This year was not as friendly to Tufts athletics as 2005-06, as the Jumbos were forced to live without Director's Cup races, soccer Final Fours and 23-win basketball seasons. But make no mistake about it: there was no shortage of memorable moments this time around. From walk-offs to buzzer-beaters, milestone wins to title games, the Tufts faithful have had plenty to cheer about over the last nine months.
10. Cora Thompson wins 100th game as volleyball coach. After four seasons at Tufts, Thompson entered 2006 with a career record of 97-37 on the Jumbo sideline. Her fifth season got off to a rocky start, as the Jumbos went 2-2 in the season-opening Buttermaker Tournament in Muhlenberg, Pa. But when the Jumbos came back to New England, they were ready. Win No. 100 came on Sept. 12 at Endicott, and it propelled the Jumbos on a stretch that saw them win 21 of their next 25.
9. Carol Rappoli wins 250th game as women's lacrosse coach. While 2007 wasn't the Jumbos' best season - they fell to Middlebury in their season finale to drop to 7-7 - it was a milestone year for Coach Rappoli. Her 250th victory puts her in elite company, as only seven other coaches in NCAA history, across all three divisions, have reached the mark.
8. Men's basketball prevails in triple overtime - twice. What are the odds? After beating MIT 88-81 on Dec. 2, the Jumbos headed home to Cousens Gym four days later to play Keene State. The game was a complete slugfest, featuring 75 personal fouls, two technicals and eight starters fouling out. Tufts relinquished an 11-point lead in regulation but came roaring back - sophomore Jon Pierce hit a clutch buzzer-beating three to force a second overtime, and Tufts sank 16 consecutive free throws in the third overtime.
7. Football sneaks past Colby on Senior Day. The football team endured a rocky October, losing three-straight NESCAC games by a combined score of 79-20. But in their final home game on Nov. 4, the Jumbos turned in one of the best defensive performances in team history, holding visiting Colby to 160 total yards of offense and not once allowing the Mules into the red zone. While the game stayed scoreless for the first 57 minutes, senior quarterback Matt Russo broke the tie with 3:13 left, finding junior tight end Kevin Gleason in the end zone for the game's only touchdown.
6. Valerie Krah beats Wesleyan with record-tying three. The women's basketball team's senior guard entered Tufts' Jan. 27 game against Wesleyan with 124 career three-pointers, two short of the Tufts program record held by graduate Carrie Hironaka (LA '99). Her second trey of the game came when it mattered most. With nine seconds left and the Jumbos down one, she drained her record-tying shot from the left corner, propelling Tufts to a 60-58 victory. Krah sank No. 127, against Middlebury the following weekend, taking first place outright on the Tufts list.
5. Kendall Swett dominates NESCAC diving championships. Junior transfer Kendall Swett immediately made her presence known on campus. She shattered Tufts diving records across the board in the winter season, and in her first taste of NESCAC postseason diving, Swett was equally impressive, setting a new NESCAC Championship record in the 1-meter dive at Williams Feb. 16-18. Not yet content, Swett won the 3-meter event as well.
4. Jen Luten becomes the Tufts career singles winner. With a win over Amherst junior Alicia Menezes on April 11, senior tri-captain Luten became the winningest singles player in Tufts women's tennis history. Her 6-4, 6-2 victory was the 59th of her career for the Jumbos, breaking the record once held by 2002 graduate Iffy Saeed.
3. O'Brien and Beck take NESCACs by storm. While the women's cross country team fell just short of a NESCAC title, losing the championship meet by five points to rival Amherst, juniors Katy O'Brien and Cat Beck dominated for the Jumbos. Turning in times of 22:49 and 23:07, respectively, the two finished No. 1 and No. 2 on the 6-kilometer course, giving O'Brien her first career first-place finish.
2. Men's lacrosse beats Middlebury. After 29-consecutive losses to the NESCAC powerhouse Panthers, the Jumbos finally got their revenge on April 28. With the league's regular-season title on the line, sophomore midfielder Chase Bibby made history for Tufts, finding the back of the net in overtime to break a 6-6 tie and beat Middlebury for the first time since 1967. The win gave Tufts its first-ever NESCAC title, but the Panthers avenged the loss in the conference tournament, first beating Tufts and then topping Wesleyan for its seventh tournament championship.
1. Softball wins NESCAC. Coming into the 2007 season, there was nothing the Jumbos wanted more than to end the Williams Ephs' three-year run of NESCAC softball championships. The two teams traded blows in the regular season, with Tufts winning 14-0 over spring break and Williams sweeping a doubleheader two weeks later. But when NESCACs rolled around, the Jumbos were ready, blowing out Wesleyan 11-2, avenging Williams 5-3, and finally on May 6, shutting out Trinity with a 5-0 win to seal the NESCAC title.
-by Evans Clinchy
