The men's cross country team displayed its talent in a tune-up this past Saturday at the annual UMass Dartmouth Invitational.
In their second race of the season, the Jumbos finished seventh out of 31 teams, behind NESCAC rivals Trinity (first) and Amherst (fourth). Southern Maine, Brandeis, and UMass Lowell were also in the top five.
"We definitely accomplished what we set out to do," said senior tri-captain Dave Sorensen, who finished 16th. "An all-out race effort was not the plan, so we took it easy the first half of the race and then moved up through the field as a core pack of four."
Coach Ethan Barron instituted a conservative strategy for the runners, instructing them to take the first few miles at a slower pace.
"I was very pleased with the execution of our race strategy," Barron said. "They definitely took a big step in the right direction towards where want to be in November."
The Jumbos were boosted by solid performances from every corner of the team. Whether it was freshmen impressing early on in their Tufts careers, or seniors doing what they've been doing for three years, Barron's team was on the mark early in the season.
The Jumbos were led by sophomore Nick Welch, who finished 15th with a time of 25:45, and senior tri-captain Dave Sorensen who clocked in right behind Welch. Sophomore Jesse Faller, who came in second place at last week's Trinity Invitational, placed 20th with a time of 25:48. Freshman Greg Pallotta rounded out the Jumbos' four-man core, finishing 24th.
"I was pleased with my finish in the race," Sorensen said. "It was a [personal record], and I felt relaxed the entire time while running. It was a faster finish than last year, and I can tell that I am in better shape, so it bodes well for the rest of the season."
The Jumbos didn't seem to have a problem with the weather, which was uncharacteristically cold and damp for early September in New England.
"It surprisingly didn't affect us," Sorensen said. "The times were faster than I was expecting them to be, especially considering the race plan. I believe it was a personal best for the top four runners as well as other team members. The ground was firm despite the rain early in the day."
Additionally, Saturday's race was the Jumbos' first on the season at 8,000 meters. Last weekend's Trinity Invitational was 5,000 meters.
While the Jumbos will be continuously looking to the seniors for both leadership and clutch performances, it is impossible to ignore the contributions that this year's freshman class has already made. Led by Pallotta, this year's class looks to have the same type of strong season that Welch, Faller and then-freshman Peter Browne did last year.
"The freshmen are exceeding my expectations," Sorensen said. "Greg Pallotta has already had a large impact on the team, and his first 8k was no exception. We're looking for him, as well as Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot and Jeff Ragazzini, to contribute to the varsity squad."
Tufts will now look ahead to next week, when it will host the annual Jumbo Invitational. Tufts' Grafton Farm Course, located at the Tufts' Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton, will be a change of pace from Saturday's course at UMass Dartmouth.
"The courses are very different," Barron said. "Grafton is one of the most challenging in New England, and that will be a big change in how the team addresses this 8k. They are two totally different races and we will see both types during the championship season."
While the Jumbos have a long way to go before they reach their peak form, the team feels that it is on the right track.
"We feel good right now," Sorensen said. "A couple of members of the team have been injured, so getting them back and in shape will definitely put us where we want to be. But at this point in the season, everything is looking good."
