ECAC's await Jumbos at Bowdoin

"Extend the season for one more week," is the thought zooming around in the minds of select members of the men's track and field team heading into this weekend's ECAC Championship at Bowdoin.

The two day-event, which kicks off tonight at 6:00 p.m., marks the last chance for Jumbos to post qualifying times to advance to the upcoming NCAA National Championships March 12 and 13 in Wisconsin.

"We're heading into this with more of a qualifying approach rather than a team-winning approach," coach Connie Putnam said. "We have a great chance to improve some times and send some guys to nationals."

While no one on the roster is currently automatically qualified for the NCAA's, two Jumbos seem almost certain to be in Wisconsin next weekend: freshman Fred Jones and junior Nate Brigham.

Jones' 48-foot, half inch jump last weekend, which won him the All-New England triple jump title, is less than a foot short of the automatic distance of 49 feet and a quarter inch. Jones doesn't want to fly out to the Midwest to compete in just one event, however, so he's looking to improve also on his provisionally qualifying long jump of 22-10.

"I have to get about six more inches from my personal best in the long jump [to have a shot]," Jones said. "I'm feeling good, and I think I can do it."

Junior Nate Thompson is also hoping to qualify in the long jump this weekend. Thompson will also be running the 55 meter hurdles, but said he felt he had a better chance of qualifying in the jump due to the strength of this year's hurdles qualifiers.

Brigham ran a stellar 5000 meter race last weekend, in a school record of 14:33.34. This time left him just off an automatic qualifying time of 14:33.0. Although Brigham isn't guaranteed a spot, Putnam is fairly confident that he'll get one.

"I said [before All-New England's] that I wanted him to get down to 14:36, and he went beyond that, so he should be okay," Putnam said.

Due to this confidence, Brigham will not be running in the 5k this weekend. Instead, he'll race alongside fellow junior Brian MacNamara and sophomores Kyle Doran and Matt Fortin the 1500m. Doran is the only one currently qualified nationally, but he hopes to emerge from the weekend higher up on the provisional list.

Putnam said that junior Mike Don could run the 3000m or the 5000m, where he would race alongside freshman Josh Kennedy and sophomore Matt Lacey as they try to beat the 5k qualifying time of 14:55.0. Lacey ran a 14:55.9 last week, while Kennedy was on his way before dropping out after losing a shoe. While merely making the provisional cut would most certainly exclude the runners from nationals, it is still a goal they're striving for, and would be a strong way to finish their season if they don't advance.

"We definitely want them all racing under fifteen minutes," Putnam said.

Aside from Brigham, Jones, and Doran, the relays probably have the best chance of advancing to NCAA's. Both the distance medley relay team and the 4x400 meter squad are already provisionally qualified, but feel they can do better.

"We want to improve our times in both races," said junior Ray Carre, who will carry the baton for the Jumbos in both races. "We're sort of on the bubble right now."

Putnam is still tinkering with the exact DMR lineup which he thinks will be the most successful. After running the second fastest time in school history last week, whichever foursome he selects will have the benefit of the number one seed -- and thus a fast heat -- to lower their time.

"We're really solid in the DMR," Carre said. "Everyone who could run is jacked up for it; we want to go to nationals, so we're going to run a spectacular race."

The 4x400 team of Carre, freshman Nate Cleveland, and sophomores Pat Mahoney and Trevor Williams will also look to improve upon its time of 3:18.7, run last week on Boston University's bank track.

Cleveland will also be trying to qualify in the 800, while Carre will compete in the 400, a week after taking a spill in that race after getting tripped up with Wheaton's Ajay Sisodia.

"It happens," Carre said of his fall. "I'm feeling ready and I'm feeling good. I'm pissed about last weekend so I just want to get out there and run it again."

In field events, junior Dan March will try to improve upon his provisionally qualifying weight throw distance, and sophomore Seth LaPierre will try to qualify in the pole vault.

The Jumbos finished fifth out of 44 teams at the 2003 ECACs.