Cat Beck, women's cross country A stellar season for junior tri-captain Cat Beck has included several first place finishes and an ECAC Player of the Week award. On Saturday, Beck continued her hot streak by leading her team to a fourth place finish at the NCAA Div. III qualifiers. Beck finished the race third place overall.
The fourth place finish helper Tufts earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, held next Saturday in Ohio. Beck will lead her Jumbos against fellow NESCAC rivals Middlebury, Amherst and Williams at the meet. Beck led the team last season at Nationals with a 101st place finish. She and the team will look to improve upon last season's 22nd finish at that event.
Beck's 2006 season has been marked by incredible highs. In her first meet of the season she captured a first place finish at Connecticut College, which was also the first victory of her career. Her time of 18:06 broke the course's previous record of 18:23. Beck also set a course record at this year's Jumbo Invitational. Her early success earned her ECAC Player of the Week Honors in September. In November, Beck, along with teammates junior Katy O'Brien and sophomore Evelyn Sharkey, was named to the 2006 All-NESCAC team.
Bryan McDavitt, football
While the Jumbos ended their football season with a 10-0 loss to Middlebury on Saturday, senior safety and punter Bryan McDavitt was a bright spot, with a 70-yard punt that almost saved the day for the offensively struggling Jumbos.
Both teams exchanged punts for the first five possesions, as offensive breakthroughs were few and far between. On their sixth possession, the Tufts offense got the ball on its own 14 yard line, and after two rushes from senior Brendan Georges that went nowhere and an incomplete pass from senior quarterback Matt Russo, the Jumbos called on the foot of McDavitt, who delivered in a big way. His 70-yard punt pinned Middlebury on its own 18 and stalled a Middlebury score.
Unfortunately for the Jumbos, Middlebury quarterback Tiger Lyon connected with tight end Evan Beilin on the second play of the drive. Beilin broke a pair of tackles for a 77-yard touchdown reception, putting the Panthers on top 7-0.
McDavitt's last impressive punting performance came on Nov. 13th 2004, also against Middlebury, where he punted 14 times, a NESCAC record.
