The men's cross country team took second place this weekend in a relaxed race - the Fall Foliage Frolic - at Williams College. Entering the race, winning was not a top priority, but rather the squad used it as a workout with a focus on this coming weekend's All-New England championship.
"It was a tempo run for us," senior co-captain J.R Cruz said. "We looked at it just like a practice."
Tufts' travel to Williams afforded it the opportunity both to rest up for next weekend while remaining competitive and to run on the Williams course, which will be the site of this year's ECAC race.
For the first time this season, coach Connie Putnam took the opportunity to race his entire team. Matching men from the faster group with men from the slower group of runners, Putnam set a tempo for each pair that would create a racing atmosphere while still allowing rest for his top runners.
In the end, the Jumbos finished far behind the Purple Cows. Cruz and senior co-captain Ben Smith led the Tufts pack, finishing the race in tenth and 11th place, respectively (22:08, 22:10). Though the top runners' times were significantly slower than their abilities, Putnam preferred his team remain rested for next week.
Whether the rest proves beneficial will be determined this weekend when the Jumbos go to Franklin Park on Friday to compete in the New England Championships. Tufts' top seven runners will compete against their strongest competition of the season.
"It's like a rehearsal for the NCAA's," Putnam said. "It's the best estimation of where you stand in New England's distance wise."
Traditionally, the race has been frustrating for Tufts, as the team has only broken into the top ten twice in the race's 89-year history. In a meet that has been dominated by Division I schools and foreign athletes, the Jumbos are traditionally overshadowed. In 1996, Tufts placed ninth and in 1972, the Jumbos placed tenth.
Despite the impending struggle, Putnam and his team feel this is the school's best chance to break into the top ten again.
"Running well in the New England's is not a tradition here and we're struggling to make it one," Putnam said.
Tufts has also struggled to place runners near the top of the race. Only three Jumbos have ever taken first place at the New England's. The first was John Dohrety in 1923, followed 20 years later by Ted Vogel, who went on to participate on the Olympic Track and Field team. The most recent Tufts victor was Danny Moynihan in 1971 and 1972.
Again this season, the Jumbos have a slim chance of placing a winner. Cruz was the team's top finisher last season with a 20th-place finish (25:10).
"For us to win the meet would take an act of god," Putnam said.
Regardless, the Jumbos have high expectations of themselves as a team. After placing 12th last year, the team thinks it will improve this season.
"If we're not in the top ten at this meet, something went wrong," Cruz said.
The Jumbos' lineup this year will include four seniors - Cruz, Smith, Jason Mann, and Justin Lewis - along with three freshmen - Nate Brigham, Brian McNamara, and Michael Don. They will have to compete against the best from Bowdoin, the University of Maine, the University of Connecticut, and Williams to break into the top ten. While Putnam feels that Providence will win the meet without much competition, followed closely by Dartmouth, Brown, and Yale, the lower end of the top ten remains open and will be highly competitive.
While the team's top seven compete in the varsity race, the rest of the team will also run weekend in the J.V race in an attempt to compete for higher spots in later postseason meets.
The races all kick off Friday at 1 p.m.
