Jumbos head north for ECAC Division III Champs

It has been a busy three weeks for the women's track and field team. Two weekends ago the team scared track and field juggernaut Williams College at the New England Div. III Championships, held at MIT, by finishing just 20.5 points out of first place.

Last weekend's competitive All-New England Championships at Boston University gave the Jumbos the opportunity to qualify nationally in two relays -- automatically in the 4x400 and provisionally in the distance medley relay (DMR) -- while breaking two school records and setting numerous PR's.

So can we expect to see the same at the two-day ECAC Division III Championship meet at Bowdoin that starts today? In comparison to the last two meets, it's not likely, according to coach Kristen Morwick.

"We're not doubling anyone up [in individual events]," Morwick said. "For some people it's just a last chance to get their best performance of season. It's really, really low-key. We're sending one group up Friday morning who'll come back Friday night, and another up Saturday."

With the exception of those competing this weekend and the athletes heading to next weekend's Div. III Nationals at the University of Wisconsin, the majority of the team will be tapering their training and resting this weekend, with their indoor seasons finished. Outdoor track season begins competitively on April 3.

The team's national number one 4x400 team is among those taking the weekend off, with nationals right around the corner. National competitors will depart for Wisconsin on Wednesday.

Nineteen Jumbos will compete at the Bowdoin meet, including nine in individual events and three relay teams. Last year Tufts placed fifth overall in the ECAC's with 39 points, 6.5 points ahead of Williams, but the focus this year will be more on individual marks. The biggest two events of the meet will be Friday night's DMR and the 4x800 on Saturday.

The DMR team of senior quad-captain Lauren Caputo, sophomores Megan Sears and Rebecca Ades, and freshman Sarah Crispin recorded a national provisional time of 12:09.75 last weekend, which currently ranks them ninth nationally and puts them in the field at nationals. However the women are looking to improve on that time to give them a higher ranking and take them off the DMR bubble.

"We're ranked ninth right now, which would make it to nationals, but if another team runs faster we're out," Morwicksaid. "We'll run again and try to run a little faster."

"I think we can, we all raced really well last weekend," Caputo said. "I think it'll be possible to take maybe four seconds off, being realistic about it. If we all run like we did last weekend, and have better handoffs, we could [do it]."

In the final event of the ECAC Championships on Saturday, the 4x800 team of senior quad-captain Katie Higley, junior Katie Sheedy, sophomore Daniela Fairchild and freshman Samantha Moland will shoot for the school record of 9:35.05, held since 1992 by Erin Giles, Tiffany Tobiassen, Cynthia Augat and Diane Hevehan. The 4x800's fastest time this season is a 9:46.69, recorded at the New England Div. III's two weekends ago.

"We were two seconds off the school record last year and we have three of the four people from last year returning [in myself, Sheedy and Fairchild]," Higley said. "That's our goal [the record], it will be tough to do but we're going to go for it."

Higley will also be one of five Jumbos competing in the 500 meters on Saturday, joined by freshmen Kate Makai (1:21.14) and Kelly Abrams (1:24.94), senior Christine Hendrickson (1:22.43) and sophomore Katie Gadkowski (1:23.28).

"Last year I PR'd in the event and ran really well," Higley said. "I have some injury issues now but it's the last race of my indoor career, so I'm going to go out for it and hopefully have a great race. Hopefully all the seniors will have great races."

Sheedy, meanwhile, will also stretch her legs before the 4x800 in the 1000 on Saturday afternoon. She enters the race with at time of 3:09.82. Senior Lauren Dunn (18:44.03) will run the 5000 on Friday night, preceded by the 4x200 relay. The Jumbos will send freshmen Jillian Warner, Jessica Mactus and MacKenzie Rawcliffe, along with sophomore Molly Whittington, north for a chance to get in some sprinting action.

Tufts' lone field representatives will be senior long jumper Shushanna Mignott (17-02.25 feet) and junior Melissa Graveley, who will compete in Friday's pentathlon, which includes the 55 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800 meters.

Despite the low-key nature of the meet, it will be a competitive one, providing Tufts with an opportunity to close an already highly successful indoor season on a high for those athletes not going to nationals.