt it was detracting fromtraining time.

And, perhaps his biggest sacrifice of all, hepassed on an offer to attend the Olympic timetrials. Trying out for the Olympics would haveconflicted with Easterns and physically exhaustedhim just before the NCAAs.

In the end, as in all success stories insports, the extra hours and multiple sacrificespaid off.

At Easterns, the Chelmsford High Schoolgraduate made the finest showing of his career,breaking record after record to lead Harvard toits first championship since 1986.

Breaking Records

Peterson broke pool, meet and Harvard recordsin both the 400-yard IM (3:48.34) and the 200-yardbackstroke (1:44.73) and set a pool and Harvardrecord in the 500-yard freestyle (4:22.32). Thesetimes eventually qualified him for the NCAAchampionships.

Peterson's dominance at the regional meet wasnothing unusual. The tall and lanky swimmer wonall three events the year before. (He earned theMoriarty Trophy for highest total points both thisyear and last.)

But certainly, what he would go on to do wasunprecedented.

Though he began sluggishly, recording amediocre time in the 500 freestyle, Petersonbursted out to third place in the 400 IM and thenhe says, with the pressure off, coasted to sixthin the 200 backstroke.

Certainly other Ivy athletes have put in morememorable performances at NCCAs--David Berkoff'schampionship breastroke in 1989 is most notable.

Peterson stands out not simply for the purenumbers of his performance, but rather for thesheer mental and physical energy he exhausted toget there.

Even at the NCAAs, few gave him the respect hedeserved. Fe believed that a student from Harvardcould perform so well in national competition.Berkoff, many would say, was simply an anomaly.

He recalls the minor uproar in Indianapolis,Ind. when the NCAA seeded him third in the 400 IM.He remembers swimmers form Texas (one who hadtransferred from Harvard) heckling him that hewould never finish in the top six.

But despite the opposition he encountered, onefar more poignant memory sticks out.

"A guy came up to me with his son. He said 'Yougo to Harvard. And you're swimming here.' Helooked at his son and said, I want you to be justlike him.

"That was pretty amazing. To be swimming you'rewhole life, and to hear that," Peterson says.

Peterson shouldn't be so surprised. From anearly age, the senior made a serious commitment toswimming and balancing academics with athletics.

Country Club Level

Though he began on the country club level, hequickly elevated his competition. Swimming forformer Harvard coach Joe Bernal's club team (theGators) and on his high school team, Petersonspent almost five hours in the pool five days aweek.

That doesn't include meets. Or the 45 minuteshis parents had to drive him to train underBernal.

"I started swimming with the Gators becausethey were the best team in the state. I lovedswimming, and I enjoyed winning," Peterson says.

And win he did--collecting honors throughouthigh school including a bid to the seniorNationals.

Despite the success, Peterson never seriouslyconsidered going anywhere other than Harvard. WithBernal, then the coach of the Crimson, and hisacademic priorities firmly fixed, Peterson sawHarvard as the ideal school for him to blendathletics with regular college life.

Sights Still High

But that didn't mean he set his sights as aswimmer any lower.

"Coming to Harvard my goal was to be anAll-America. I swam with David Berkoff before, andI knew the possibility was there from Harvard,"Peterson says.

After his light taste of the NCAAs in 1990,Peterson committed himself fulltime during hissenior year. But, now that he's realized hisdream, the All-American is more eager to talkabout the success of his teammates and Harvardswimming than his own accomplishments.

He believes he has made a statement for Harvardand the Ivy League, in general.

"A lot of people have this idea that theEasterns in just an overrated high school meet.There's a lot of hype so people do well. And thenwhen they get to nationals, they fall flat ontheir faces," Peterson says. "I wanted to becomean All-American almost as much to improveHarvard's and the Ivies' name. I wanted to improveour swimming reputation."

When Peterson says this, you can't help butbelieve him. Articulate and softspoken, he carriesno traces of brashness or cockiness.

There's just confidence, sincerity,determination and humility. He doesn't sound likethe average college star.

Then again, why should he? He's not. He's anAll-American