After leaving the NCAA Div. III Championships last year with a disappointing 22nd-place finish, the women's cross country team surely wanted another shot.
And tomorrow, it will get it, as six of the seven runners from 2005 make a return trip to this year's championships, held at Wilmington College in West Chester, Ohio. And with the experience from last season's meet and a season of regional dominance and continual improvement, this year's team has all the tools to make a big impact in the race.
The Jumbos struggled at the 2005 Nationals, finishing 22nd out of 24. It was the first national exposure for all seven runners that year, and that inexperience showed on the sports' biggest stage.
"I think the big difference [from last year's race] is we have three really great front runners," coach Kristen Morwick said. "Going for the first race is an overwhelming experience, and we didn't run as well as we wanted to last year."
Things should be different this year, however. Junior tri-captain Cat Beck, sophomore Evelyn Sharkey and junior Katy O'Brien will lead the team on Sunday as they have all season. Along with senior tri-captain Sarah Crispin, classmate Raquel Morgan and sophomore Katie Rizzolo, all six will be making their second visit to Nationals. Senior tri-captain Jenny Torpey will make her first NCAA appearance, along with the team's two alternates, sophomore Susan Allegretti and senior Samantha Moland.
"I think the real lessons we learned from last year's race have already been taken into account and so we can go out to Ohio this year baggage-free," Beck said. "I think our whole team is very well prepared to have a fantastic race this year."
Morwick is equally confident in her team's ability this year in handling the pressure of Nationals.
"It's an overwhelming experience," she said. "I think this year, we are physically stronger and more mentally prepared."
The event can be an overwhelming experience, and Sharkey's memory of last year's race-in which she blacked out in her first-ever 6K race, eventually crawling across the finish line - exhibits just how intimidating the national stage can be for a first-time runner.
"The Nationals race last year did not go well at all for me, and our team didn't do as well as we wanted to, either," Sharkey said. "I honestly don't really know what happened, but I think all of the excitement of the fans and other racers distracted me from running the race."
This year, however, last year's breakout freshman goes in with a veteran's outlook.
"This year, I'm going to try to see Nationals as another opportunity to run - not anything more or less," Sharkey said. "Last year, our team didn't know what to expect when we went to Nationals, but because we're returning six runners, we'll be better prepared."
With a slightly easier week of practice and a day off on Monday for runners to recover from Saturday's regional qualifier, the team got a chance to get over soreness and the lingering effects of a rash caught at the NESCAC Championships in October.
Now the Jumbos will prepare to face a stacked 32-team field that includes defending champion SUNY Geneseo and NESCAC rivals Amherst, Middlebury and Williams. The competition is stiff, but the door is open for an upset this weekend.
"Geneseo is the defending national champion, but Amherst or Middlebury could knock them off, and the top 10 could go any way," Morwick said. "It would be nice if the New England schools could do really well."
Although Tufts dropped to eighth in the national poll and fourth in the region after last Saturday's fourth-place finish at the New England Div. III Regional Championships, the chance for a high finish in Ohio is not out of the question. The Jumbos are the underdogs, and it's a role they are happy to play.
"I don't think anyone expects our team to do exceptionally well, so the race will be a very good opportunity for our team to surprise a lot of people," Sharkey said. "I think the outcome of the race will depend a lot on which teams are having a good day. As a team, we've been tapering and trying to stay healthy, so I think we're all capable of running well together on Saturday."
A rested, ready and veteran team, coupled with the flat and fast course at Wilmington, could spell a high finish for the Jumbos tomorrow. As coach Morwick said, anything can happen at Nationals, and the team will look to make the most of its opportunity.
"The best thing we can do now is to relax and enjoy the Nationals experience because we have all worked so hard to get where we are right now," Beck said.
