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Women's Swimming and Diving | Record-breaking performances highlight historic finish at NESCACs
February 23At a meet historically dominated by Amherst and Williams' purple, all it took was a few record-breaking performances from the women's swimming and diving team to put a little baby blue on the winner's podium. Williams, which has won all nine official NESCAC Championships, continued its stranglehold on the meet, finishing in first with an astounding 1,827.5 points, just under 400 points ahead of second-place Amherst. Yet arguably the most impressive performance of the meet was the emergence of Tufts, which nestled comfortably into third place after its best dual meet season in over 10 years. "The meet was simply amazing," senior tri-captain Katie Swett said. "We swam out of our minds, and it took an entire team effort over the course of the whole weekend. We had coaches coming up to us throughout the meet to congratulate us and tell us how we stepped up. You could just tell that we were physically and mentally there." "The weekend flew by so fast," sophomore Megan Kono added. "It's simply surreal. Everyone was so elated on the bus ride home, a time when everyone is usually tired and silent, but this time everyone was cheering the whole time. To see so much of your work pay off in that way, it's completely energizing, and to be able to celebrate an amazing season like that made everyone go nuts." The three-day meet, held at Bowdoin College, certainly tested the capacity the Jumbos had to grind it out through six swim sessions. Going into the meet, Tufts had its sights set on finishing third, feeling as though surpassing Middlebury and Conn. College was a more realistic goal than catching Amherst or Williams. Kono led the stampede in the waters in Sunday's finals, blowing away the competition in the 1,650-yard freestyle en route to a NESCAC meet record time of 17:11.91. Coming into the meet seeded at 17:59.91, she finished just under 17 seconds ahead of Williams senior Mary Wilson Molen. In the process, Kono shattered her own Tufts record by 20 seconds and qualified for the NCAA Nationals A-cut. In addition, she set the Jumbo record in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing in 5:01.60, good for fifth place at the conference meet. "I was shocked," Kono said. "The mile is a mental race, and if you get in thinking about what time you need to get, you're killing yourself. It's been giving me so much trouble this year because I haven't been able to shut my mind off, but I just put my blinders on and did what I had to do." "Sunday, Megan was just mentally ready," Swett added. "You could just tell that she had the right frame of mind and was ready to race. She's very tough on herself and even she was beyond words after the race. I think even half our team was crying." Swett turned in a career performance of her own, putting up NCAA B-cuts in the 200- and 400-yard individual medley and the 200-yard breaststroke. In the 400-yard IM, she was just two seconds off the Tufts record and set the all-time Jumbo mark in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:25.45, something she defined as the perfect end to her career on the Hill. "I couldn't imagine a better end," Swett said. "It's just a great feeling to look up at the clock at the end of a race and be happy. But, at the same time, it was a real team effort. It's hard because swimming is seen as an individual sport, but it's amazing to see how much the team can propel one's results forward." A large part of the Jumbos' success this season has come due to the emergence of several prominent freshmen, all of whom played a drastically important role in Tufts' rise through the NESCAC ranks. First-year Courtney Adams, for one, was part of four record-breaking swims, setting the new Tufts record individually in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.18) as well as taking part in the 400-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 800-yard freestyle relay. The 400 medley, comprised of Adams, Swett, junior Meredith Cronin and freshman Valerie Eacret, set the new Tufts mark in 3:58.26, while the 200 freestyle relay team of Adams, freshmen Paulina Ziolek and Annie Doisneau and sophomore Maureen O'Neill and the 800 relay team of Doisneau, Adams, Eacret and Kono cemented themselves in the Jumbos record books as well. Eacret, one of the roster's many expert sprinters, set the new Tufts record in both the 50- and 100-yard butterfly events, turning in times of 25.83 and 57.51, respectively, to round out her rookie campaign on a high note. "We have a huge leadership that comes with the senior class that we haven't seen before, but it also comes from the underclassmen that stepped it up and swam their hearts out," Kono said. "We swam like one body. It wasn't a bunch of individuals in the pool; it's like everyone got into the pool at every race." Rounding out the top performances for the Jumbos was freshman Katie Russell, who turned in a record-setting performance of her own, finishing the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:30.21 to take third place, dropping 27 seconds off her seed time to win the event. Now, with the majority of the Jumbo roster done competing for the year, Kono and junior diver Lindsay Gardel, who finished second in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events, turn their attention to the NCAA Championships, to be held the weekend of March 18 in Minneapolis, Minn. "NESCACs was beyond what I hoped for, but I would like to hold my place or get somewhere around where I'm seeded," Kono added. "The air at Nationals is electric. This year, I've been thinking all year that I want to make it back to Nationals, and having known my goal the whole year really helps. I don't know what will happen, but I know that I'm a lot more prepared mentally." While Swett, who has qualified for the Nationals B-cut, says that while she only has a chance to surpass the qualifier in the 400 IM, this weekend's team achievements more than make up for it. "I wouldn't be upset at all if I didn't make Nationals because this is such a lasting memory," Swett said. "I couldn't be upset with anything because it's out of my hands right now. Last year, my time would have gotten me into Nationals by four seconds, but this year I'm right on the cusp. It's sort of a waiting game right now."
Sports
Men's Basketball | NESCACs hold no surprises as top three teams advance
February 23For the most part, the opening weekend of the NESCAC Men's Basketball Tournament went according to script. The top three seeds — Middlebury, Amherst and Williams — all defended their respective home courts, and fifth-seeded Bowdoin produced the weekend's only upset, winning at Colby. Following the Panthers' victory, the semifinals and finals will be played at Middlebury this coming weekend, with Middlebury taking on Bowdoin and Amherst facing Williams. The top-seeded Middlebury Panthers defeated the Conn. College Camels 78-62 on Saturday afternoon in front of the 1,031 fans that packed Pepin Gym. With the raucous crowd behind it, Middlebury went on an early 17-2 run and took a 21-7 lead with 14:15 left in the half. The Camels had no answer for senior co-captain and guard Ben Rudin, who scored eight straight points during the run and finished the day with 29. "I'm quite impressed with the level to which [Rudin] has taken his game," Middlebury coach Jeff Brown said. "On the offensive end, he has certainly carried our team." The lead was extended all the way to 27 in the second half before Conn. College began chipping away at the home team's advantage. A three-pointer by Camels senior tri-captain Ulises Veras cut the deficit to just 11 with 2:39 to play, but that was as close as they would get. In Amherst, Mass., the second-seeded Lord Jeffs took down the seventh-seeded Trinity Bantams, who won the NESCAC tournament last year, 80-66, behind an impressive 10-for-17 three-point shooting display and 58 percent shooting from the field. Amherst held a three-point lead at halftime, but early in the second frame, Amherst All-American forward and senior co-captain Brian Baskauskas found his stroke and made three consecutive three-pointers, the last one to give his team a 50-38 lead. The Lord Jeffs' advantage dipped to five points with 11:08 left, but they quickly rebounded and remained around double digits for the rest of the game as Amherst made its free throws and kept the Bantams from making a serious run. "We came out looking to shoot the three," Amherst coach Dave Hixon said. "As a team, we need to shoot 10 to 20 threes a game because that's a strength that we have." In a rematch of a physical regular season game, third-seeded Williams advanced past sixth-seeded Bates, 87-78. The game was close throughout, but the Ephs seemed to have an answer for every Bates run. With 1:56 to play, a three-pointer by Bobcats senior tri-captain Ben Thayer cut Williams' lead to three, 76-73, but the Ephs responded with a layup by junior Blake Schultz and two free-throws by sophomore Troy Whittington to push the lead back up to seven points, 80-73, and the game was effectively over. According to Hixon, the difference-maker for Williams was backup freshman point guard James Wang, who finished the game with 12 points. "He's a terrific young point guard, an energy kid who can get to the glass," he said. "He's very quick [and] very tenacious." In the No. 4 versus No. 5 matchup, the Bowdoin Polar Bears upset the Colby Mules in Waterville, Maine, 66-54. While the Mules got off to a quick start in front of their energetic crowd, a three-pointer from freshman Ryan O'Connell with 7:18 left in the first half gave the Polar Bears a 20-18 lead, one which they would never relinquish. After holding a 32-25 halftime advantage, Bowdoin started the second half with a 16-4 run, taking the air out of Wadsworth Gymnasium. Colby would never get closer than 11 points from that point forward. Junior Mark Phillips led the visitors with 15 points, and sophomore Will Hanley came off the bench to score 13. "Bowdoin is very fundamentally sound," Brown said. "They're physical and aggressive. They defend very well, and they execute well offensively. I view [the upcoming Middlebury-Bowdoin game] as a tough matchup." With the quarterfinals in the books, the matchups are set for this weekend at Middlebury, marking the first time the championship will not be played at Amherst since the 2003-04 season. Still, Hixon isn't worried about the change of scenery. "We're pretty good playing on the road, and it doesn't bother me at all to be away from home" he said. "I'm just excited to be in it." Middlebury beat Bowdoin earlier in the year, 62-50, while Amherst and Williams split the season series. The winners of each game will meet on Sunday with the NESCAC title on the line as well as an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. "We're going to have a terrific environment for the games," Brown said. "We're excited and we're looking forward to the challenge of competing for a NESCAC Championship."
