This past weekend saw the men's track team participate in one of the biggest meets of the season - the New England Division III Indoors, held at Bates College. Coming off last year's fifth-place finish, the Jumbos were looking to continue their successful ways in the region. With the help of some clutch performances, Tufts put together a solid fourth-place showing.
Finishing with 60 points, coach Connie Putman's team trailed only co-champions MIT and Williams and third-place Wheaton College in a field stacked with 24 teams.
The most noteworthy performance of the weekend came from sophomore Bryan Pitko. Continuing his impressive campaign, Pitko captured the 55-meter hurdles title with a time of 7.67.
Other Jumbos kept up the pace in the event as well, including junior quad-captain Greg Devine, who placed third in 7.80, and freshman Nate Thompson, who finished in a solid 7.90 for fourth place. Devine also managed a fourth-place finish in the 200 with a time of 22.67.
"The hurdles have been a strong feature of our team all year," senior quad-captain J.R. Cruz said. "Pitko and Devine have been consistently excellent all year. They have certainly been a huge part of this team. Thompson has only added to the depth of our hurdles."
Cruz himself put forth a strong effort in the 5000, finishing third with a time of 15:08.24. However, he was not satisfied with his effort and is looking to bigger things in the future.
"I could have won, but I got stuck in a slow race behind the Williams runner," Cruz said. "My goal all season has been to qualify for the nationals. With a strong showing in the D-Is this weekend at BU, I hope to qualify."
Tufts also had a good showing in the 400 at Bates as freshman Ray Carre showed his potential for the future, finishing fifth in a time of 50.48. Junior Bryant Coen placed fourth in the 600 with a time of 1:23:87.
"It was an awesome race, and I was happy with my performance," Coen said. "I got beat at the wire by MIT."
The Jumbos also did well in the middle-distance races. Sophomore Ian Joseph finished sixth in the 1000, while senior captain Ben Smith also finished sixth in the 3000, respectively. Joseph crossed in a time of 2:34.38 while Smith hit the tape at 8:49.69. The relays again proved to be a Jumbo strength; Tufts placed fourth in the 4 by 400 in a time of 3:24.95.
Overall, the team was satisfied with the effort, but some members are looking for more.
"While the team's goal was third, it was a good meet," Coen said. "We did not anticipate Wheaton being as strong as they were. It was fun to get a chance to beat up on MIT and Williams. Everyone put forth a good effort."
"It turned out to be the best we could have done," Cruz said. "The better teams scored in events we didn't have people in. We've met expectations, but we're getting ready to put forth a good showing at BU this weekend and hopefully at the nationals. I don't think everyone has peaked yet in their seasons. For some, I think our best performances are still ahead of us."
With the ECACs and the Nationals also coming up quickly, the Jumbos are optimistic about their opportunities for the rest of the season. While the Jumbos have already proven themselves to be one of the better teams in the region, this weekend's meet at BU will provide an even better measuring stick for this team.
