Indiana or bust

According to "Mapquest" the driving distance between Medford and Hanover, Indiana is about 963 miles. Last weekend, about 30 Jumbos braved the 2000 miles, roundtrip, to cheer for the eight Tufts runners competing at the National Cross Country Championship, held at Hanover College on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Six cars left Tufts at 5 a.m. Friday morning, embarking on the first half of a road trip that women's cross country tri-captain Katie Higley called "just crazy."

By the time the fans returned home early Sunday morning, they had acquired four speeding tickets, visited "Grandpa's Cheese Barn" somewhere in Ohio, and spent more than 34 hours driving.

On Saturday, after numerous road games and bets, the fans, decked out in brown and blue body paint, arrived in Indiana to cheer on their team.

"We got out there and had a dress code," Higley said. "Everyone had to wear brown and blue, and we painted our bodies. I'm still trying to wash my 'temporary' tattoos off, and poor Sarah Crispin is still walking around with blue hair from dye that washes out after 'one wash.'"

"We just ran around like mad and cheered our heads off," Higley said.

"[Tufts was] one of the largest groups, especially for a team not from the Midwest," junior Matt Lacey said. "All the teams had fans going nuts -- waving team flags, ringing bells, just making as much noise as possible."

According to Crispin, a freshman, the Jumbos had driven further than any other fans to reach the meet.

"We were trying to be the loudest people there," Crispin said.

Senior men's captain Pete Bromka, one of the seven Tufts men to race at Nationals, said that friends from other schools complained to him about the exuberance of the Tufts crowd. "Your fans are so annoying. Everywhere we go we keep hearing 'TUXC! TUXC!," they told him.

The Tufts fans' energy hardly waned throughout the weekend, despite long hours on the road and little sleep.

According to Bromka, the fan presence was well appreciated. When the Tufts competitors arrived at the course on Saturday morning, the Jumbos already had the team tent set up.

"It was like they were waiting there to meet us, so it felt like any other meet because our teams were there and our fans were there," Bromka said. "It was pretty awesome. I think it really makes the whole event more meaningful."

Bromka feels the strong Tufts presence was especially helpful for senior Lauren Caputo, who was the only member of the women's team to qualify, but had teammates at Nationals to warm up with her.

"This is the best team I've ever been on," Higley said. "The team spirit is just amazing."