Sports
Women's Squash | Saddled by several injuries and absences, Jumbos finish strong
February 23While the women's squash team's season ended in disappointment — a 7-2 defeat at the hands of Amherst in the final of the C Division at Nationals — the Jumbos enjoyed enough highs that one would be hard-pressed to declare the year a failure. After an injury-riddled start, the team rebounded midway through the season, salvaging its year with a strong performance to finish with a 6-14 overall record. "Our goals at the start of the season were to win the C Division at Nationals or make the B Division," senior tri-captain Jessica Herrmann said. "Although we didn't accomplish either of those goals, we fought hard the entire way through, and I'm proud of our team for doing that." The Jumbos began the season undermanned due to injuries and players studying abroad, forcing them to compete with just six players on multiple occasions. "It was hard keeping morale up at the beginning when we had six girls," said Herrmann, who missed several matches with a broken rib. "It was unlucky and difficult." "We were nervous about the season," assistant coach Kelsey Engman added. "We had a tough start with injuries, having players abroad and losing two seniors who were great from last year. We lost our No. 1, so everyone was basically playing up a spot. And we had to play some of the top teams in the country. But if we stayed focused, we knew we could do well, and we came back during the second semester and were much better." Herrmann identifies the improvement in the team's mental game over the course of the season as one of her main sources of pride. "Mentally, we improved the most," she said. "At the beginning of the season, and really over the course of my four years, we would sometimes get wrapped up or intimidated by who we were playing before we even stepped onto the court. But at Nationals we played tough matches against opponents who we didn't know, and we really fought hard and became fighters. It was a nice high point." The turning point in the season came during late January when the team got its first victory of the season, a 7-2 result against Conn. College. "I remember telling the girls before the match against Conn. College that we would win," Engman said. "They were kind of surprised because we had played some tough matches. But it gave us some confidence and we were then able to pull it together." At Nationals, the team scored two quality victories: a 5-4 victory against Franklin & Marshall in the first round and a convincing 6-3 win against Vassar in the semifinals. Although the team came up short against Amherst, the chance to make a run through the tournament provided a thrill that may have been missing had the team qualified for the more competitive B Division. "In some ways, Nationals were more exciting this year because we had the experience of winning and going through the first couple of rounds," Herrmann said. "We got to stand on the court at the end and receive trophies as opposed to playing a [consolation] match in the back corner that nobody really cares about." While next year's team will miss its four graduating seniors — Caroline Choi and tri-captains Herrmann, Victoria Barba and Simone Grant — the team retains several talented young players, including first-years Mercedes Barba and Alix Michael. "It's always tough to overcome seniors graduating, especially when it's your No. 1 player like Victoria Barba," Herrmann said. "But they will still have some strong players with a lot of potential and, if they keep working at it, then they'll do well." "[Next year] will probably be a similar year to this year," Engman added. "We're losing our No. 1 again and four seniors as opposed to two last year. We're hoping we might get a couple of new players. But if everyone keeps getting better, then love for the sport can carry us through."
Sports
Inside the NBA | Greatness in a small package: Nate Robinson's surge to stardom
February 23This past All-Star weekend saw a lot of action, beginning with Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant's dazzling 46-point performance in the Rookie-Sophomore game and finishing with a Hollywood-style ending of Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and the hometown favorite Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns sharing the MVP trophy on Sunday night after the game. But the most electrifying performance of the weekend, the one that had everyone talking on Monday morning, was that of New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson in the Slam Dunk contest on Saturday night. After soaring over Orlando Magic big man Dwight Howard — aka Superman — in his green Knicks uniform and neon-green shoes that could blind an unsuspecting viewer, Robinson — aka Krypto-Nate — captured the hearts of NBA fans around the country. A former first-round pick in 2005, Robinson was known as Brandon Roy's sidekick during their college days at the University of Washington but was never asked to be a premier scorer. His team earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the 5'9" Robinson received some press for his outstanding play for a player his height. Until this year, Robinson was just a bundle of energy off the bench for the Knicks. But under run-and-gun coach Mike D'Antoni, Robinson has been having a coming-out party. Currently averaging 16.6 points and 4.0 assists per game, he is playing a key role in helping the Knicks climb back into NBA respectability. In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, as the Knicks were looking to dump their useless, overpaid players like Jared Jeffries and Jerome James, teams were incessantly asking for a package deal with Robinson and/or David Lee. Most teams around the league, including the Knicks, see Robinson as an energetic, crowd-arousing player that can come off the bench and ignite a team, an essential ingredient in building a championship-caliber franchise. The Knicks, who will undoubtedly be huge players in the summer of 2010, want Robinson to be a central part of the Knicks teams of the future. One of the most remarkable things about Robinson's emergence is that his natural position in the NBA is not that of point guard. Although he played point guard in college at Washington, Robinson seems to have a knack for the two-guard position in the NBA. Robinson is the first pure shooting guard in the league under 6'0" since Allen Iverson and is continuing to prove that his height is not a crutch. In the month of February, Robinson has averaged 21.7 points and 5.4 assists per game. In a Feb. 11 matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, Robinson almost netted a triple-double as he scored 33 points, dished out 15 assists, and grabbed nine rebounds. For a short guard, Robinson's explosiveness and body control are his greatest assets. He has the ability to split double teams and elevate on his jumpshot, allowing him to play three or four inches taller than he actually is. D'Antoni has embraced Robinson's fun-loving attitude, and he has written up plays for Robinson to get open along the baseline to catch alley-oops from the top of the key. There is no question that Robinson's athleticism is his most remarkable asset. As a freshman at Washington, along with being the starting point guard, Robinson was also a starting cornerback for the school's football team. In 13 games, Robinson snatched two interceptions and had 34 tackles as the Huskies finished 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Pacific-10 Conference. From football to basketball, Robinson's athletic instincts are strong and quick; he can see holes in the defense as they open and has the ability to slice through them before they close. With his second Slam Dunk crown in four years, Robinson has become one of the most recognizable faces in the NBA. His affable personality and lightheartedness has made him a fan favorite, not only in New York, but around the league. He has become an extraordinary talent to watch and an energetic player who genuinely enjoys the game of basketball, a trait that is so special in today's NBA.
