1995 Barcelona World Indoor Championships Bronze medallist Erik Nedeau is a fierce competitor. Nedeau grew up in Kennebunk, Maine, and graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 1994.

While Erik Nedeau is a disciplined, focused, and highly successful runner, he is also exuberant and lighthearted. If you catch the coach at the Amherst College track, most likely he’ll be wearing his Boston Red Sox cap and whistling “Zippity do da, zippity day.” If you ask him how he’s doing and he’s in running attire, he often answers, “Faaantastic!”

Why does Nedeau love track and field so much? Is it because he is one of the most decorated and versatile runners in Maine history? Is it because of his bronze medal at the world championships or the cross-country national championship team he coached at Amherst College? Beyond his accomplishments and accolades, Nedeau’s love for running comes from two fundamental elements of track and field: the first, you get out what you put in; the second, camaraderie.

Erik explains that he loves running because it is about how hard you’re willing to work. And there is no doubt Erik Nedeau knows how to train. As an athlete at Division I Northeastern University in Boston, Nedeau was a five-time All-American in the 800 and 1500 meters. He competed at the NCAA cross-country championships; was seventh in the 800 at the 1992 U. S. Olympic Trials; a bronze medalist in 1500 at the 1995 World Indoor Championships; and fourth in 1500 at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials.

In this episode of College Rivals, Simon, Tosha, and Mike chat with Maine New England's great Erik Nedeau 'AKA" Ned -- former middle-distance ace for Northeastern and USA top middle-distance runner during the '90s. We capture his insights about rivalries and their potential impacts on making the sport better, some of the challenges he faced as an athlete, and how might we learn something from past athletes like Erik Nedeau and others.

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