After losing just two major players to graduation in departed co-captains Arielle Aaronson and Becca Ades, and transfers Morgan Medders and Laura Walls, the women's cross country team is taking stock of its roster and gearing up for a tough 2006 schedule.
Captained by seniors Sarah Crispin and Jenny Torpey and junior Catherine Beck, this year's team has few worries when it comes to team chemistry, and can devote its time to running as a cohesive unit.
"As a team, we've talked about keeping ourselves healthy, both mentally and physically, so we can be ready for those important meets," sophomore Evelyn Sharkey said. "We all get along well, too, which I think is important. The upperclassmen have really made an effort to get to know the freshmen, and we all support each other, not only in running but also in general."
Coach Kristen Morwick has faith in her returning squad, but sees some differences between this year's team and last year's with opportunities for growth.
"The team is really strong at the top, but not as deep," she said. "The middle pack is going to take a lot of hard work and developing. We should be 10 to 11 deep, but you never know who is going to move up."
Last season, the Jumbos sent a full team to Nationals for the first time since 1999, following fifth-place finishes at both NESCACs and the Div. III New England Regional Championship. The team could not repeat its high level of performance at Nationals, where it placed a disappointing 22nd out of 24 teams, and Morwick believes that Tufts' current pre-season No. 20 ranking is an inaccurate rating of the team's potential.
"Tufts' ranking in the preseason poll is partly based on how we finished at Nationals last year," Morwick said. "But I easily see us bumping up, seeing how we finish [on Saturday]. The preseason ranks mean little because they have no idea about freshmen and transfers."
The team is equally prepared to work towards another Nationals bid this season, but simply getting there won't satisfy the Jumbos.
"We were so excited to qualify for Nationals last year, but we didn't place as highly as we expected," Sharkey said. "This year, we're not only focusing on getting to Nationals, but we're also focused on racing well there."
For now, the team is preparing for its first meet of the season this Saturday at Conn. College. Although runners followed a rigorous individual summer training program, the team only has a week of official practice together heading into Saturday's meet. Unlike most other sports, in which the season opener can potentially set the mood for the rest of the season and teams go all-out, the first race of the cross country season is little more than a test of team's current condition.
"I'm looking at the early meets as warm-up opportunities," Morwick said. "For some runners this will be the first race of their college career, and it's a good look at runners and their fitness levels."
Morwick said she'd be looking to see how the team runs as a whole this weekend against a field that includes the host Camels and national heavyweights like The College of New Jersey, which finished ninth at the 2005 NCAA Div. III Championships. The team won't be running its best times in the first meet of the season, but from what Morwick has seen so far, things look good.
"Since our workout [last] Saturday, I'm really pleased with where people are, and I've seen big jumps in training and the way they are handling work," Morwick said. "I think we're going to have a good team."