Sports
Inside MLB | Introducing the five best bargains of the 2008-09 offseason
February 23With the offseason winding down and spring training games finally kicking into gear, it's time to take a look back at a winter unlike any baseball has seen before. Major League Baseball has mostly been spared by the economic crisis that hit industries worldwide, but it has forced teams to adapt their business practices. Some owners — such as the New York Mets' Fred Wilpon and the San Diego Padres' John Moores — have been seriously affected and forced to tighten the payroll constraints on their general managers. Others have simply changed their philosophy on dishing out long-term contracts, in part due to the poor recent history of such deals, but chiefly because of the potential for an even harsher economic downturn in the future. As teams shrank their budgets, the players who opted to test the free agent waters this winter found themselves drowning. Those who declined arbitration or waited for lucrative proposals to come their way — such as Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek — have not been pleased, and, in times like these, even the phenomenal negotiating power of Scott Boras couldn't save them. Not surprisingly, the teams that have been able to dodge the economic bullet were greatly favored this offseason and found plenty of quality players available at bargain prices. The five best value signings of the winter are detailed below: San Francisco Giants sign Jeremy Affeldt. Jeremy Affeldt was the first free agent to sign this winter when he agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Giants way back on Nov. 17. The 29-year-old lefty was the best of a decent crop of southpaw relievers available, and while his decision to sign early gave him financial security, Brian Sabean nabbed him at a rather low price. Affeldt will be well worth his $4 million annual salary to the Giants, whose bullpen was saddled with 28 losses and a bloated 4.45 ERA last season. A converted starter who posted solid numbers as a reliever the past two years, Affeldt was a key late-inning cog for the Colorado Rockies in 2007 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2008. His ability to get both lefties and righties out makes him more valuable than LOOGYs (Lefty One-Out Guys) like Joe Beimel and Dennys Reyes, who are still looking for jobs. With the mercurial Jack Taschner and the inexperienced Alex Hinshaw as their only southpaw relievers for much of last season, the Giants will be glad to have Affeldt in 2009. Oakland A's sign Jason Giambi. The A's first added Matt Holliday to their lineup via an early offseason trade with the Rockies before further fortifying a previously dormant offense by bringing back Jason Giambi on a one-year, $5.25-million hitch with an option for 2010. The 38-year-old posted a .875 OPS and mashed 32 homers for the New York Yankees last season, making him an ideal addition to an A's lineup that ranked near the bottom of the league in both of those categories in 2008. It's worth noting that Giambi does come with a cost — namely, his lack of range and flexibility on defense. The presence of the defensively challenged Jack Cust and the fragile Eric Chavez in Oakland makes it unlikely that Giambi will have many opportunities to DH. But Billy Beane's willingness to take a chance on his glove in order to benefit from his bat figures is a worthwhile gamble for the much-improved A's. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim sign Bobby Abreu. Forced to counter Oakland's offseason additions to remain the favorite in the AL West division, the Angels' offense could not simply absorb the loss of Mark Teixeira and Garret Anderson. With young Kendry Morales expected to take over at first, GM Tony Reagins chose instead to focus on the free-agent class of power-hitting outfielders. Owner Arte Moreno determined that Manny Ramirez was out of his price range and was at first hesitant to go after Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu as well, but a one-year, $5 million commitment to a guy with a .903 career OPS barely put a dent in his wallet. At 35 years of age, Abreu is certainly on the down slope of his career, but he posted a robust .327/.408/.522 line with 10 homers after the All-Star Break last season. Even with diminishing defensive skills, he should be worth far more than what the Halos will pay him this season. Los Angeles Dodgers sign Orlando Hudson. The most recent of the five signings detailed here, Orlando Hudson's free agent stock was marred by a wrist injury that shelved him for a big chunk of the 2008 season and by his Type-A status, which meant that the team that signed him would lose its first-round pick to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Still, considering his elite defense and .305/.367/.450 line for Arizona last year, the O-Dog's performance should outweigh his one-year, $3.4 million deal with the Dodgers, which also includes $4.6 million in incentives. By adding Hudson, the Dodgers gain a reliable table-setter for their lineup — which may or may not include Manny Ramirez — and a three-time Gold Glover to solidify their infield defense. Hudson is also known for being one of the best clubhouse guys in baseball. All that for a maximum cost of $8 million is a nifty deal for GM Ned Colletti, whose history with free agents is riddled with costly mistakes. Tampa Bay Rays sign Pat Burrell. After the Philadelphia Phillies curiously chose to bring in Raul Ibanez rather than keep Pat Burrell, the 32-year-old found a home with the Tampa Bay Rays, signing for $16 million over two years on Jan. 5. Even with some defensive concerns, his 33 homers and .874 OPS from last season would have easily yielded more than that in a different economy. GM Andrew Friedman needed to add a potent right-handed bat to the heart of his lineup, and Burrell fits that description perfectly. His power is not a product of the dimensions of Citizens Bank Park — evidenced by the fact that he hit 21 of his 33 homers on the road last season — and Burrell's .250 average was mainly the result of a summertime slump, so an uptick in that category is also possible. Two years ago, in a market that favored the players, Barry Zito came away with $126 million and Alfonso Soriano nabbed $136 million. Neither has proved worthy of his lofty contract, and that, in tandem with the severe economic recession, appears to have taught teams a valuable lesson. Now that the tide has turned, this winter's bargains are their revenge.
Sports
Jeremy Greenhouse | Follow the Money
February 23The NBA trade deadline passed without much affair. As I am known to do when I arrive late to class, get food poisoning, or stub my toe, I will blame this situation on the dismal economy. Recessions have immediate effects on consumers' spending habits, especially when it comes to discretionary, disposable goods like sports tickets. Though NBA Commissioner David Stern has stated that this year's league revenues are about equal to last year's, such is only the case because corporations can't back out of pre-purchased luxury suites and sponsorships. But even Stern admits that league revenues are likely to tumble next year, thus triggering a decline in upcoming salary-cap and luxury-tax levels. The Player's Association believes that both the cap and tax figures will drop $1 million, the first decrease since the current collective bargaining agreement was formed. With this in mind, teams have become wary of taking on salary. More than ever before, teams are making deals only if they can acquire expiring contracts to free future salary cap space or if they can rid themselves of long-term deals that tie up money, helping them avoid paying the luxury tax. The Orlando Magic's acquisition of Rafer Alston (aka Skip to My Lou aka The World's Greatest aka Pharrell) was perhaps the only deadline move that was meant to have a considerable impact on what goes on this season on the court. But most teams are so entrenched in their position as a have or have-not that the lack of mobility during the 82-game season causes them to prepare for offseasons rather than make meaningful changes during the season. After making a run in the playoffs last year, the New Orleans Hornets tried to trade one of their three best players, Tyson Chandler, who is due $25 million over the next two years, so they could acquire a couple of contracts that expire sooner. Chandler failed his physical, so the trade didn't work out. The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most financially successful teams and a club that hopes for a repeat trip to the finals, have parted ways with Chris Mihm and Vladimir Radmanovic. The reason: to save money on the luxury tax. Same goes for the Celtics, who simply forfeited assets. They not only gave away Patrick O'Bryant and Sam Cassell to the Raptors and Kings, respectively, but they essentially paid both teams to take the players off their hands. I doubt that a 2015 conditional second-round draft pick was terribly enticing to the Celtics. Meanwhile, the amount the Kings committed to payroll for next season fell by more than $20 million through recent deals. A few big-name players — Jermaine O'Neal, Larry Hughes and Shawn Marion — were traded. But even players with substantial salaries were acquired with the salary cap in mind, as they all have contracts expiring before the summer of 2010, the year that the best free-agent class in the history of histories goes on the market. I personally have been saving money for it. Currently, the sole reason I'm hoping that the economy pulls quickly out of its current crisis is so that basketball teams can start taking on some serious salary by 2010. Stern needs to find a way to stimulate the dog days of February so the league can pull out of this repetitive midseason lull. For the good of the game, let's hope aspiring competitors will have some money to spend when some huge stars — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — become free agents.
