Despite the absence of junior quad-captain Greg Devine, the men's track team was still able to place second behind Coast Guard with 181 points at the Silfen Invitational at Connecticut` College this past weekend. The finish marked the second year in a row the Jumbos took second place at the meet. As the season concludes, many members of the team are confident for the postseason as they prepare for this weekend's NESCAC Championships.
Although Devine was out due to academic constraints, the Jumbos still remained confident for the meet, having come off two strong meets at Bates and Central Connecticut the previous two weeks.
Tufts managed to earn 16 points off the 110-meter intermediate hurdles, one of the team's stronger events. Junior Bryan Pitko and freshman Nate Thompson, coming off of injuries earlier in the week, managed to place first (15.15) and third (15.78) respectively.
Coach Connie Putnam was especially satisfied with the performance of the throwers, who ended the meet in exciting fashion. The lead oscillated between Coast Guard and Tufts, who vied for the top spot. This seesawing continued all the way to the final events, the discus and javelin throws.
Behind junior discus throwers Andy Dickerson and Adam Lukowski, Tufts managed to earn ten points and lessen Coast Guard's lead. Their efforts were not enough, however, as Coast Guard rallied behind junior thrower Craig Allen, who, in a clutch performance, won first place, earning the Bears back their ten points. Coast Guard secured its lead and managed to defeat the Jumbos 185-181.
"We might have been a little too overconfident going into the meet," Putnam said. "Everybody certainly performed very well, as the distance runners trained especially hard."
Tufts also faired well in distance events, led by the third and fourth place finishes by seniors Jason Mann (15:26.60) and quad-captain JR Cruz (15:39.76). Nate Brigham and Justin Lewis had strong performances as well, trailing behind with six and seventh place finishes.
While Devine could have provided the Jumbos the necessary points, the sprinters stepped up in his absence. A notable performance also came from sophomore Matt Rosebrook, who closed out the 100 (11.63) and 200 (24.28) dashes with sixth and ninth place finishes respectively. Freshmen Ray Carre and Carlton Bailey remained consistent as well, having strong second (22.98) and sixth place (24.06) finishes respectively in the 200.
"Overall I thought the meet went pretty well," Rosebrook said. "The sprinters had a nice tailwind for the event, and the times were looking quite well. The throwers definitely brought us some much needed points."
With the final regular meet of the season out of the way, the Jumbos will have to prep this week for the up and coming post-season. The NESCACs will be a good indicator of future post-season performances for many athletes. Putnam remains confident for this year's squad.
"We have a pretty good team, better than last year's I think," Putnam said. "This week, there should be many changes in the lineup for the postseason. The NESCACs will be very crucial in seeing who will compete."
The Jumbos will be facing much more competition this weekend, as 11 schools are aiming for top NESCAC finishes. Last year, the Jumbos finished fifth and are looking for a better placement this season, as they hope to oust Bates and Bowdoin and finish in the top three spots.
"The outlook for the post-season is looking pretty good," Rosebrook said. "We have a good squad and the coaches are expecting lots from us. We are treating every week with equal importance."
Past performances earlier this season, along with the indoor season have indicated Tufts' apparent strength. Pitko, despite a hamstring injury earlier in the season, has steadily come into the form that earned him a spot at the NCAA indoor championships. Devine already has earned himself a trip to the NCAAs, with his strong performance in the 400 hurdles at last week's Blue Devil Invite.
"Our team is bigger and better than last year's," Putnam said. "Our sprinters are doing very well and our freshmen are putting in a lot for us. There should be a difference from last year's performance. I'm very confident for our squad."
This year's NESCACs will be held this weekend at Bates, in Lewiston, ME.
