One week prior to its biggest meet of the season, the men's track team competed Saturday in the year's final Tufts Invitational. For Tufts, the meet - which in a preview of next week featured Div. III powerhouses Williams, Bryant, Plattsburgh State, and SUNY-New Paltz - was significant primarily in terms of individual performances.
Now, with the final tune-up for the highly-anticipated Div. III meet behind it, the men's team has nothing but next weekend's championship at Bates College on its mind. This past Saturday, team points were not counted, as runners got a last chance to keep their legs warm before the championship.
"I thought we had a good weekend, given that the meet was non-scoring and so close to the championship season," sophomore Bryan Pitko said.
Pitko's results more than speak for themselves. With a victory in the 55-meter hurdles in 7.77 seconds, he's one of several Jumbos seemingly ready to peak for the championships. After posting a solid third-place finish in 7.96, freshman Nate Thompson will be joining him in the same event next week.
"We are obviously saving our best performances for the D-III championships this week," Pitko said. "This weekend is the culmination of a season of hard work and perseverance, and we expect our performance in this meet will reflect our effort."
Focused strictly on getting the necessary qualifying times, coach Connie Putnam did not take risks or overdo his lineup last weekend. Junior quad-captain Greg Devine took home top honors in the 400 (49.85). Fellow captain and senior Ben Smith finished second in the 1000 in a qualifying time of 2:37.91.
The Jumbos turned in strong performances in the 1500, as sophomore Ian Joseph finished with a flourish and qualified for next weekend's meet with a time of 4:00.03. Meanwhile, in the 5000, senior Jason Mann turned in a solid fourth place finish (15:33.98).
Like the runners, the jumpers - a unit consisting primarily of underclassmen - appear poised for the upcoming championship weekend. Sophomore Patrick Taylor had a solid second-place finish in the triple jump with a leap of 13.46m. In his signature event, the long jump, Thompson placed second (6.43m).
In another team strength, Tufts won the 4x800 relay, qualifying for next weekend's event easily with a time of 8:29.31.
Coach Connie Putnam's squad is relaxed and confident, buoyed by its consistency throughout the year. "We've prepared for this weekend's meet since September," Devine said. "We are going to make a big impact on the D-III's, and other teams aren't going to be happy that we're there. "We've had a great season as a team and numerous individuals have repeatedly proven themselves to be standout athletes. We are confident."
As the leaders of this team have professed all year long, this weekend represents the pinnacle of the season. Through a balanced line-up, the Jumbos have demonstrated their prowess as a legitimate top three team in the Div. III Northeast. Now, the stage has been set; and with their best performers on display, it is up to the team to perform.