Sports
Men's Squash | Jumbos upset Hamilton, fall to No. 18 Bowdoin
February 23It's often said that the scoreboard doesn't always accurately reflect the game, and such was the case last weekend for the men's squash team. Competing in the College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships in the Summers C Division, the nationally ranked No. 22 Jumbos' run reflected their turbulent season as they upset Hamilton before suffering a close defeat in a hotly contested match against Bowdoin and ending the weekend with a disappointing consolation loss against Colby. Although the 9-12 Jumbos experienced trials on the court, the squad holds resolve in its team's talent, depth and ability to overcome the odds. Leading off the CSA Team Championships on Friday, Tufts marked one of the first upsets of the tournament with its 6-3 decision over its first-round, non-conference rival Hamilton, a team it had not faced in the regular season. The nationally ranked No. 19 Continentals were stiff competition for the Jumbos, extending five of their matches into four and five games. No. 1 sophomore Alex Gross and No. 9 senior tri-captain Josh Levinson exchanged wins and losses with their Hamilton opponents until finally securing 9-5 and 10-9 victories in their fifth games, respectively. In the middle of the lineup, sophomore Ben Rind lost two straight before rallying to win in five, while at the back end the Jumbos finished off the Continentals with decisive three-game wins by No. 6 junior Scott Leighton and senior tri-captain Chris Martin in the No. 7 spot. "Hamilton took a beating this weekend," Martin said. "They were off their game and were hitting a lot of errors. The bottom of Hamilton's lineup wasn't as strong as ours; they don't have the same depth that we do. They were a strong team … but we were hungry for a win." "We were incredibly driven in the last few weeks," junior Max Dalury added. "It came down to effort and motivation. We're really proud of ourselves because no one has given us credit for the solid team that we are." After finishing off their first-round foe, the Jumbos expected to carry their momentum into the semifinals against No. 18 Bowdoin. But in a hard-fought 5-4 contest, the Polar Bears iced the Jumbos, though Tufts' performance was still a far cry from its showing in the 7-2 loss to Bowdoin earlier this month. In their rematches, junior Zach Bradley, Martin, senior tri-captain Brian Rassel and Levinson secured victories in Nos. 4, 7, 8 and 9 positions. And despite recording a loss at the No. 1 position, Gross forced five games after falling behind 2-0. "My Bowdoin opponent kept me on my toes," Gross said. "The first two matches killed me, but … I picked up the pace and cut off shots to put him under pressure … In the fifth game … I was trying to push him around the court so that he would make errors. It worked well; I was up 6-5, but he got in a couple good shots on me, beating me 9-6. It was a heartbreaker." On Sunday, the Jumbos faced off against No. 17 Colby in the consolation match of the Summers Division Championship. Coming off the crushing loss the day before, the Jumbos looked to end their season by avenging a January loss in the NESCAC tournament to the Mules. But unfortunately for Tufts, a combination of the weekend's wear and tear and Colby's command of the court prevented the team from escaping the jaws of defeat. While six Jumbos extended their matches into four and five games, only three — Rind, Levinson and Rassel — secured victories. "We couldn't wear down Colby as much as our other opponents," Martin said. "Their skills matched up with ours, so they were able to pull it out … We proved to a lot of people what we could do, and overall, I'm happy in how it turned out." This upcoming weekend, the Jumbos will send Gross to Williams College to compete in the CSA Individual Championships, marking his second appearance in the tournament. Ranked at 38th in the country last year, Gross exited in the first round but found more success in the consolation bracket, where he advanced to the quarterfinals before dropping three straight sets to the bracket's eventual champion. After a physically demanding tournament, Gross remains cautiously optimistic heading into the Individual Championships. "I lost in five twice, so it's been a tough weekend," Gross said. "Going into next weekend, I'm going to have a tough draw because of some early-season losses that will affect my ranking. In the first round, I'm just looking to stay on target, but if that doesn't work out, my goal is to make a run in the consolation bracket."
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Jumbos lock up No. 8 seed in NESCAC Tournament
February 22The Tufts hockey team closed the regular season with two comeback victories to clinch the last remaining spot in the NESCAC playoffs. The Jumbos' first winning streak in over a month appears to have come at just the right time.
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Women's Basketball | Bring on Amherst: Jumbos fly past Cardinals in tournament opener
February 22After extending a winning streak against one NESCAC rival, the women's basketball team has been given the chance to end a losing streak against another.
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Women's Track and Field | Tufts to defend title at Regionals this weekend
February 19And so it comes down to this: The nationally ranked No. 4 women's track and field team will compete in its most important meet of the season — apart from NCAAs — this weekend when it travels to Bowdoin for the England Div. III Championships. "This is a really big meet. We won last year, so it's all or nothing this year, pretty much," senior tri-captain Paula Dormon said. "We've been training all year for Div. IIIs. We're excited but still preparing to defend our title." After finishing second to Williams at the meet for five straight years, the Jumbos finally broke through last year to take home the New England Championship. The team hopes to repeat its success this year but will again have to fend off the nationally ranked No. 11 Ephs, who finished second at the meet last year, in addition to No. 12 MIT, which came in third last season. "Winning last year was incredible," sophomore Stephanie McNamara said. "We hadn't won for a while before last year, so everyone was totally ecstatic. Everything just came together at the right time. I think this year in terms of comparing us against Williams or MIT, we're going to have a run for the money again to defend our title, but I think we can do it. We're just as strong in the jumps now — we've got some really good jumpers this year — and right now our running events look good too. I have high expectations for this weekend." "Last year was just unbelievable," Dormon added. "Everybody was crying. We all did it together — it was a big moment for us. We just really want the same thing to happen this year. We've been training, working hard. We hope it happens again; it was so big for us last year." This weekend in particular, the team will be counting on Dormon, who has been putting together the best year of her four-year career. Just one week ago she approached the Tufts record in the weight throw with a heave of 45' 7 3/4", less than a foot short of the school mark of 46' 4 3/4" set in 2007. Dormon just hopes she can repeat that level of performance on a bigger stage this weekend. "Last year at Div. IIIs I didn't do as well as I wanted, but I'm just hoping I can bring everything and perform at my best ability this weekend," Dormon said. The Jumbos will also be counting on McNamara, who won the 1,000-meter run as a freshman last year. "This weekend is kind of interesting for me," McNamara said. "Obviously, the main thing that we're focusing on is trying to maximize our points in every event. You can only put people in so many events, especially when it comes to runs over 1,000 [meters]. You can only usually do two or maybe three. I'll be in 5k, the 1,000 and potentially a relay, but it depends on what happens as the meet goes along. I'm excited to run a 5k — I haven't done one in over two months. I'm looking to get in a good race. I feel I'm in better shape, and then I think I can defend my title in the 1,000." Tufts will have one other returning individual champion competing for the team this weekend in junior Logan Crane, who last week missed out on the Tufts record in the 200-meter dash by just one-tenth of a second. Last year at New Englands, Crane won the 55-meter dash by setting a school record with a time of 7.18 seconds and took home the long jump crown with a jump of 17'6". "It felt amazing to be the New England champion in two events," Crane, who is also a columnist for the Daily, said. "And there's a lot of pressure coming back as a defending champion. I have that weight on my shoulders, but it's also great to have that motivation to be No. 1." The team will also be hoping for big performances from several freshmen, including Nakeisha Jones, Dayorsha Collins and Heather Theiss. Jones currently owns the best triple jump in Div. III with the 39'3" mark set at the BU Terrier Invitational in January, which was well above the automatic qualifier for NCAAs. Collins has qualified provisionally for Nationals with her high jump of 5'5", while Theiss has broken the school record in the pole vault twice this year, culminating in her reaching a height of 11' 2 1/2" at the final Tufts Invitational two weeks ago. "I feel very excited to actually make Div. IIIs and be able to compete there," Theiss said. "I'm pretty confident that our team can bring home the championship; I also think that I'll be able to perform pretty well, just because I'm sort of on a roll with how I've been jumping." This weekend's trip to Bowdoin will be the team's first since it participated in an invitational held there on Jan. 27, 2007. For Crane, it will be a return to her home state and a track that she's competed on many times before. "It's actually the town next to my high school, so I'm very comfortable with it," Crane said. "I ran there all of high school. It's a great track, good surface — it's a good track for sprinters — and the pits have a little downward slope, so good to jump in." Despite being the favorite for the first time in years, the team has not lost sight of its goals and is certainly not discounting its competition. "This is the most important meet of the indoor season," Crane said. "It felt great to beat Williams last year; that was our main goal. We're just going to try to do our best to do that again this year."
