Nick Rhoads | Men's lacrosse
Senior midfielder Nick Rhoads earned co-NESCAC Player of the Week honors for his efforts during the Jumbos' 3-1 spring break. Rhoads went 44-for-58 on faceoffs in the four-game strech, dominating at the X and allowing Tufts to control possession against some of its best opponents of the year.
In the Jumbos' last three games, Rhoads managed to win an astounding 75.9 percent of his faceoffs, and he now leads the NESCAC with 92 wins, 24 more than his closest opponent. Additionally, he is second in face-off percentage and leads the conference in ground balls with 59, including 25 in the three-game stretch.
Against No. 19 Western New England on Sunday, Rhoads posted his best performance yet, going 20-for-25, including a perfect 8-for-8 in the third quarter, and helping the Jumbos outscore the Golden Eagles 6-1 in the period en route to a 13-9 victory.
Rhoads is the second straight NESCAC Player of the Week for the men's lacrosse team, after sophomore attackman Beau Wood captured the award last week. The Jumbos will be looking for both Rhoads and Wood to sustain their strong performances as they enter the middle stretch of their schedule, which includes a showdown with Trinity on Saturday. Both teams are undefeated in the NESCAC and currently sit in a three-way tie alongside Amherst atop the conference standings.
Kelly Allen | women's track and Field
All-American junior Kelly Allen continued her dominant throwing career for the women's track and field team, opening the outdoor season with three first-place finishes at the Bridgewater State Invitational, all of which came in blowout fashion.
Allen took the hammer throw by the largest margin of the day, beating out second-place Tufts junior Sabien Brutus by over 33 feet with a toss of 168-3. Her victory in the discus, with a throw of 147-11, beat her next-closest competitor, sophomore Robin Armstrong, by nearly 30 feet. In the shot put, her 41-6 1/2 throw was again the best of the meet, though Allen only won that event by approximately three feet.
The performance was just one in a series of outstanding results for Allen, who has been a fixture on the women's track and field team since arriving at the Hill two-and-a-half years ago. She was named NESCAC Performer of the Week for the third time in her career, which goes nicely with her trio of All-American honors.
Allen will look to stay in top form throughout the rest of the spring season. Tufts will next be in action at the Snowflake Classic at home this weekend and the George Davis classic at UMass Lowell on April 7.
