Cruise Control

For someone who did not run scholastically until 11th grade, senior Ian Carswell has been a quick study.

Among his accomplishments are eight consecutive Ivy League Championship victories, the school record in the 3,000 and a third-place finish in the same event at the NCAAs in March. He was also the first collegiate athlete to finish the 3,000 at this year's Millrose Games, beating out the 1996 NCAA champion.

Growing up in Foxboro, Ontario, however, Carswell was more interested in playing left wing in hockey than running track. Carswell did not run scholastically until his school, Lakefield College, added a track and field team when he was a junior.

About one year later, Carswell was selected to represent his nation at the World Cross-Country Championships in Spain.

"I've always wanted to compete for my country and travel internationally," Carswell says. "That ignited a fire inside me that hasn't really gone away."

When Carswell first arrived at Harvard four years ago, the pressures of adjusting to freshman life made his first cross-country season a stressful one.

"The intensity level is a little higher in the U.S. than in Canada," Carswell says. "I never felt as comfortable and confident on a cross-country course as I did on a track."

He still managed to finish 17th at Heptagonals (Heps) but missed the indoor track season due to an injury.

It was in the outdoor track season, though, where Carswell made his first strides at Harvard. He finished second in the 5,000 at Heps and garnered Second Team All-Ivy honors.

This success carried over into Carswell's sophomore year.

On Nov. 21, 1994, Carswell became the first Harvard runner to compete at the NCAAs since Paul Gompers '86-'87. He placed 35th out of 185 runners at the NCAA Division

Championships at Fayetteville, Arkansas. His time of 31:15.3 led all District I competitors and ranked fourth among all IC4A competitors.

Carswell made another big break-through in the indoor season, when he ran a school-record 8:01.11 at the Terrier Classic on Jan. 27. The time, 16 seconds shorter than his previous best, automatically qualified him for the NCAAs in the 3,000 meter.

"That race really signified a big jump in terms of the level that I could compete at," Carswell says. "It established my position as one of the country's better college runners."

On March 11 Carswell earned All-American status after a seventh-place finish at the NCAA's in the 3,000. His time of 8:08.64 was just two seconds behind winner Jason Bunston's 8:06.81.

Carswell continued to shine in the outdoor season, finishing second in the 5,000 at Heps, and 10th in the same event at the NCAA Championships.

Carswell served as captain of the cross-country team during his junior year. He earned All-Ivy status with a first-place finish at Heps in the 5,000. The win made him the first Harvard male to win a Heps race since John Murphy in 1979.

Climaxing his cross-country season, Carswell placed 17th in the 5,000 at NCAAs, which helped him earn All-American honors. Not since Gompers finished fifth at the NCAA Championships in 1986 had Harvard boasted a male All-American in cross-country.

Carswell, his feet blistered and bleeding and a hole in the sole of his "lucky" sneakers, weathered a stiff, 30 mile-per-hour wind during the race. His time of 31:18 was second among IC4A harriers and led all Ivy runners. Carswell's finish trailed only that of Gompers in Harvard history.

Carswell was then ready to write his own history.

In one of his most memorable meets, Carswell and roommate Killian Lonergan each set school records in the 3,000 and 5,000 respectively, at the Terrier Classic on Jan. 27, 1996.

"We broke the records within an hour of each other," Carswell recalls.

Both performances automatically qualified each runner for the NCAA Championships. With a first-place time of 7:59.92, Carswell bettered the record he had set one year earlier at the same meet.

Carswell continued his dominance at Heps, where he won the mile and was on the winning distance medley relay in another All-Ivy performance.

"I was ready to run and do well in the NCAAs," Carswell says. "I thought I could be in the top three, definitely top five."

However, Carswell was tripped in the heat in the 3,000 at the NCAAs, finishing eighth.

He rebounded with a solid outdoor season. Carswell set another school record, this time in the 5,000, with a 13:51.96 finish in the NCAA qualifying heat. Carswell was named All-Ivy at the Heps, where he won the 5,000.

Carswell earned All-America honors by finishing seventh in the 5,000 in the NCAAs (14:03.5). He had now received All-American status for each of the three track seasons.

Entering the fall of his senior year, however, Carswell realized that his mental edge was blunted. That summer, he had tried to gain a spot on the Olympic team, but did not qualify. His efforts left him in a lull.

"When you're gunning for something for so long, even if you succeed and especially if you fail, you kind of have a little down time," Carswell says. "I made the realization that mentally I just wasn't ready to compete at that time and that level."

Carswell spoke with his coach, Frank Haggerty '68, and the two agreed that a temporary leave of absence might benefit in the long run.

"In a season, you lose focus on the big picture, and maybe your direction," Carswell says. "You're constantly focusing on your spot on the team. The time off gave me a good chance to analyze my life as a whole."

After about a week off, however, Carswell returned to track to train for the indoor season and quickly reclaimed his confidence as well as his prominence.

"I knew I'd come back for the indoor season," he says. "I was more determined than ever to do well. The time off rejuvenated me, more mentally than physically. Sometimes, when you take time away from a sport, you get your competitiveness back."

Once more he broke his own record in the 3,000, this time in the Millrose Games on Feb. 7, with a finish of 7:57.21. Carswell was the first collegian to finish the race, beating out Ryan Wilson, the defending NCAA champion in the 3,000. Carswell's performance automatically qualified him for the NCAAs.

At Heps on Feb. 23, Carswell celebrated his return home by winning the mile and 3,000 and running the anchor leg of the victorious medley relay team. Carswell was on the track four times in the two-day affair, including the mile heat.

At the NCAAs, Carswell broke his Harvard record once more in the 3,000. His third-place finish was his best at the national championships. He earned repeat honors as an indoor All-American.