Sports
Gideon Jacobs | The Pooch Punter
February 19Two weeks ago, I remembered why I'm in love with sports. I wrote a column that explored the marriage between religion and American athletics. In it, I tried to convey that while I truly do believe that athletes like Kurt Warner and Josh Hamilton can and should say whatever they want (the Constitution holds as much weight for me as the Bible does for some Christians and Jews), I felt that their constant proselytizing is oftentimes inappropriate and irresponsible — that conversations of faith "should exist between families and clergy members who know a whole lot more about religion than these athletes do." I didn't think I was saying anything particularly controversial. I live in the bubble of a liberal university in the Northeast. But as soon as the column hit the Internet, I was flooded with e-mails. Students, professors, friends and family members felt a need to respond, whether in agreement or disagreement. As I sat at my desk scrambling to answer them all, I started wondering, "How could a sports column touch on something that so many different kinds of people could get fired up about?" I realized that all these people felt the need to throw in their two cents for the same reason I am head-over-heels, "you complete me" in love with sports: because sports are the pulse of American culture. They tell you everything from the state of the economy to the attitudes of the people. They expose the country's strengths, mentalities and insecurities. They are the Freudian conscious to the country's unconscious. Like an awesome Chekhov story, sports seem like a shallow, simple game on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they tell you everything. And the constant proselytizing on display in the sports world tells me just how common it is in this country. And people's different reactions to this practice demonstrate a serious divide between those who are tired of devoutly religious America encroaching on their everyday lives (the positive e-mails) and those who are happy to see the devoutly religious population's growing influence on our culture (the critical e-mails). All the critics hammered home one point that they felt I was completely overlooking: "Belief is personal." They felt that these athletes should say whatever they want and if I don't share their beliefs, I can choose to ignore them. One e-mail explained it by saying that if Josh Hamilton starts using his postgame interview as a platform to recruit fans to accept Jesus Christ, "you are free to hit the mute button." The thing is, I wholeheartedly agree that belief should be personal, and in fact, my very complaint was that it so often isn't. Every individual has the incredible, beautiful and sacred right to believe whatever he or she wants. And it's extremely important for people to understand that they have the power to hit the proverbial "mute button" when they hear something they don't agree with (it's people's inability to do so that has led to the rampant political correctness that plagues this country, but that could be another column entirely). My point is that religion, especially in American culture, has made it impossible to simply "hit the mute button." My point is that, in my measly 19-and-a-half years of experience, it feels like I haven't truly had that choice. I've spent my entire conscious life under a president whose closest adviser on foreign policy was a man/spirit who apparently sits in the heavens and punishes homosexuals. In 2000 and again in 2004, this country, with the help of the proselytizing Kurt Warners and Josh Hamiltons, voted this clearly incompetent but — as literally millions of Americans admitted was the reason they voted for him both times — devoutly religious man into office. Now, my buddies and I are going to be paying off the greatest deficit in American history until I reach my parents' age, and I can't travel the world without a negative stigma attached to the fact that I'm American. In seventh grade, I stood in the middle of Third Avenue crying into my dad's belly as we watched the Twin Towers fall in the name of another — yet obviously perverse form of — monotheistic religion. My friends admit that even now, if they hear a loud noise in Manhattan, they think we're under attack again. I could go on about having a sister and niece who live in a country where the right to an abortion is constantly under attack. I could talk about the day I learned about what stem cell research could have done for my deceased grandparents. I could tell the story about consoling my best friend when his dad, a big-shot doctor back home, was found on a radical Scientologist group's "hit list." I could tell countless stories from my short life that show that belief is, without a doubt, not "personal." At least, not the way all the e-mails I got claim it to be. This column — like the last — isn't meant to be an attack on religion. Despite all the problems radical faith has caused in the world during my life, I still have a deep appreciation for all the good that is done in the name of religion. Josh Hamilton's use of faith in his valiant battle against drug addiction is, in itself, a great example of the way religious devotion can empower an individual. But I grew up with the expectation that I was the one who would get to decide the role religion played in my life: from things as casual as watching a football game on Sunday to something as serious as deciding how to treat a loved one's cancer. And I criticized Kurt Warner and Josh Hamilton's constant evangelizing because it felt like just another sign that in America, this expectation is an unrealistic one — that I have been naïve this whole time. I never thought this was something I'd realize while watching a silly football game, but I guess therein lies the reason why sports are so special to me in the first place.
Sports
Men's Track and Field | Jumbos enter Regionals today hoping to bring home title
February 19The men's track and field team will enter the New England Div. III Championships at MIT this weekend as defending champions, looking to match its performance from last year. "Our goal is to put forth the best team effort we can because that's all we are able to control, and what the other teams do is out of our hands," junior quad-captain Nick Welch said. "I think we're all pretty confident that if we succeed in doing that individually and all together, putting our best effort forward, we'll be able to defend that New England title we got last year." The Jumbos won the meet with 118 points last year, beating out Williams in second with 106 and MIT in third with 101. "Williams and MIT have been strong in the past — which is an understatement, to say the least, in the case of Williams — since they've won it [several] times in the last 20 years," Welch said. "But Williams and MIT are always strong, and they're very strong this year. It has always been Tufts, Williams and MIT scoring the majority of the points, but I think there will be a lot of other teams putting up a lot of points. They might have the depth to really shoot for the overall team title, but a lot of these programs are stronger than they've been in recent years, which will make the whole meet overall more competitive." With increased competition, it is clear to the Jumbos that no one athlete will be able to earn the win on his own. "When it comes down to meets like NESCACs and New Englands, we have one entry, Tufts University, and that's really the way we all look at it, coaches and athletes," coach Ethan Barron said. "We're going there with one entry, and we're looking to see how well it can fight." The Jumbos should have no problem focusing on the team, which is deeper and more evenly distributed than it has been in years past. "I think we actually are more well-rounded going into this meet than at least the last two years," Welch said. "In the places where we've had events with only one guy, now we have three, or events that we didn't even run anyone, now we have someone who is looking to maybe be in the top three. "Across the board, we are really well-rounded, and in the end that's what it really takes," Welch continued. "You can't win this meet with just a few studs. It really ends up being the guys who scrape up eighth place, seventh place, one or two points here or there, and in the end that's what really adds up." While the Jumbos graduated a number of key contributors from last year's victory, the team is confident that it will be able to make up for lost ground. "Guys like Dan Marcy [LA '08] in the triple jump and Nate Scott [LA '08], who has won the pentathlon to kick off the meet the previous two years, those guys are hard to replace, but I think we've tried to fill their shoes in two ways," Welch said. "One is the guys … who had the opportunity to watch [alumni] and see them compete and learn from them, have now stepped up to fill their shoes." "The other way is that I think we've gotten stronger in the event groups that weren't necessary our strongest, a good example being the throwers who have PRed repeatedly thus far in the season and are looking to put up more points for us than they have, at least in the time that I've been here," Welch continued. One of the top entries for the Jumbos is junior Jared Engelking, ranked first in New England in the pentathlon that kicks off the meet today. Others include junior Jesse Faller, who holds the top seed in the 3,000-meter run, while Welch is the top seed in the 5,000-meter run. Senior quad-captain James Bradley also occupies the top seed in the high jump with his 6'9" mark. "I'm looking for across-the-board, no-fear, tenacious attacks of everyone's events," Barron said. "That's the only expectation we have going into this championship. I'm not looking for any athlete to step up, because to do well at a meet like this you just have to do what you've been doing. If you just get your seed time, you are almost guaranteed to move up in the standings. The one thing I'm really excited to see is the energies we brought to two venues last weekend. Bringing that together this weekend, I think we could make a lot of noise."
