“I fell in love with the game; there is a tight-knit community in the sport of lacrosse, and I love team sports, being able to work together for a common goal. Those principles can apply to life moving forward.”

We recently caught up with Ashton McNair, who says the places you’ll find him the most are on the playing fields and in the gym. But he has other favorite spots on campus, the library and the Meadows. He talks about a spot in the library that has a comfortable chair that sits between two bookcases, a place to study “in peace and quiet, away from distractions.”  He also enjoys sitting on a bench in the Meadows overlooking the fields and Cow Pond.

Year: Senior

Hometown: Spencerport, N.Y.

Activities: Varsity football and lacrosse. Resident assistant in Warham Hall and a member of the school’s Disciplinary Committee. Prefect as a junior.

On lacrosse: He started playing lacrosse when he was about 7; he had been playing soccer, but his coach suggested lacrosse. “I fell in love with the game; there is a tight-knit community in the sport of lacrosse, and I love team sports, being able to work together for a common goal. Those principles can apply to life moving forward.” He plays defense. Next year he will play lacrosse at Colgate University.

On football: He also played defense in football and remembers what a former coach once told him: “You have to do your 1/11th. .... Eleven people have to do their job at the same time for a play to work. One person doesn't do their job, and the play fails. You have to focus for the seven seconds of the play, and that will lead to success. So I think in school that has allowed me to understand the value of focusing on small things that will allow for success. The little things can add up to making a big difference.”

A course or assignment that stands out: Making a Rube Goldberg machine — which consists of devices that trigger one another in a chain reaction — in the Pearse Hub for Innovation (PHI) for physics class. “That was fun and hands-on, which I enjoy.”

Favorite meal: One of his dad’s bacon cheeseburgers — topped with a fried egg — and a side of fries. “Comfort food.”

If you could have a robot do any chore for you, what would it be? Laundry and cleaning his dorm room. Life gets busy, he said, and clutter can accumulate. He might use a Sunday to catch up on laundry and cleaning. “I didn’t realize how much time [it takes to do] those little things at home that my parents would help me with.”

What is one thing people might not know about you? He meditates a few times a week, including before games. He said he thinks that has helped him grow in all aspects of his life. He also does yoga. As a kid, he saw his mother meditate and do yoga. “She didn’t push it on me, but I probably do it because of her influence.”

Favorite season: Summer, he said, because of the warm weather and being outside. But this spring has brought him joy, too. “After that cold spell and all the snow we had this winter, it has been nice to see the flowers blooming and the birds tweeting. It felt like I was inside a long time, so it is nice to be outside, take a deep breath, and not be shivering cold.”