For the first time since 1999, both cross country teams qualified for and competed at Nationals. Tufts was the only team from New England to accomplish the coed feat in 2005, with both teams taking very different paths to Ohio Wesleyan.
The men's cross country team had eyed 2005 as a potential breakout season. It had four returning members of the 2004 team that took sixth at Nationals, including junior Josh Kennedy, an All-American that year, and senior co-captain Matt Lacey, who set the 5,000 and 10,000 meter school records in outdoor track the following spring.
The other two members of that team, sophomore Chris Kantos and senior co-captain Matt Fortin, joined with Lacey and Kennedy and seniors Neil Orfield and Kyle Doran and junior Justin Chung to give Tufts a strong nucleus of upperclassmen. Orfield and Doran both had experience running at the national level as members of the 2003 team that took 11th at Nationals.
But the team was hit with a bombshell in August when coach Connie Putnam, who had taken six of his last seven teams to Nationals, abruptly retired after 21 seasons. Ethan Barron, who had coached as Putnam's assistant for the previous few seasons, took over as interim coach and Rod Hemingway (LA '98), a two-time All-American in cross country at Tufts, agreed to assist.
"Ethan did absolutely the best job he possibly could," Lacey said. "He put in so much time and effort to make sure that everything ran smoothly. I don't see how it could have gone better with anyone else.
"We knew what we had to do and we knew we were going to do it," Orfield said. "There was never any doubt about making Nationals, regardless of whether Connie was there, because we all had put in the work during the summer."
The team went into NESCACs looking for a three-peat. Williams caught the Jumbos off-guard, taking first and third and putting four runners in the top fifteen to score 62 points. While Tufts still held on, scoring 58 points for their third straight title, the team was definitely surprised by the Ephs.
The Jumbos responded to the near-loss at NESCACs by dominating the competition at Regionals, placing five runners in the top 20. The team scored 62 points, with second-place Wesleyan a distant 56 points behind at 118. Six of the seven Jumbos earned All-Region distinction.
"NESCACs really woke us up a little bit, and at Regionals we came through and one through seven were all right towards the front," Orfield said.
"I don't think anyone would have fathomed us being that dominant [at Regionals]," Kantos said.
While the team went on to take fifth at Nationals, the highest team finish by a Tufts cross country team, many of the members were disappointed with the performance. While Kennedy earned All-American status, Lacey was expected to do so but did not, and the team had wanted to take fourth or higher for a podium finish.
"It's still slightly disappointing that we couldn't finish higher, but fifth in the country is never going to change," Lacey said. "It took everything from everyone to get to that point, and I'm definitely really proud of it."
It was a different story for the women. The Jumbos had not gone to Nationals as a team since 1999 and had missed out on a Nationals berth the previous season by only seven points. With six returning members from 2004, Tufts was looking to get over the hump.
"Last year, there was a real chance but we had to have some luck. This year we knew we were going [to Nationals]," coach Kristen Morwick said. "Everyone just kind of looked at it as natural progression. Instead of hoping to go there, it was an expectation that we would go."
Senior tri-captain Becca Ades led a balanced group of juniors Raquel Morgan and Sarah Crispin, sophomores Catherine Beck and Katy O'Brien, and freshmen Evelyn Sharkey and Katie Rizzolo that took fifth at NESCACs.
Two weeks later, Tufts put four runners in the top 30 to take fifth place at Regionals to earn a Nationals berth. Beck (14th), Ades (27th), O'Brien (28th), and Sharkey (29th) each earned All-Region recognition.
"If any person in our top five that day didn't do what they did, we wouldn't have been there," Ades said. "I think that just shows how much of a team effort it was."
The experience at Div. III Nationals, however, was something the Jumbos would like to forget as quickly as possible. The team placed 22nd out of 24 teams, finishing well behind the other New England competition, which all placed in the top 12.
Ades attributed the performance to the team's all-out showing at Regionals, as well as the hilly, muddy course.
"A lot of it was that we were really gunning for Regionals to make it for Nationals," Ades said. "You kind of have to do that if you're not the top team in the region. You have two big races back-to-back."
Morwick had another explanation, citing a rough day for Sharkey, who staggered the final 1,000 meters before crawling across the finish line.
"How can you predict one of your runners passing out?" Morwick said. "It's just bad luck. You just have to move on from it."
Regardless of their showing, the Jumbos' team qualification was a program milestone, and the wealth of young runners holds promise for good things to come.
"Everybody's only getting stronger," Ades said, noting that Beck, Sharkey, and Rizzolo have all had strong track seasons. "The only person they're losing next year is me, and I think they'll be fine."
The season was a big achievement for Ades, who lost much of her training to an IT band injury over the summer. She went on to earn All-NESCAC and All-Region honors in addition to making the trip to Nationals in her senior season.
"[Ades] achieved things that she had had as four-year college goals," Morwick said. "You can't be unhappy with that. She obviously was battling with big things, and she's just continued to build on that stuff in track."
Morwick now hopes to get the team back to Nationals and progress toward performing well on the big stage.
"That will be the next step," Morwick said. "The next time we go [to Nationals], it'll be a lot better."