Sports
Inside Pro Cycling | Cycling is now a model for cleaning up sports culture
February 19Cheating in sports is nothing new. Levels of cheating range from something as innocuous as using a corked bat or doctoring a baseball to something as potentially harmful as injecting one's body with performance enhancers. Either way, cheating has been going on in one form or another for longer than most sports fans care to remember or players care to admit. But only in recent years has this tendency toward foul play been brought to light in most professional sports, with one exception: cycling. For years now, cycling has been laden with a stigma as a dirty sport. Starting especially in the 1990s, when doping scandals became far more frequent and highly publicized than ever before, the public opinion of the sport began to deteriorate rapidly. Fans assumed, and many still do, that the majority of the professionals they once admired were nothing more than cheaters and liars. All of those great accomplishments that once awed cycling fans were cast under a pall of doubt. The 1990s and early 2000s were probably the most tainted years for the sport, as the rate of positive tests climbed rapidly as regulations were extended to ban more types of drugs and testing procedures began to catch up with the doping technologies available. The '90s also saw numerous all-time greats finally admit to having cheated in some way during their illustrious careers. The lowest of the lows came in the 1998 Tour de France, often referred to as the Festina affair. The Tour took a turn for the worse when police discovered various doping materials in the possession of an employee of the French team Festina, and then with the Dutch team TVM as well. In the end, only 96 of the 189 riders who started the race made it to the finish in Paris. The 1998 edition of the Tour was further marred a year later when winner Marco Pantani of Italy failed a blood test in the 1999 Giro d'Italia. Then came Lance Armstrong. Armstrong won seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005, and although he never failed a single blood test in or out of competition, the cloud of doubt surrounding his accomplishments never fully dissipated. His recent return to the sport, in addition to his spirited campaign for cancer research funding, might have the ulterior motive of helping clear his name once and for all — although he would likely never admit it. But none of this doping activity and controversy is new. Early cycling culture attached no shame to riders' use of foreign substances to help them through impossibly hard races. Cycling greats like five-time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil made no attempt to hide their practices, and neither fans nor the sports governing bodies cared. It was not until 1965 that the first anti-doping regulations were passed, and even then it was still commonplace for riders to use any means they could to help their performance, and regulations were still quite lax. Then in 1967, British great Tom Simpson collapsed mid-race on the 13th stage of the Tour and died soon thereafter. The autopsy showed high levels of amphetamines and alcohol in his bloodstream, a combination that ultimately led to his unfortunate death. More drugs were found in his jersey pocket, and police later found more in his hotel room. After this incident, the inherent dangers of doping were finally exposed, and cycling began the tailspin that has carried the sport to where it is today. Since Simpson's death, cheating has become more expensive, more advanced and more difficult to detect. But after a series of immense scandals that have implicated some of the sport's greatest talents over the past 10 years — some of which are ongoing — the testing technologies have finally caught up with the cheating capabilities. Doping was once an organized practice that some teams advocated, though not publicly. Team directors and doctors were often responsible for administering drugs to their athletes, and at other times they just turned a blind eye when their athletes formed relationships with private doctors who were clearly responsible for more than just regular check-ups. Unlike such sports as baseball and football where players, owners, managers and commissioners continue to remain shockingly silent or sadly naïve about the state of their sports, the leaders of the cycling community have finally decided that the sport is need of a major culture shift. Leading the way are teams like Garmin-Slipstream (United States), Saxo Bank (Denmark) and Columbia-Highroad (United States). In addition to the already extensive in- and out-of-competition testing that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the sports governing body, places on riders and their teams, these teams have helped to forge the way in insisting that their riders compete the right way. Through internal testing procedures of their own, these teams have helped to clean up the image of the sport by proving that it is possible to win with no more than sweat and perseverance. Despite the great strides, the sport is still struggling to clear its name and save itself from fleeting sponsors and fans. Ironically, the very actions intended to clean up and save the sport have been the ones responsible for its demise. Fans and sponsors have grown increasingly skeptical as the number of exposed cheaters has continued to rise. What all parties involved need to understand is that these results are a positive sign and not an indicator of increased doping practices. A higher rate of positive tests means that the new policies are working and that riders can no longer expect to cheat and get away with it. Now that baseball superstars like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez are being exposed and fans are realizing that they can no longer turn a blind eye to what is obviously a far more widespread practice than anyone would like to believe, cycling might finally have some company. Cheating in sports is a universal practice, not limited only to endurance sports like cycling or track. If and when the current steroid investigations in baseball produce unfortunate results, cycling should cease to be the source of blame for cheating and instead become the model for how to purify an unclean sport. But it is never easy to do the right thing, and whether it is cycling, baseball, football or any other sport, things can only get worse before they get better.
Sports
Inside the NBA | As NBA trade deadline passes, big names stay put as few contenders improve
February 19For weeks, the biggest rumblings in the NBA all focused on what teams would do at the trade deadline. Unlike last season, in which trades for marquee names like Pau Gasol and Mike Bibby ignited playoff pushes, this season, the post-deadline talk is less about the actual trades that went down and more about the ones that didn't. Last weekend at the All-Star festivities in Phoenix, it looked like Amar'e Stoudemire would play his last game as a Phoenix Sun for the Western Conference. But a coaching change encouraged the team to keep its young power forward and hold off on moving him for now. The other supposed sure bets to be traded were players with coveted expiring contracts, such as the Portland Trailblazers' Raef LaFrentz and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Wally Szczerbiak, as it was thought that non-contenders would look to shed high-salary holders in the midst of the economic turmoil that has crept into the league. None of these things occurred. As is the case with the trade deadline in most years, the big-name players did not find new homes. That includes Los Angeles Clippers point guard Baron Davis, who was looking for a change of scenery after his ill-advised move to L.A. as a free agent this summer, as well as other former All-Stars like the Washington Wizards' Antawn Jamison and the New Jersey Nets' Vince Carter. As far as deadline buzzer-beaters, the Orlando Magic's acquisition of point guard Rafer Alston was the most important. In one of the few trades that seemed to be motivated purely by basketball rather than economics, the Magic grabbed Alston from the Houston Rockets in a three-way trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, with the Rockets receiving Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook and the Grizzlies getting a first-round pick from the Magic. For Orlando, the trade gives them a major upgrade at point guard after the likely season-ending shoulder injury to Jameer Nelson. With Alston at the helm, the Magic's title aspirations are buoyed once again, while for Houston, Lowry is not much of a downgrade. While the Rockets' preseason optimism evaporated along with the news that star Tracy McGrady is out for the rest of the year with a knee injury, Houston now has a younger option at point guard to groom for the future. The biggest trade name-wise occurred a week ago when the Miami Heat sent Shawn Marion to the Toronto Raptors along with Marcus Banks for Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon. The trade represents Toronto's realization that it made a mistake in acquiring O'Neal from the Indiana Pacers last summer and attempting to pair him with All-Star forward Chris Bosh. The experiment seemed feasible, but O'Neal never settled into the role envisioned for him as a rebounder and defensive game-changer. With the Heat woefully thin in the middle, O'Neal should get more touches and might prove to be a legitimate sidekick for Dwyane Wade if he can ever stay healthy. As for Marion, the Raptors needed a small forward and took a gamble on the talented — but selfish — former star for Phoenix. If the experiment does not work out, Marion will be a free agent this summer. If Toronto wants Marion for the long haul, however, it must be prepared to cough up the cash for an over-the-hill player who thinks he is better than he actually is. The other blockbuster was between two of the most active teams at this year's deadline, the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings. The Bulls got one of the most coveted big men on the market in Brad Miller, a great passer who offers the front-court-thin Bulls some much-needed size in the middle. They also received another highly sought-after player in John Salmons, who is averaging 18.3 points a game this season. That might help Chicago on offense, but what was really missing in the Windy City was a defensive presence for the 21st-ranked team in the league in points allowed per game. Sacramento, meanwhile, immediately tried to trade their gem from this deal in Andres Nocioni to the Boston Celtics but could not agree to final terms. Both teams also went on to make several other minor deals. Along with the New York Knicks, who acquired Larry Hughes from Chicago and Chris Wilcox from the Oklahoma City Thunder, these were the teams that did the most on Thursday. The common theme for all these teams, however, is that none of them actually improved themselves significantly. In fact, the Bulls are winners not so much for helping their team this year as for potentially clearing cap space for the 2010 free agent bonanza. And of course, it wouldn't be the trade deadline without some controversy, and this year's came in the form of an apparent trade between the Thunder and New Orleans Hornets that was called off. Center Tyson Chandler, who has battled injury problems all season, was sent to Oklahoma City for Wilcox and veteran forward Joe Smith. But the Thunder backed out of the deal because of concerns over a turf toe injury that plagued Chandler two seasons ago. Instead of getting a legitimate big man to join its promising nucleus of Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, the Thunder got Malik Rose from the Knicks for Wilcox. In other words, they went from a great defensive center to a bench scrub. The biggest winners from this almost-trade could very well be a team that had nothing to do with the initial deal. Oklahoma City, which has almost no chance of making the postseason, might buy out Smith, who would then be free to sign with a contending team such as Boston or Cleveland. That might be the lasting legacy of this year's trade deadline: a failed attempt to improve one team and give another cap relief (the phrase of the day). More teams were losers this year for not having the guts to get their teams to the championship than for making questionable moves.
