The Mattapoisett runner who graduated from Old Rochester this past spring has transformed from being a relatively unknown freshman at Clark University to catapulting into the top running slot on the cross-country team over the course of three months.
After struggling to find consistency in Clark's first five meets – going from as low as Clark's eighth runner to as high as their second – Gammell locked into a groove late in the year, finishing as Clark's top runner in the final three events, including the NEWMAC Conference Championships and the NCAA Div. 3 Regional.
The newfound leadership role is a step-up from what the long-distance runner was accustomed to in high school.
As a freshman at Old Rochester in 2006, Gammell made improvements during the season increasing his times and learning how to run and train at distances of 5-kilometers. For the next three years, Gammell ran well but his accomplishments lay in the large shadow cast by the constant accolades of his teammate, and two-time Division 5 state champion, Dana Dourdeville.
Running at the front the pack this season, Gammell has a newfound confidence that has left him wanting more from himself.
"The last half of the season, I was number one, which never happened at ORR," Gammell said. "So it was an entirely new feeling to me. When you are out there on the trails knowing that you are leading, that you are the guy to beat, it's a great feeling. I loved it. It made me want to work harder at practice, and looking ahead to next year, train even harder during the summer."
By season's end, Gammell had made such strides that newly appointed Clark Coach Brian Burlas anointed Gammell as "the athlete I want to build this program around."
As for the Clark freshman and his take on the immediate success, Gammell was surprised more than anything, especially considering NEWMAC cross-country meets are run at distances of 8k, 3k more than his days rounding trails as a Bulldog.
"Obviously I wasn't expecting to be the number one runner. It didn't happen right away. It took a while to adjust to running distances of 8k as opposed to 5k, but I think somewhere in the transition I found that I enjoy the longer races more so."
Burlas shared the Mattapoisett native's sense of wonderment.
"Here at Clark, our program hasn't been historically very strong," Burlas explained. "So for Rob to come in here as a freshman, continue to work hard throughout the year and become our top runner by year's end, it's very impressive."
"What may be even more astonishing is that Rob made a seamless transition from running the 5k to the 8k.. I still believe, anyone who comes in as a freshman, they're not going to know what to make of the program at first. But Rob, he listened, took advice and was willing to do what was asked of him all season long. And in the last 3 races, he really peaked."
Gammell agreed with his coach's assessment, fondly reminiscing about one of the events in particular: the NEWMAC Championship at Moore State Park. The freshman finished with a time of 28 minutes and 56 seconds. Although it may not have been his best 8k time of the year, it is a day that affirmed his belief that he could run at the collegiate level.
"That was one of the hilliest courses we ran all year and there was some really good competitive runners on the trail, some from WPI who were really fast. And I stayed close to the front of the pack for most of the race. And after it was done I thought, 'this was my best race of the year'. That was the day I became fully adjusted to the 8k."
After closing the season out at the NCAA Regional with a strong finish of 29:21, Gammell takes an abundance of confidence into the off-season. And with the season over, the Clark freshman plans to shift his focus towards schoolwork and getting a better understanding of what he wants to do with his computer science major, whether it be computer engineering or networking.
But he doesn't plan to stop running for long.
"I'll be running with the track team during the winter and spring but those programs aren't officially sanctioned. They are just club sports," Gammell said. "As far as cross-country goes, this summer I think I'll follow the training schedule my coaches give me, keep my mileage up there and try to come back even faster for next year."
