Against Ithaca College at last year's Tufts Invitational, the women's track and field team finished in third place. This weekend, against that same Ithaca squad, it was apparent that a year made the difference. In a close meet in the Gantcher Center on Saturday, the Jumbos finished in a first place tie with the Bombers.
Tufts' fate ultimately rested on the outcome of the shot put. As long as freshman Katie Antle remained in third place and Ithaca's Cory Lipp stayed sixth or below, the Jumbos would tie Ithaca with 123 points. The alternative was a respectable second place finish in a field of 13 teams.
In the end, Antle would throw a personal record (PR) of 38' 2 3/4'' to clinch third and Lipp would be kept at bay at sixth.
"I knew that if I threw my best everything would be fine," Antle said. "There was a little bit of pressure, but there were also so many people cheering. I had the support of everyone and it really pushed me on."
While the first-place tie was a welcome success, it wasn't necessarily expected. Coach Kristen Morwick placed athletes in events in an effort to qualify more Jumbos for the upcoming Division III and ECAC Championship meets rather than to top Brandeis. Also, freshman Shushanna Mignott was out with an injury and many runners and jumpers were not competing in their best events.
"We won the meet with PR's and gutsy performances," Morwick said. "When I told the Distance Medley Relay they had to get at least third and the throwers that they needed to do well on the shot, they all stepped up and did it."
Antle's heroics late in the meet helped seal the team's impressive finish, but there were several other quality performances. Fellow thrower and sophomore Gwen Campbell achieved a PR in the weight throw of 34' 81/4'', good enough to snatch third place.
The 1000m run saw sophomore Lauren Caputo finish second with a time of 3:09.52, three seconds shy of the Div. I Championship meet qualifying mark. Senior Ellen Adams (3:14.07), freshman Emily Pfeil (3:14.21), and senior Heather Ballantyne (3:16.79) placed sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively, in the same race, qualifying for the Div. III meet in the process. In the 1500m run, junior Mary Nodine ran an indoor PR of 4:55.94, earning herself an invitation to the ECAC Championship meet.
The 4x200m relay team won the event in a blistering 1:49.56, the second fastest time in New England this season, second only to rival Wheaton College. The 4x200 squad is comprised of junior co-captain Myriam Claudio and a trio of freshmen-Ayako Sawanobori, Sika Henry, and Claudia Clarke.
The 400m race also proved a strong event as Claudio (59.66) qualified provisionally for Nationals while racing to first place. Clarke (61.9) had a PR and Sawanobori (63.71) finished strong, as they placed fourth and sixth, respectively.
"We set a team goal early on of setting as many personal bests as we can each meet, and we keep overshooting that part," Claudio said. "Everyone's starting to get really focused because they see the results. It's great to watch."
Additionally, sophomore Jessica Trombly took second in the 200m dash (27.00) and qualified for the Div. I Championships with a third place finish in the 55m hurdles (8.92).
Senior Sarah Leistikow continued competing the pentathlon events, tying for second in the high jump with a 5' leap. Joining Leistikow in pentathlon competition this weekend was freshman Melissa Graveley, who impressed in her first ever 800m race.
The tandem of sophomore Emily Bersin (1:22.31) and freshman Katie Sheedy (1:23.70) captured fourth and fifth in the 500m race, as Sheedy raced to a PR and both qualified for ECAC's.
The team currently boasts an undefeated NESCAC track record and also have yet to lose to a Div. III team - two marks that it will look to extend at this weekend's Tufts Invitational. The meet will feature healthy competition, with Williams, Plattsburgh, Stonehill, Bryant, and Bates slated to come the Gantcher Center. Entering the meet with the goals that have been integral throughout the season - among them staying healthy and setting PR's - the Jumbos hope to end the last indoor regular season meet on a high note.
"We will rest some, try to get more people qualified, and get people sharp for the championships," Morwick said. "There are many teams with strong individuals out there, but it will just depend on who wants it the most."
@s: Team prepares for competitive Tufts Invitational