Sports
Daily Digits
February 198 The differential in goals scored this season between Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin (42) and the next highest goal scorers, Zach Parise and Jeff Carter, with 34. Ovechkin's most recent goal, which helped the Capitals to a 4-3 win over the Canadiens, also defied logic as the reigning MVP passed the puck to himself off the boards to get around defender Roman Hamrlik.
Sports
Women's swimming and diving | Conference foes will converge at Bowdoin on Saturday
February 19All the laps racked up on the training trip to Puerto Rico, all the early-morning practices in stuffy Hamilton Pool and all the strenuous dual meets will culminate with this for the women's swimming and diving team: the NESCAC Championships this weekend at Bowdoin. Posting its best season record-wise in over 10 years, Tufts has been carried by a stellar group of experienced upperclassmen and numerous speedy freshmen en route to an 8-1 mark, besting NESCAC foes and local rivals along the way. Now, with the biggest meet of the season looming, the effects of the tapering the Jumbos have undergone for the past two weeks will come to fruition when Tufts goes up against Williams, the defending NESCAC champion, and Amherst, which finished third last season. Still, even taking third place will pose a serious challenge. In past years, Williams, Amherst and Middlebury finished first through third consistently, leaving Tufts battling with Conn. College, Bates and Bowdoin for fourth. This year, with a 175-123 dual meet win over Middlebury under their belts, the Jumbos feel hopeful about their chances to place third. "If we got third, it would be like winning," senior tri-captain Katie Swett said. "Williams and Amherst have programs that are far more talent-filled. You can barely find a girl on their teams that's seeded below 12th. If you look at the 500 free, without [Tufts sophomore] Megan Kono, the top 14 girls are Williams and Amherst. Still, we think we have a great shot at fourth because of our talented depth. " Leading the charge for Tufts will be junior diver Lindsay Gardel, who has consistently racked up high marks for the Jumbos this season. Although classmate Kelsey Bell, who has placed second behind Gardel in nearly every meet this season, will be absent from NESCACs, Gardel and the divers figure to factor prominently at Bowdoin this weekend, especially if Tufts has any hope of upsetting the juggernauts of the conference or surpassing Middlebury. Gardel, a returning All-American, made the 1-meter national qualifying score in Tufts' final home meet of the year, a Dec. 3 victory over Wellesley. While her score of 258.68 solidified her a place in Minneapolis in late March, she has not looked back, winning seven of eight 1-meter events and six of eight 3-meter events over the course of the season. In the team's most recent meet — the Middlebury Invitational, held two weeks ago — Gardel posted national qualifying scores in both the 1- and 3-meter boards, as did Bell. With freshman Rachel Lew and junior Jamie Ryan diving at NESCACs along with Gardel, it seems inevitable that the divers will tally some key points. "The divers are really crucial for us," Swett said. "To have three girls represent us is huge, especially in two events that count towards the standings. We really look to them for those extra points. It's going to be a tight race, and if that can be something that differentiates us from fourth to third, then that is huge." On the swimming end, not one Jumbo stands out as particularly noteworthy simply because the entire team is having such an outstanding season thus far. Tufts has by far the largest roster in the NESCAC and consequently gets to pick its 24 swimmers to compete, while other teams generally bring their entire rosters. "We have such great talent with leaders in every category, be it breaststroke or distance or whatever," Swett said. "This year the NESCAC has grown immensely in depth and it's going to be a tough battle; every point will count. We have the best of our team swimming, so our depth is much better than other schools'. That's not to say they don't have good swimmers at the top, but we have an advantage from the [No. 9-24] swimmers on the roster, the people that get those big points." Kono, distance extraordinaire and current Tufts record-holder in the 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle events, made the NCAA B cut in the 500 freestyle in a tri-meet with Bates and Wheaton on Jan. 31. Fellow record-holder and classmate Maureen O'Neill is the resident sprinter in the water for the Jumbos, holding the top mark on the Hill for the 50-yard freestyle. Although Tufts classifies itself as more of a distance-heavy squad, crucial points in the sprint meets, headed by O'Neill, are all the more important. "The second half of our meets is always stronger then the first half for us," Swett said. "Since we're not really a sprint team and the first half is 50s, we're going to try to use our strong second halves to our advantage." "Our relays are going to be really important because they score us the most points," senior tri-captain Kayla Burke added. "Our shorter relays are going to be challenging but also the most exciting because they're the closest race. We haven't had the best of luck in the past few years, disqualifying in both 200-yard relays last year, but if we can get the girls together, then we're going to do awesome." Swett and a group of standout freshmen, including Courtney Adams, Annie Doisneau, Valerie Eacret, Kelly Moriarty and Paulina Ziolek, round out the top point-getters for Tufts thus far. The Jumbos have consistently opened meets with strong showings in the 200-yard medley relay, usually featuring some combination of three freshmen and O'Neill. For the past few weeks the Tufts squad has been tapering for the NESCAC meet, something the Jumbos pride themselves on doing particularly well, yet it has not detracted from the team's focus for this weekend. "We've been working on visualizing and coming together as a team, talking about what we're worried about, what we can do to achieve and just getting everyone in the right mindset," Swett said. "We're really excited and everyone is pretty proud of what we've done this season, but it's kind of that time where we just shut our minds off and let our bodies do the swimming. Our focus is always on NESCACs with tapering, so that's kind of the big show. We haven't really seen what we can do fully tapered yet." "We watched ‘Miracle' on the bus ride going up to Bowdoin and did a few inspirational things just to get everyone psyched up for the meet," Burke said. "There's no room for bad nerves now, so we just want to keep it to excitement. We put together a great team this year, so it's going to be a whole team effort, but everyone is going to have an impact."
