Senior Bryan Pitko overcomes knee surgery, continues to lead the Jumbos

With his third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Div. III National Championships nearly assured, senior Bryan Pitko stands as the fastest 55 meter hurdler in Tufts history. Despite undergoing knee surgery this fall, he has remained a leading force on the men's track and field team -- a team that has enjoyed three first-place finishes this season.

Pitko, a tri-captain of the squad, broke his own school record during the 55 hurdle trials of last winter's National Championships, where he raced to sixth place and garnered All-American status. Pitko also hurdled at the Outdoor National Championships last May.

Currently ranked fifth in the country for Div. III, Pitko will likely return to nationals, to be held Mar. 14-15 at DePauw University in Indiana. With only three weeks of competition remaining before the championships, Pitko's season-best 7.65 seconds and "being a year older and with experience at the NCAA's" both bode well for him, as head men's track coach Connie Putnam said.

Fellow senior captain Greg Devine, currently ranked seventh in the same event, will likely qualify as well. He expressed admiration for Pitko's "determination and resilience."

"Bryan's been plagued by several injuries through his career," Devine said. "Whether it be nicked, banged up, or perfectly healthy, he's out there doing his best every day."

Pitko's achievements this season have been especially notable in light of a serious knee injury suffered only months ago. During football preseason, Pitko tore his lateral meniscus. He underwent surgery to repair the ligament and worked hard through weeks of rehabilitation, but remained sidelined for his entire senior fall.

"The good news is that I recovered pretty quickly," Pitko said. He speculated that had football been his last athletic season at Tufts, he might have tried to play in some games. However, looking ahead to track weighed heavily on the decision for him not to return to the field, where as a junior he led Tufts wide receivers in touchdown receptions.

Most recently on the track, Pitko won the hurdles last Saturday in 7.75 seconds. Teammate Nate Thompson finished second -- in fact, Pitko's strongest competition often comes by way of other Jumbos. Currently the top-ranked hurdler in Div. III New England, he is trailed by Devine and Thompson, ranked second and fifth respectively.

Thompson, a sophomore, has had an impressive early career at Tufts. He credits Pitko and Devine with helping to ease his transition to college track.

"Having two leaders, two All-Americans, hurdling next to you every day gives you something to strive for and look up to athletically," Thompson said.

Devine expressed similar sentiments, citing the strength of Tufts' hurdling squad, and especially Pitko, as factors in his own success.

"I would say that there is friendly competition between us," Devine said. "Bryan motivates me, not only on Saturdays when we're racing, but five days a week when we're practicing."

"Bryan's a fantastic captain and he can motivate others to be their best," Devine concluded.

Putnam echoed Devine's notions, praising Pitko's leadership. "He has command presence," Putnam said. "When he sets an example, people tend to follow."

Putnam also noted Pitko's development from a freshman with leadership potential to an experienced, mature senior.

"He's learned not only to lead by example, but also to encourage, to correct, to counsel," Putnam said. He cited Pitko's role as an RA as "an example of how he's grown to lead in more than one area."

Back in high school, Pitko was captain of both the track and football teams in his native Arlington, MA. Ironically, he says that he started track to keep in shape for football. The 100-yard dash appealed to him initially, but "an interesting combination of medium height and gigantic feet" eventually led him to the hurdles, he said.

"The first day of practice, I found out that as a result of the whole clumsy feet thing, I wasn't too good at just running really fast," Pitko said. "My coach decided that I might be better suited for the hurdles. I was pretty disappointed, but I gave the hurdles a shot anyhow."

Pitko progressed rapidly, graduating as one of the top high-school hurdlers in New England. According to Putnam, "He probably ran hurdles almost as effectively as a freshman in high school as he does now, because he's a very natural athlete who has a very natural hurdling stride. Also, Bryan's interesting in that he actually runs faster with hurdles in front of him than he does with no hurdles."

"Put him in blocks with five or ten barriers in front of him and he's really at his best," Putnam added. "Frankly, I think running without anything in front of him bores Bryan."

This weekend, Pitko will race at Bowdoin College in the Div. III New England Championships, where he won the 55 hurdles last year. Poised for his third national championship meet, he will undoubtedly continue to lead the men's track team, fueled by the perseverance and talent admired by his coach and teammates.

"Bryan's a great athlete," said Devine. "He's got a never-quit, never-give-up attitude that is really contagious and one of the best things the team has going for it."