The 2001-2002 Tufts outdoor track and field squad is excited about the upcoming season, and rightfully so. Captains, seniors Andrew Benedict, J.R. Cruz, Ben Smith, and junior Greg Devine are expected to lead the Jumbos, who hope to be one of the more competitive schools in the NESAC. Much should be expected from a team that placed seventh at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship at the end of the indoor track season.
However, despite the solid indoor showing, the Jumbos realize that they will face some intense competition from NESCAC schools during the outdoor season. Last spring, the Jumbos had an impressive 12th-place finish in the New England Div. III Championships, and finished fifth out of 12 at the NESCAC Championships.
Last season in the New England Div. III Championships, performances from such athletes as then-sophomore Bryan Pitko, who finished third in the 110m high hurdles, then-senior David Patterson, who placed fifth in the 1,500 and then-juniors Bryant Coen and Adam Sharp, both of whom finished sixth in the 600 and the 1,000 respectively, helped lead the Jumbos. These performances enabled the Jumbos to finish ahead of NESCAC foes such as Trinity, Colby, Wesleyan and Conn. College. Unfortunately, Tufts was unable to surpass and assortment of other NESCAC schools including Williams, which actually won the meet.
Devine and Pitko are both coming out of strong indoor seasons, and the duo will be counted on to continue that success in the outdoor season. Devine missed qualifying for Nationals during the indoor season in the 110 hurdles but did qualify in the 400 hurdles during last year's outdoor season. Meanwhile, Pitko qualified for indoor Nationals in the 110 hurdles during the indoor season, and the pair should be two the Jumbos' top point garners.
In addition to its strength in the hurdling events, the squad also boasts a strong distance team. Leading the team in the distance events is Cruz who placed fourth in the 2001 campaign's New England 5,000 meters indoor event. Also, Smith along with seniors Jason Mann and Justin Lewis are expected to race well in distance events.
Among Smith's recent accomplishments as a distance runner include a third-place finish in the 3000 at the ECAC meet in March. Sophomore Patrick Taylor has also shown impressive talent that may earn the team points in the jumping events.
The Jumbos will compete in their first meet this weekend at Northeastern University.
