The expectations for rookie cross country runner Alex Kramer '13 are larger than those for other first-year athletes.Kramer has bigger shoes to fill.

The Massachusetts native has the opportunity this season to become the third consecutive Brandeis runner to win the University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honor: Marc Boutin '12 earned it last season, and Mekonen Gendebo '11 did so the year before.

"He can be someone that can contribute and maybe keep the UAA Rookie of the Year award in our name," teammate Paul Norton '11 said.

"I want to contribute to a team that should be very good," Kramer said in an e-mail to the Justice. "If the season goes well, my goal is to be the top freshman at the NCAA meet."

As a runner for North Andover High School in North Andover, Mass., Kramer won the New England Indoor Championships in the one-mile run and set a meet record in the outdoor division's two-mile run.

For the?Judges, Kramer will race in the one-mile run, the 3,000-meter run and the 5,000-meter run.

Kramer said his training this summer has been "extremely consistent" and that he looks forward to continuing to improve with his new teammates.

"It has been great having such a good group of runners to train with every day," he said. "That has helped me become much stronger.