The men's track and field team enters the Div. III New England Championships this weekend with a vengeance. Last year, they had a disappointing sixth−place finish. But after a solid regular season the Jumbos believe that this year's meet, which will be held tomorrow and Saturday at Springfield College, will be different.
"Everyone is really fueled by the results from last year and how disappointing it was," sophomore Ben Wallis said. "So the main focus is team scoring, improving on the sixth−place finish and trying to secure definitely a top three and try to be up there for the win."
But cracking into the top of the division is never an easy feat, with perennial powerhouses MIT and Williams sitting atop it. Last year, MIT edged out Williams by just two points with a total of 114, though all other teams lagged behind, as the third−place squad had only 84. The Jumbos sat back in sixth with 44.
While the Engineers are still the team to beat, the Jumbos are confident that, with their improvements from last year, they will be able to take advantage in what could be a disappointing year for the Ephs.
"MIT, like usual, is strong across the board. They have someone who has potential to place in every event," Wallis said. "Williams seems to be maybe a little weaker than in years past, but they're always a team that places well so those are the two frontrunners, and then we'd like for our team to be up there as well."
With qualified athletes in every event, the squad has created a lineup built to capitalize on its strengths and score as many points as possible across the board.
"We're looking to go on the offensive this weekend," assistant coach Nick Welch said. "We have a strong lineup this year, but we're facing off against some very good programs. I hope to see us take a few big swings at them."
The action will kickoff on Friday evening with the heptathlon. Junior Mike Blair enters the event having posted the second−best score in New England this season. Friday will mark the first time the heptathlon is held at the Div. III championships. Last winter, when the pentathlon was used instead, Blair took third.
On Saturday, sophomore Graham Beutler will be an athlete to watch. Having posted the top 200−meter dash time and the third−best 400−meter dash time among Div. III New England athletes this season, Beutler will be looking to bring home some top finishes for Tufts in the sprints.
"Graham has had a very strong indoor season," Welch said. "He's got a competitive drive that few of his opponents have, and probably even fewer see. I know he's hungry to compete this weekend."
The sprinting squad has taken several steps forward this season. With many Jumbos entering the weekend in good position, short distance runners could make a huge impact for Tufts, which received no points from events shorter than the 1,000−meter run in 2011.
The Jumbos will also look to continue their success in the pole vault on Saturday. Junior Brad Nakanishi, the 2011 runner−up, ranks third in the division with his clearance of 15−5 3/4 feet.
Junior Gbola Ajayi will also look for high marks in the horizontal jumps, entering both the long jump and the triple jump ranked in the top eight.
The throwing squad has proven to be a dominant force throughout this season, led by freshman Brian Williamson in the shot put and sophomore Curtis Yancy in the weight throw. The pair enters the meet having thrown top−eight marks in the region, and is a huge addition for a Jumbos squad that had no scorers in the throws at the Div. III championships last indoor season.
On the distance side, Tufts enters the weekend with several top seeds. Junior Matt Rand will lead a strong 5,000−meter contingent, having posted the second−fastest mark in the region earlier this season.
"We have a really good 5K squad. [Rand] and junior Kyle Marks are two of the top seeds," Wallis said. "Both [junior] Tyler Andrews and [sophomore] Jake McCauley have a good shot of being up there as well … so the 5K will definitely be a loaded distance event for us."
The Jumbos will also look for top marks in the 1,000−meter run and the mile, while Wallis — who posted the fifth−fastest time in the 3,000−meter run this season — will lead a solid distance squad in that event.
While the Jumbos captured no victories in 2011, the team has the potential to fight for many top spots this weekend. Now the runners and throwers just have to go out and perform.
"The 1,000 [and higher], the 400, horizontal jumps, shot, and the relays — in all of those events, we can battle for the win," Welch said.
