For the Jumbos, the unusual Div. I-vs.-Div. III matchup served as a silver lining in the midst of their bizarre shortened season. The team enjoyed Dartmouth’s facilities, the field and some high quality trash cans that have a special slot for pizza boxes.
After nearly two years, the men’s track and field team returned to Ellis Oval at Tufts on Sunday, competing against Wesleyan, Conn. College and Trinity. Tufts scored 239.5 points, which was more than 100 points better than Trinity, which placed second. A large portion of this high score came from multiple individual winning performances, including several from first-year students.
Tufts took the series victory in game four with a barrage of offense, winning 17–0. Not to be overlooked by the offensive performance, Junior right-hander Brendan McFall gave the Jumbos six strong innings on the mound. McFall scattered three hits and gave up no earned runs in his first start of the season. Sophomore Gavin Brown struck out three batters in the seventh to seal the deal on the mound for Tufts.
I'm not sure where I stand on the play-in tournament's use during this unconventional season, but I think the format is a step in the right direction. The NBA has long been criticized for how predictable it is. There are superstar players and overloaded teams, making the playoffs rather cut and dry. Critics compare the professional league to college basketball and March Madness, citing college-level play as more exciting due to there being more upsets.
The Jumbos, who were recently ranked by the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association as the No. 3 Div. III team in the country, continued to flex their offensive power a week after setting the school record for goals scored in a game. The Jumbos' set another team record with their combined 51 goals scored over the weekend, breaking the previous record of 39, which was set during the NESCAC championship weekend in 2014.
Sitting atop the East Division with an 8–2 overall record and 5–1 mark in conference play, the Jumbos seem sure to make the NESCAC championship, but not without some obstacles along the way. In terms of their strength of schedule, the teams Tufts has beaten have a combined winning percentage of around .455 in the NESCAC, while Bowdoin — who split wins with Tufts in their matchup this weekend — is the only opponent with a winning percentage for conference play of at least .500.
With the No. 4 pick, the Atlanta Falcons could draft their next franchise quarterback, select "unicorn" Kyle Pitts or trade down to accumulate assets. Yes, there are clear benefits with each option, but I believe being in the position to select a franchise quarterback is too great of an opportunity to pass up. Additionally, 35-year-old Matt Ryan would be the perfect mentor and bridge to either Fields or Lance.
Many around the soccer world raged about the decision, thought to bring an end to the sport as it is known and loved by millions. On April 19, Aleksander Ceferin, president of the Union of European Football Associations, said that any players who were involved in the Super League breakaway would be banned from playing in the World Cup and European championships. Additionally, UEFA executive Jesper Moller announced that he expected the three remaining Champions League teams involved (Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid) to be removed from the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
The No. 18 Tufts Jumbos opened their long-awaited return to competition with a 6–3 win over the No. 37 Colby Mules. Colby suffered their first loss of the season and fell to 2–1 (1–1 NESCAC). Senior co-captain Boris Sorkin and sophomore Josh Belandres, the No. 7 doubles team in the country, tallied the first win for the Jumbos by defeating Jan Wenger and Joey Barrett at No. 1 doubles, 8–5.
The last two weeks witnessed the quarterfinals of the Union of European Football Associations Champions League, the biggest competition in club soccer. Eight teams remained in this elite tournament, with the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City gunning for the prize.
Like it or not, injuries play a major role in the power balance of the NBA. The super teams of the league know this well. The Lakers and Nets have kept their superstars off the court more often than on it, nursing their injuries to ensure full health by the playoffs. In this COVID-compressed season, injuries have been even more impactful than usual as players take on more games with less rest, a combo that can often lead to devastating outcomes. With that in mind, I’ve highlighted a few of the most impactful recent injury situations to watch as we gear up for the NBA playoffs.
The Tufts baseball team won three out of four games this weekend against Colby, winning two at home on Saturday and one on the road on Sunday. The Jumbos took the first game with a strong start from junior right-hander Michael Volgende. The Connecticut native surrendered only two hits in six innings of work, striking out eight and walking only one.
This past weekend, Tufts men’s and women’s rowing combined for mixed results in their season opener on the Malden River against Wesleyan University. The men’s 1v8 boat lost its first race, but the men’s 2v8 boat edged out Wesleyan. Both the women’s 1v8 and 2v8 boats fell short to the Cardinals.
As we enter the final month of the NBA’s regular season, the fourth through 10th seeds of the Eastern Conference remain in flux while the league’s elites have established themselves as the teams to beat in this year’s playoffs. However, injuries to key contributors on contenders threaten playoff and championship hopes for many teams, the new play-in tournament has fallen under scrutiny and one team is soon to be under new ownership.
The series consisted of two doubleheaders: the first set at Tufts on Saturday and the second at Colby on Sunday. The final game was a blowout win for the Jumbos, who beat the Mules in five innings due to the mercy rule. Tufts sophomore catcher Josie Steinberg and graduate student infielder Casey Maggiore combined for four hits and three RBIs. DiCocco, a first-year who has immediately contributed to the team, now has a 3–1 record with two wins as a starter, and was just named NESCAC Pitcher of the Week.
Over the past four years or so of running his podcast and interviewing people from NBA stars to presidential candidates, Redick fell in love with podcasting as a creative medium but felt that his endeavors were always somewhat lacking from the business end. He began to realize during the early months of 2020 that he didn’t own the most valuable assets of his show, the concept and the intellectual property behind the show.
The Japanese government has spent $15.4 billion on this Olympics — more than has been spent on any other Summer Games in history. Postponement costs alone account for 22% of the budget, such as renegotiating new stadium and TV deals. This is more than double what Japan initially planned for when it took on the job for the 2020 games back in 2013. If Japan backs out now, it stands to lose out on not only publicity for the country but a lot of revenue as well.
As the incoming Class of 2025 is welcomed into the Jumbo family, senior student-athletes took a minute to reflect on their first years in Medford as well as their transition to Tufts both on and off the field. From the recruiting process and choosing Tufts to the countless hours in the weight room and competing for national championships, these student-athletes have been through it all and now offer valuable advice to student-athletes just beginning their journey in brown and blue.
The No. 11 ranked Tufts women’s tennis team marked the return of Tufts sports on Saturday with a dominant 9–0 victory over Brandeis in Waltham. While no spectators were permitted at the match, it was the first Tufts athletics competition this year. The match also marked the season opener for the Brandeis Judges.
This week, we’re celebrating a series of firsts: the first American to medal four times at the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Championships, the first U.S. athlete to win the cross-country Tour de Ski and the first American woman to take home the FIS Cross-Country Ski World Cup. Remarkably, all of these accomplishments can be attributed to one athlete: cross-country skier Jessie Diggins.
