With the season essentially wrapped up for men's track and field, the Jumbos are ready to head into the summer break satisfied as they came out strong in the NESCAC Championships and the New England Div. III Outdoor Championships, finishing third and tenth in the competitions, respectively.
Much of the Jumbos season came down to the NESCAC outdoor championships held April 27-28 - the meet that would determine which team would end up with conference bragging rights. They entered the meet confidently, as they had strong performances throughout the year, with impressive events from the indoor season extending through most of the outdoor season as well.
Veteran coach Connie Putnam had been pleased with the team's performance and expected the squad to step up even more at the end of the season. The Jumbos did just that. Throughout the year, Tufts was led by freshman Ray Carre, juniors Greg Devine and Bryan Pitko, and senior J.R. Cruz. Overall.
Tufts completed the NESCACs with 117 points and a large 29-point cushion in front of Bates. The points earned the Jumbos a third place finish, as well as a number of bids for the New England Championships.
Not accustomed to the unseasonable weather, rain, snow and sleet compounded the Jumbos efforts at the Russell Outdoor Track at Bates. Williams College, a track and field powerhouse for the conference, held firm and won the meet with 216 points.
Devine trampled his competition, winning the 110-meter hurdles and the 400 hurdles with respective times of 14.91 and 53.99. His impressive outing at the meet earned the quad-captain the Frank Sebastianski Award for outstanding male performer.
Other Jumbos stepped up and handled the competition in similar fashion. Distance runner Cruz won the opening event, the 10,000-meter run with a time of 31:26.85, earning himself a qualification to compete in the Division III National Championships. Carre had a strong run in the 400-meter as he sprinted to a third place finish in a time of 50:15.
Solid performances were put in by fellow freshman Nate Brigham in the 10,000-meter run (32:03.33) who finished two slots behind Cruz in third. Junior Bryan Pitko, who was coming off an injury earlier in the season, finished the 110-meter in form, with a time of 15.14.
The field events also brought in many points. Despite a warm-up injury to sophomore pole-vaulter Adrian Clarke, the rest of the Jumbos managed to step-up their own performances and earn some key points in their respective events to cover for their ailing teammate. Junior throwers Andy Dickerson and Adam Lukowski, as well as freshman Evan Blaser finished with personal records in the respective events of the hammer throw, discus, and high jump.
Following the NESCAC championships, the Tufts competed at Williams for the Division III New England Championships May 2-4. Though fewer Jumbos competed, Tufts had enough strength to muster 31 points, good enough for tenth out of 23 teams. Williams once again finished on top, winning the meet with 169.5 points.
Devine, Pitko, and Carre were able to qualify for the Division III National Championships, as they excelled in their events at the New Englands. Devine will compete in the 400-meter hurdles, Pitko will compete in the 110-meter hurdles, and Carre will compete in the 400-meter dash. They will compete in nationals in May 22-23, at Macalaster College in St. Paul, MI.
At the end of the season, the most improved award went to Louis DeLesia, and the most valuable award went to Devine.
