Everyone loves a star freshman in the NCAA, and Brigham Young University’s (BYU) Tessa Buswell might be a new fan favorite. Buswell, a middle distance track star, has been proving her abilities throughout her freshman season. As a freshman, she had an outstanding performance at the NCAA Track and Field Championship in Eugene, Oregon over the weekend with a 6th place finish in her heat of the 800m, finishing 21st overall in the event. Though she missed qualifying for the finals of the 800m, she was named All American Honorable Mention for her performance.
Though her accolades shine bright, what makes her freshman season so special is the growth she experienced as an athlete and a person, the challenges she overcame, and the deeper meaning behind every race of the season. We talked to Buswell about her season and what running at the collegiate level has taught her so far in her early career.
The College Transition
The transition from high school to college as an athlete can be a huge hurdle to overcome. For an athlete as successful as Buswell, it may look like it was an effortless transition, but she shared with us how she navigated these changes.
For Buswell, the college transition was much bigger than she expected it to be. She even called it a humbling experience.
When she faced the toughest hurdles in her transition in the fall of her freshman year, Buswell said she realized that “I’m not always going to be the best on my team and that if I want to be great, then I’m going to have to work hard for it.” Buswell was able to shift her mindset during these hard times from “this sucks and it’s so hard,” to “I love training and being with my teammates. This work that I’m putting in right now, will only help me in the future.”
Small changes in mindset and allowing yourself the space to adjust to changes and new environments can lead to personal growth and a smoother transition to college. Buswell gave herself grace and was patient and determined. Now, her hard work is paying off.
“It doesn't matter how fast you run or how much sleep you get, you will face challenges and hardships.”
Team Dynamics and Success
As a freshman athlete, it’s so important to be a sponge, soak in every moment, learn everything you can from your upperclassmen, and create lasting relationships with your team and coaches. Building these relationships and learning from others is what allows young women athletes to excel in their own careers.
Buswell learned a lot from her teammates. “I've learned that to really thrive at this level you have to love what you do, which makes you really dedicated to the sport. It isn't something that you can just put in the back of your mind. It will consume and take over your life, so it will be so much harder to succeed if it isn't something you truly love to do,” she said.
Buswell’s team dynamic helped her reach her personal goals and contribute to team goals. “Believing in ourselves, in our teammates, and in our coach is a big part of our team culture at BYU, and it has made me want to be a person that uplifts others,” Buswell told us.
Buswell learned from those older than her, and will move throughout her college career with the ability to do the same thing for those who come after her. Never forgetting where she started, she will guide the future freshman in the same way her teammates did for her.
Personal Growth
Freshman success stories are about what the athletes can learn from others and what they can learn from themselves. Personal growth is just as important as athletic growth. Buswell learned about herself as an athlete and as a person in her freshman season. These lessons will continue to help her in her career on and off the track.
“[This year] taught me that I really just want to be a good person and inspire others to achieve their goals,” Buswell said. She wants to motivate the next generations of women athletes.
“It also taught me that things are going to be hard. It doesn't matter how fast you run or how much sleep you get, you will face challenges and hardships. Realizing that has made me better at facing challenges outside of running and just instilling in my brain that I am a person that doesn’t give up,” Buswell said about this season.
The Future is Bright
Buswell proved herself as a valuable freshman for the BYU team and will continue to grow throughout her college career. As she looks forward to her upcoming collegiate years, she reflected back on this past year and realized that who she was at the beginning of the season has transformed by the end of the season.
Buswell said that who she was in August “would be surprised to know that she’s run faster than a 2:04 [in the 800m],” as that was her goal for the year. “She would also be surprised at how much joy she feels when she sees her teammates achieve their goals.” She is happy to walk away from her freshman season with so much pride and gratitude.
“Coming to BYU and feeling so welcomed and training with all of my wonderful teammates has been a huge blessing. I’m glad to be a part of something that is bigger than myself and to contribute to a positive mindset and atmosphere,” Buswell said.
Buswell is an example of what a freshman can accomplish amid the ranks of seniority in college sports. “I hope that when people watch me, they realize that you don’t have to be a senior to be fast, to make it to nationals, or be in these high level heats. In college, everyone races everyone, so my coach and I have been working on the ‘you are not a freshman’ mentality to help even out the playing field mentally,” Buswell said.
As Buswell exceeded her goals for the year and looks forward to what's next, she hopes that her story will inspire young women who are looking to compete at this level someday. “If you believe it, you can achieve it. If you put in the hard work and are willing to make sacrifices, then it will pay off,” Buswell told us.
Sports are so much more than games and races. As Buswell showed us this season, sports can help us grow individually in more ways than one. If we want to compete at high levels and be a standout athlete, it takes grit, perseverance, and passion for our sport. No matter our age, we can be an outstanding athlete, and learn more about ourselves along the way.
