Swedish heptathlete adjusts well to American life

Six months ago, Björn Barrefors was working as a waiter at a restaurant in Sweden.

These days, he's a freshman multi-event phenomenon for the Nebraska track and field team.

Barrefors has emerged as one the team's strongest heptathletes this indoor season, despite the fact he just joined the program this semester.

At last weekend's Big 12 Indoor Championships, Barrefors finished third with a total score of 5,679, thanks in part to a personal-record time of 8.08 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. It was his first career collegiate heptathlon.

The score automatically qualifies Barrefors for the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend at Texas A&M.

"I felt big pressure before the competition, since it was my only chance (to qualify)," Barrefors said. "I was kind of expecting it, but it was still a little surprising."

Multi-events coach Kris Grimes said he was impressed with Barrefors' display of poise during the difficult meet.

"He was very focused and wasn't intimidated at all by the field, which was one of the strongest in the country," Grimes said. "He handled it like a seasoned veteran. Even though he's only a freshman, he went in there and PR'd right off the bat and didn't back off at all."

Following his time at Teknikum High School in Stockholm, he took two years off of school and worked at a lunch restaurant and training with the Hammarby IF track team.

He was the 2008 Swedish senior champion in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon, and also finished seventh at the 2008 European Cup in Jyväskylä, Finland.

After consulting lists of international times and results, Grimes initiated contact with Barrefors via e-mail. Barrefors said Nebraska wasn't the ideal school for him initially, but after learning more about the program it seemed like a good fit.

"I started to think about it a little before Kris e-mailed me," Barrefors said. "I wanted to go to a warm place like Stanford, Ariz. or Florida, but I didn't really get any response out of them. It was a little bit tough, but no one had anything bad to say about Nebraska and I liked its people and facilities."

Grimes saw potential and said it was a easy decision for both sides.

"I thought he was a good fit," Grimes said. "I thought he had a lot of upsides, and obviously that has kind of proved to be true. He was looking for structure in a program, and Nebraska is a good place for him."

Barrefors' long summer season, which carried into August, as well as piles of paperwork prevented Barrefors from starting school in the fall.

Once he got on campus in January, he hit the ground running (and jumping, pole vaulting and shot putting). He competed in six meets in preparation for the conference meet and achieved personal bests in five events.

Barrefors, a computer science major, said returning to school after the two-year absence might have been the most difficult part of his transition.

"I'm not really used to studying, and I had to re-remember math," Barrefors said with a chuckle. "In the beginning, school was easy and then after two weeks I realized why it was easy – I wasn't studying. Then it became a tough first two weeks."

Barrefors has benefitted from the presence of fellow multi-eventers Skyler Reising and Pat Burke, who are both seniors.

Grimes said the duo is probably more talented than him in every event except the 60-meter hurdles, which creates a mutually beneficial situation. Barrefors pushes them to do better in the hurdles, and they make him work hard in everything else.

Barrefors appreciates the competition and team dynamic.

"That was one of the reasons I came here," he said. "I practiced alone in Sweden because I didn't have anyone else on my team who did multi, and it's really good to have someone push me."

Grimes said he's confident Barrefors can earn All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships, which are awarded to the meet's top eight finishers.

"It's one of the most challenging competitions in the world," Grimes said. "If you can score in the top eight, you're great. I think he has a chance to be an All-American right out of the hole, which is very unique for a freshman in the heptathlon. I think we would be disappointed if he wasn't top eight."

Though Barrefors is over 4,000 miles away from Sweden, the change of venues has proved to be an easy transition. He's comfortable, and he's excelling.

"I like it a lot here," he said. "I mean, of course I miss the country, but I pretty much feel at home here already."