On Tap with ... Peter Callahan

Q: What was your “welcome to college” moment?

A: The first full day of preseason my freshman year, the entire team had to do the “five-minute test.” Here, everyone gets on the track and runs as many consecutive five-minute miles as possible. I had never been in a group of so many talented runners, and it was a truly humbling experience. Afterwards, the deceptively strong (then junior) Kyle Soloff slammed me into a locker and said, “Welcome to college, bitch!”

Q: What is the greatest highlight of your sports career?

A: I would have to say that my greatest highlight thus far has been competing for Team USA at the World Junior Championships this past summer.

Q: Who is your quirkiest teammate, and why?

A: This is a surprisingly difficult decision, but freshman Garrett Rowe takes the cake. I’m pretty sure that everything he says is a lie. For example, he claims to have given CPR to, and successfully resuscitated, a full-grown jaguar after a rattlesnake had bitten it 29 miles into a run from his rustic California home. It is, however, possible that he has been telling the truth all along and I will look like an idiot.

Q: What is the best part about being a track athlete on campus?

A: Us scrawny distance guys are known for getting all the babes. Though this reputation hasn’t really helped me much, I remain optimistic.

Q: Which one of your teammates would make the best husband?

A: I think it’s a toss up between [junior] Nilan Schnure and [sophomore] Sebastian Steffen. Nilan could use his soothing vocals to serenade his wife every night. That should be enough to keep the love going for at least two decades. As for Sebastian ... he’s German, and for some reason I think that would help.

Q: If you were your coach for a day, what would you do?

A: I would get a huge order of [junior] Austin Hollimon visors and issue one to every member of the team. I have good reason to believe that this would instantly make everyone faster and more stylish. I would also follow [freshman] Michael Williams back to his dorm and make sure he gets more sleep.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Q: Do you or your team have any odd rituals?

A: Taking ice baths is something that many of us do periodically. Non-runners think we’re crazy.

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment at Princeton?

A: This has actually happened to me several times, so I can’t really say it’s a moment, but it can still be pretty embarrassing. There are two Peter Callahans here at Princeton. The other one, who actually goes by Pete, is a senior and is much cooler than I. Every so often someone will hear my name and start a conversation. A few minutes later, when they realize that I am the lame Peter, they quickly make up an excuse and move on.

Q: What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?

A: “The Little Mermaid” theme song can be hard to explain sometimes ... Also, I have an entire “Harry Potter” audiobook loaded on there. I enjoy listening to it every now and then, but it’s a little weird when my iPod is on shuffle in the locker room. Sometimes the song changes from some gnarly [sophomore] George Galasso-inspired remix to Jim Dale talking about Snape’s revenge.