Carswell followed up his indoor season--his best season ever across the board--with a solid outdoor campaign. He earned second team All-Ivy honors in the 5,000 at Penn on May 10, his eighth straight Heps win.

"It is impossible to enjoy myself while I'm training every day," he admits. "[But practice] is obviously what it takes to win and be successful."

Carswell's future running plans are uncertain.

"My training hasn't gone very well in the last couple of months, and it's put a damper on my summer plans," Carswell says. "It's uncertain as to where or if I'm going to be competing."

Even if he does not realize his dream of basking in Olympic glory, Carswell has already solidified his place in the hearts and memories of Harvard track fans

On Nov. 21, 1994, Carswell became the first Harvard runner to compete at the NCAAs since Paul Gompers '86-'87. He placed 35th out of 185 runners at the NCAA Division

Championships at Fayetteville, Arkansas. His time of 31:15.3 led all District I competitors and ranked fourth among all IC4A competitors.

Carswell made another big break-through in the indoor season, when he ran a school-record 8:01.11 at the Terrier Classic on Jan. 27. The time, 16 seconds shorter than his previous best, automatically qualified him for the NCAAs in the 3,000 meter.

"That race really signified a big jump in terms of the level that I could compete at," Carswell says. "It established my position as one of the country's better college runners."

On March 11 Carswell earned All-American status after a seventh-place finish at the NCAA's in the 3,000. His time of 8:08.64 was just two seconds behind winner Jason Bunston's 8:06.81.

Carswell continued to shine in the outdoor season, finishing second in the 5,000 at Heps, and 10th in the same event at the NCAA Championships.

Carswell served as captain of the cross-country team during his junior year. He earned All-Ivy status with a first-place finish at Heps in the 5,000. The win made him the first Harvard male to win a Heps race since John Murphy in 1979.

Climaxing his cross-country season, Carswell placed 17th in the 5,000 at NCAAs, which helped him earn All-American honors. Not since Gompers finished fifth at the NCAA Championships in 1986 had Harvard boasted a male All-American in cross-country.

Carswell, his feet blistered and bleeding and a hole in the sole of his "lucky" sneakers, weathered a stiff, 30 mile-per-hour wind during the race. His time of 31:18 was second among IC4A harriers and led all Ivy runners. Carswell's finish trailed only that of Gompers in Harvard history.

Carswell was then ready to write his own history.

In one of his most memorable meets, Carswell and roommate Killian Lonergan each set school records in the 3,000 and 5,000 respectively, at the Terrier Classic on Jan. 27, 1996.

"We broke the records within an hour of each other," Carswell recalls.

Both performances automatically qualified each runner for the NCAA Championships. With a first-place time of 7:59.92, Carswell bettered the record he had set one year earlier at the same meet.

Carswell continued his dominance at Heps, where he won the mile and was on the winning distance medley relay in another All-Ivy performance.

"I was ready to run and do well in the NCAAs," Carswell says. "I thought I could be in the top three, definitely top five."

However, Carswell was tripped in the heat in the 3,000 at the NCAAs, finishing eighth.

He rebounded with a solid outdoor season. Carswell set another school record, this time in the 5,000, with a 13:51.96 finish in the NCAA qualifying heat. Carswell was named All-Ivy at the Heps, where he won the 5,000.

Carswell earned All-America honors by finishing seventh in the 5,000 in the NCAAs (14:03.5). He had now received All-American status for each of the three track seasons.

Entering the fall of his senior year, however, Carswell realized that his mental edge was blunted. That summer, he had tried to gain a spot on the Olympic team, but did not qualify. His efforts left him in a lull.

"When you're gunning for something for so long, even if you succeed and especially if you fail, you kind of have a little down time," Carswell says. "I made the realization that mentally I just wasn't ready to compete at that time and that level."

Carswell spoke with his coach, Frank Haggerty '68, and the two agreed that a temporary leave of absence might benefit in the long run.

"In a season, you lose focus on the big picture, and maybe your direction," Carswell says. "You're constantly focusing on your spot on the team. The time off gave me a good chance to analyze my life as a whole."

After about a week off, however, Carswell returned to track to train for the indoor season and quickly reclaimed his confidence as well as his prominence.

"I knew I'd come back for the indoor season," he says. "I was more determined than ever to do well. The time off rejuvenated me, more mentally than physically. Sometimes, when you take time away from a sport, you get your competitiveness back."

Once more he broke his own record in the 3,000, this time in the Millrose Games on Feb. 7, with a finish of 7:57.21. Carswell was the first collegian to finish the race, beating out Ryan Wilson, the defending NCAA champion in the 3,000. Carswell's performance automatically qualified him for the NCAAs.

At Heps on Feb. 23, Carswell celebrated his return home by winning the mile and 3,000 and running the anchor leg of the victorious medley relay team. Carswell was on the track four times in the two-day affair, including the mile heat.

At the NCAAs, Carswell broke his Harvard record once more in the 3,000. His third-place finish was his best at the national championships. He earned repeat honors as an indoor All-American.

Carswell followed up his indoor season--his best season ever across the board--with a solid outdoor campaign. He earned second team All-Ivy honors in the 5,000 at Penn on May 10, his eighth straight Heps win.

"It is impossible to enjoy myself while I'm training every day," he admits. "[But practice] is obviously what it takes to win and be successful."

Carswell's future running plans are uncertain.

"My training hasn't gone very well in the last couple of months, and it's put a damper on my summer plans," Carswell says. "It's uncertain as to where or if I'm going to be competing."

Even if he does not realize his dream of basking in Olympic glory, Carswell has already solidified his place in the hearts and memories of Harvard track fans