Sports
Cycling is model for cleaning up a sports culture
February 18Cheating in sports is nothing new. Levels of cheating range from something as innocuous as using a corked bat or doctoring a baseball to something as potentially harmful as injecting one's body with performance enhancers. Either way, cheating has been going on in one form or another for longer than most sports fans care to remember or players care to admit. But only in recent years has this tendency towards foul play been brought to light in most professional sports, with one exception: cycling. For years now, cycling has been laden with a stigma as a dirty sport. Starting especially in the 1990s, when doping scandals became far more frequent and highly publicized than ever before, the public opinion of the sport began to deteriorate rapidly. Fans assumed, and many still do, that the majority of the professionals they once admired were nothing more than cheaters and liars. All of those great accomplishments that once awed cycling fans were cast under a pall of doubt. The 1990s and early 2000s were probably the most tainted years for the sport, as the rate of positive tests climbed rapidly as regulations were extended to ban more types of drugs and testing procedures began to catch up with the doping technologies available. The '90s also saw numerous all-time greats finally admit to having cheated in some way during their illustrious careers. The lowest of the lows came in the 1998 Tour de France, often referred to as the Festina affair. The Tour took a turn for the worst when police discovered various doping materials in the possession of an employee of the French team Festina and then with the Dutch team TVM as well. In the end, only 96 of the 189 riders who started the race made it to the finish in Paris. The 1998 edition of the Tour was further marred a year later when winner Marco Pantani of Italy failed a blood test in the 1999 Giro d'Italia. Then came Lance Armstrong. Armstrong won seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005, and although he never failed a single blood test in or out of competition, the cloud of doubt surrounding his accomplishments never fully dissipated. His recent return to the sport, in addition to his spirited campaign for cancer research funding, might have the ulterior motive of helping clear his name once and for all -- although he would likely never admit it. But none of this doping activity and controversy is new. Early cycling culture attached no shame to riders' use of foreign substances to help them through impossibly hard races. Cycling greats like five-time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil made no attempt to hide their practices, and neither fans nor the sports governing bodies cared. It was not until 1965 that the first anti-doping regulations were passed, and even then it was still commonplace for riders to use any means they could to help their performance, and regulations were still quite lax. Then, in 1967, British great Tom Simpson collapsed mid-race on the 13th stage of the Tour and died soon thereafter. The autopsy showed high levels of amphetamines and alcohol in his bloodstream, a combination that ultimately led to his unfortunate death. More drugs were found in his jersey pocket, and police later found more in his hotel room. After this incident, the inherent dangers of doping were finally exposed, and cycling began the tailspin that has carried the sport to where it is today. Since Simpson's death, cheating has become more expensive, more advanced and more difficult to detect. But after a series of immense scandals that have implicated some of the sport's greatest talents over the past 10 years -- some of which are ongoing -- the testing technologies have finally caught up with the cheating capabilities. Doping was once an organized practice that some teams advocated, though not publicly. Team directors and doctors were often responsible for administering drugs to their athletes, and at other times they just turned a blind eye when their athletes formed relationships with private doctors who were clearly responsible for more than just regular check-ups. Unlike such sports as baseball and football where players, owners, managers and commissioners continue to remain shockingly silent or sadly naïve about the state of their sports, the leaders of the cycling community have finally decided that the sport is need of a major culture shift. Leading the way are teams like Garmin-Slipstream (USA), Saxo Bank (Denmark) and Columbia-Highroad (USA). In addition to the already extensive in- and out-of-competition testing that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the sports governing body, places on riders and their teams, these teams have helped to forge the way in insisting that their riders compete the right way. Through internal testing procedures of their own, these teams have helped to clean up the image of the sport by proving that it is possible to win with no more than sweat and perseverance. Despite the great strides, the sport is still struggling to clear its name and save itself from fleeting sponsors and fans. Ironically, the very actions intended to clean up and save the sport have been the ones responsible for its demise. Fans and sponsors have grown increasingly skeptical as the number of exposed cheaters has continued to rise. What all parties involved need to understand is that these results are a positive sign and not an indicator of increased doping practices. A higher rate of positive tests means that the new policies are working and that riders can no longer expect to cheat and get away with it. Now that baseball superstars like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez are being exposed and fans are realizing that they can no longer turn a blind eye to what is obviously a far more widespread practice than anyone would like to believe, cycling might finally have some company. Cheating in sports is a universal practice, not limited only to endurance sports like cycling or track. If and when the current steroid investigations in baseball produce unfortunate results, cycling should cease to be the source of blame for cheating and instead become the model for how to purify an unclean sport. But it is never easy to do the right thing, and whether it is cycling, baseball, football or any other sport, things can only get worse before they get better.
Sports
Streaky Friday: Trinity men's squash guns for 200th consecutive win tomorrow against Dartmouth
February 18At the helm of a team about to go for its 200th straight win tomorrow, Trinity men's squash coach Paul Assaiante remains relatively humble in light of what his team has accomplished over the past decade. "It's one of those things: You walk 100 miles, but all you think about is walking one step at a time, and then someone else says, 'Oh, did you know you walked 100 miles?'" Assaiante said. "No, we just kept walking steps. Each match was an individual pearl, and when I think back to matches, what I really think about most is the relationships with boys on the teams over all those years, which is still my paycheck; my relationship with these boys is absolutely why I do what I do." What was started over a decade ago in 1998 -- when Bill Clinton was president and the Internet was still building up momentum -- has culminated with some downright gaudy numbers for the Bantam squash program: 199 consecutive victories, a record in any intervarsity collegiate sport; 10 straight College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships, also known as the Potter Trophy; 10 straight perfect seasons; and a decade as the undisputed king of men's college squash. But despite the milestone of No. 200 well within Trinity's grasp when it takes on the Dartmouth Big Green -- a squad the Bantams dominated 9-0 on Jan. 17 -- tomorrow during the first round of games in an eight-team bracket vying for this year's Potter Trophy, both coach and team downplay the statistics and records. "What's happened is [the chance for 200 straight wins] made an interesting story more interesting," said Assaiante, who has amassed a 257-10 record across 15 seasons at the helm of the Bantam program and guided Trinity to a 16-0 regular-season mark this year. "It's been great for the game of squash, and especially great for college squash. It's been good for our little college. It's been great for us and it gives us a sense of pride and yet we don't take it or ourselves too seriously. "I don't think they're focused on streaks," he continued. "I think they're just out there battling, and something will happen at the end of the day, but I don't think they're focused on it. Hopefully not, because it can't help them in any way." "The streak is not something the players think about," senior quad-captain Rushabh Vora added. "I didn't know the number before; five games ago I didn't know if it was 190 or 185 or 180, you know? We take every match as it comes; we really don't know the numbers and we don't care about the numbers." Whether concerned with streaks and records or not, Trinity almost found itself heading to this weekend's national championship bracket with a loss after the No. 2 Princeton Tigers nearly halted the Bantams' tally at 198 during a regular-season showdown between the nation's top two programs Saturday. With a gutsy marathon 3-2 win from sophomore Andres Vargas, the defending national champions escaped 5-4 to bring them to the doorstep of 200 consecutive victories. "We've been very lucky at times, and we won a match on Saturday where we really didn't play very well," Assaiante said. "There's luck there that could have gone the other way; we were within two points of losing that match." Although Trinity has remained untouchable by virtually all standards in the college squash world over the last 10 years, all the winning and titles, including three straight NESCAC crowns, has not made experiencing a victory any less stale. "Every match feels so fun and we're so enthused to go out and play it," Assaiante said. "It's a step at a time through a wonderful forest. Every step has been perfect and pure in its own right … and then you look down at the valley you just crossed and you say, 'Well, that was pretty cool,' but there's no time to think about that while you're taking each step." And while Assaiante undeniably has remained as an anchor for the program as the victories and national championships have continued to pile up, he cited teamwork and a sense of family that he strives to instill each season as the primary reason for Trinity's dominance over the last decade. "The team is truly a team; the boys gave up their own individual stuff and focused on the greater good and they truly believe in team," Assaiante said. "The national team finals will be played Sunday. The following weekend is the intercollegiate singles championships. I won't even be with the team during that week of practice because it's for them, it's individual. We only focus on team, 100 percent." Still, Vora was quick to credit Assaiante as both a coach and a fatherly figure who has been nothing less than integral in the top position the team currently occupies and has held for years. "Firstly, this is like a family; we call it the Trinity squash family," he said. "He's very open and helps us with anything we need. So that makes us not want to let him down, and obviously we want to win as well, but we don't want to let him down. He does a lot for us, and we want to give back." Not surprisingly, Trinity has attracted a wealth of top-tier squash talent from across the world, and Assaiante has managed to maintain cohesion and transform the individual players into one working, winning unit. "We have international kids from all over the world -- South America, Asia, America, Africa, and everyone was the king of their own backyard," Vora said. "[Junior Baset Chaudhry] is our No. 1; he was No. 1 in Pakistan. The Swedish kid is No. 1 in Sweden. The South African kid is No. 1 in South Africa. So they come here and they all have their egos and their No. 1s … so what Coach does very well is blending the egos and making sure that we understand we are playing for one team and No. 1 and No. 3 on our team are the same person, there's no difference." All signs available quickly point to a rematch Sunday between the Tigers -- who were undefeated before Saturday's loss -- and Trinity with the national title on the line. Given how close they came to seeing the streak snapped, the Bantams know they will have their work cut out for them in order to extend their postseason success. "I would say based on the season, it will likely be a Trinity-Princeton matchup in the finals on Sunday," Assaiante said. "It's going to be a fantastic match, and we're excited to give it another try. We feel like we dodged a bullet on Saturday, and we didn't give Princeton our very, very best and we owe it to them to give them our very best and we look forward to giving them that." "I'm going to be honest: 95 percent of college squash teams want us to lose on Sunday," Vora said. "Everyone wants to see this end and everyone wants to see the underdog win, but that kind of stuff doesn't really bother us. We are going out to win and after four years of doing your job, you leave and let the next batch of players come in and do their jobs for four years. That's how it was laid out to us, and hopefully it will continue on Sunday." As for the streak? "The other day some guys from the New York Times asked me what's going to happen when the streak ends," Assaiante said. "And I said the sky will go dark, and the sun will turn black, and rivers will run red and frogs will fall out of the sky. Nothing is going to happen; we'll just get up the next day and start over."
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