Rose Teszler ’23, a senior from Newton, MA, is a mid-distance runner for Swarthmore’s cross country and track & field teams. Teszler placed eighteenth place in the 800-meter run at the NCAA Championships last year and is having an incredible season this year too. The senior broke the school record for the 800-meter run this past weekend at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University. Last Friday, Teszler beat her previous record by a full second with a time of 2:13.17. With this new time, Teszler is expected to be ranked in the top five nationally after being ranked seventh with a time of 2:14.17 at the Villanova Invitational. Swarthmore women’s track and field will next compete in the Keough Invitational hosted at Haverford College.
Abby Chang: How does it feel to break the 800m program record? How did you celebrate?
Rose Teszler: I was really happy to get the record after I missed the outdoor record by 0.1 seconds last year. It was extra special because the meet was in Boston, which is where I am from. My parents got to watch my race, and I got to celebrate with them afterwards.
AC: What are some of your goals for the rest of the season?
RT: We’re gearing up for conferences next weekend, and I’m really excited for our relays this year. We have a lot of depth and have stayed pretty healthy, so I think we can get some medals and maybe some more school records too.
AC: What has been one of the highlights for the team so far this season?
RT: I think the highlight has been having so many people set school records this season so far. It gives us a lot of momentum and excitement at our meets. It’s also been a blast to have our 4×400 meter relay team continuing to get better every week. The 4×4 is the most exciting event on the track (in my opinion), so it’s always fun to put a good group together.
AC: Do you have any pre-meet or post-meet rituals?
RT: I like to eat a ton of food the day before a meet because race day nerves can make it hard to eat enough. I’m also notorious for my pre-race iced coffees.
AC: Why did you choose Swarthmore? What is your area of study?
RT: I am an economics major, but I was very glad I chose Swat because I was really undecided coming into college. I’m glad I’ve taken so many different types of classes but can still graduate in eight semesters.
AC: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore?
RT: Tough to choose, but I really enjoyed Behavioral Economics with Professor Bhanot.
AC: Favorite Dining Center bar?
RT: Does the Dining Center even have bars anymore? I know I really want Sharples’s tostada bar back.
