"One of the top four Div. III teams in America."
When the dust settles late Saturday morning on the 2004 Div. III Cross Country Champ-ionship meet and the Jumbos' season, Tufts hopes it can use that phrase to describe itself.
The men's cross country team qualified for a return to Nationals, held at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, by virtue of victory in last weekend's New England Champion-ship at Southern Maine.
"This is what we've been waiting for and talking about all season," junior Matt Lacey said. "I'm really confident we can do it, finish top four."
Last season, on a day when no Jumbo ran his best race, Tufts finished a somewhat disappointing 11th out of 24 teams. It was an improvement over 2001, when the Jumbos tanked at Nationals, finishing 23rd out of 24 teams. Still, the Jumbos are aiming higher this year. Senior co-captain Nate Brigham said at the beginning of the season that the squad wanted to finish top four this year, and fellow senior co-captain Brian McNamara agreed.
"[Top four] seems trivial, but the top four get to go up on stage in front of everyone and get huge NCAA plaques," McNamara said. "That's what we're aiming for."
Tufts has never finished higher than seventh in Nationals, but both Connie Putnam and the entire squad feel like this year really could be different.
"You only get this shot once every 365 days, and that's if you're a good program," Putnam said. "With some minor exceptions, this is probably the most talented group I've ever taken out, and the group with the best chance to do something special."
It's certainly the most experienced group Tufts has ever sent to Nationals. Brigham and McNamara have both run twice in cross-country Nationals before, with Brigham finishing 11th in the country sans teammates two years ago to earn All-American status. Tufts expects big races from both, particularly Brigham.
Fifth-year senior Peter Bromka, junior Matt Fortin, and sophomore Josh Kennedy all ran at Nationals last year, with Kennedy finishing a team-high 54th overall. Only Lacey and freshman Chris Kantos have never run in a national meet before.
"The freshman was born to run," Putnam said. "He just loves to race. You can see it in his eyes. He's from St. Paul, so it's in his backyard and he'll have some supporters there."
"And the way Lacey has been running, it might not matter [that he's never raced at Nationals before]," McNamara said.
"It was disappointing not to be able to run last year, so I really need to take advantage of the opportunity. We missed out my freshman year and I've been waiting ever since," said Lacey, who has been a frontrunner for the Jumbos all season and whose personal goal is to finish top 35, which earns All-American status. "I think I can sit just outside that for the first few miles and move up. But equally as important, Kennedy needs to be with me, as well as Nate, unless he's ahead. Kennedy's not going to let me get away, he promised me that."
Indeed, in a large, densely packed race, staying tight and minimizing their delta is of the utmost importance for the Jumbos.
"The difference from eighth place to 23rd is so slight that a juxtaposition of two or three spots can make a big difference," Putnam said.
And it's hard to say exactly who will finish where. Tufts is ranked fifth, behind Calvin College, Wisconsin-La Crosse, North Central College, and Haverford, but McNamara admitted that the rankings are fickle.
"Who's to say we're not going to beat Haverford?" Putnam said. "Who's to say someone won't beat us? How can you know if they're better than us if we haven't raced them?"
Still, Tufts' high ranking will mean that many teams will be looking at them as a bona fide contender.
"I think it's true that for the first time that when we go, 20 teams are going to be looking at us and saying, 'That's a good team, there's Tufts, look out,'" Putnam said. "And that's great because I've worked 21 years for that kind of atmosphere and we should be proud."
And with Brigham, Bromka, and McNamara running in their final cross country meet, the Jumbos don't want to let this opportunity get away.
"In past years maybe we were a little overwhelmed by the plane ride or the atmosphere of the race," Brigham said. "This year I feel like we've done it enough to know exactly what to expect. We've been talking everyday about how we're going to run. We're confident, hopeful, and excited."
"I think we're less excited about traveling and totally excited about what we're going out there to do," Putnam said. "They feel like they have one step left on the agenda. They've had this day marked down for 12 months."
