The men's track and field team recorded impressive marks across the board during its season opener Saturday at Northeastern's Jay Carisella Invitational.
For the Jumbos, the meet served as an opportunity to shake the rust off their running and jumping legs and throwing arms from the outdoor season and to gauge the training they've put in this fall. While there was no team scoring, Tufts placed 14 athletes in the top eight of their events among a competitive field with athletes spanning all collegiate divisions.
The highest finish for the Jumbos was delivered by the 4x400−meter relay team, whose time of 3:25.06 was good for second place. Junior Vinnie Lee led off the foursome, joined by sophomores Graham Beutler and Daniel Lange−Vagle and freshman Ptah Osanyande.
Junior Gbola Ajayi was one of three third−place finishers Saturday, launching himself 21 feet, 11.75 inches in the long jump. He was accompanied in the top eight by sophomore Andrew Osborne, who took fifth with a jump of 20 feet, 9.75 inches. Ajayi also earned sixth place in the triple jump with a distance of 45 feet, 1 inch.
The throwers also posted some impressive performances, led by junior Curtis Yancy who threw a distance of 54 feet, 2.5 inches, good for third in the weight throw. Freshman Brian Williamson made a strong collegiate debut with a throw of 48 feet, 3.5 inches for fifth in the shot put.
"I wasn't expecting [to do as well]. I was just trying to go in and not freak out too much like I normally do. I was still really nervous, but it went well," Williamson said. "The team support was a lot different than high school. Everyone at the end came over and was cheering for me and that was really fun. I thought that was a really strong team moment."
Freshman Franc Goins, whose time of 50.56 earned fourth in the 400−meter dash, also enjoyed an impressive debut.
Senior co−captain Connor Rose and sophomore Jamie Norton each earned personal bests in the one mile run, a difficult feat to accomplish in December. Rose crossed the line in 4:18.62 for sixth place — his first time under the 4:20 mark — while Norton was the next runner across in 4:18.95.
"The race went really well; Connor and I are both happy with how things went in the mile," Norton said. "We got out fast even though we were in the back of the race at the start, so we knew if we stuck with it we'd be able to run a fast time."
The field in the race was especially impressive this year. In 2010, the race was won in 4:19.05, yet that time would have ranked eighth on Saturday.
"[Earning personal bests this early] definitely bodes well for the rest of the season," Norton added. "A lot of guys who ran on Saturday were running on one or two or three workouts, and so as a team to post a bunch of fast times, we can only go up from here in January and February."
In the pole vault, sophomore Trevor Rothaus also earned a top−eight finish, clearing a height of 13 feet, 5.25 inches for fifth place.
The distance crew was led by juniors Matt Rand and Kyle Marks, who were extending their peaks from the cross country season. Rand finished third in the 5,000−meter race, crossing the line in 14:48.51, seven seconds behind the runner−up and 40 seconds behind the top finisher. Marks' personal best time of 14:56.59 was good for fifth.
While the distance crew is coming off their best cross country season in recent years, the other event groups have been preparing all fall to begin their campaigns.
"[The fall track guys] have put in all the work, so it will be exciting to see what they can do. A lot of those are top Div. III and NESCAC guys," Norton said. "They are starting off in a better place than in recent years based on this meet."
"Everyone has worked really hard this year, and this meet was just a little hint at what we'll be able to do with the work we are putting in," Williamson added. "From here the only place we are going to go is up, and everyone is going to keep improving throughout the season, and it will be a lot of fun to watch."
Williamson, like many freshmen, came from a high school with no indoor track program, so Saturday was a completely new experience.
"[This season is] going to be a lot of fun," Williamson said. "I've never really had an indoor season before, so it's a really different experience for me, because it is a bit different than outdoor track. All your teammates are crammed into a building, so it's a lot easier physically to get around and see everybody compete."
The team now has a month off until their next full squad meet on Jan. 14, when they host the Tufts Invitational I. Some athletes will also return to campus for the Dartmouth Relays on Jan. 6 and 8.
After such a promising season opener, the team is excited to get back to competitive action in January.
"We're disappointed we won't race for another month," Norton said. "We're really excited, and we're coming off the momentum of an amazing cross country season with a ninth−place finish at nationals, so hopefully we can ride that through track and step it up even more."
