Jumbos Take 5th at NCAA Regional meet

(11/11/2006) See more Photos     Full Results

The Jumbos drove into Springfield on Friday afternoon with high hopes, lots of energy, and new uniforms to boot. Conditions were ideal on Saturday morning, with temperatures in the low 60's, a dry course, and practically no winds. The starting box was less than ideal--all the way to the right, with a bush nearby on the course--but that did not affect the temperament of the team. Coach Rod Hemingway told the team, "Our box is what it was meant to be." It did not faze them much at all, as seniors Justin Chung and Josh Kennedy got out to a strong start, with senior Chad Uy, junior Dave Sorensen, and freshmen Nick Welch, Jesse Faller, and Peter Browne close behind.

The team tackled the rolling hills of the Springfield course with ease, having trained at Grafton for much of the season. The course, however, was not easy by any means: Freshman Nick Welch said, "It was a tough middle." The Tufts varsity squad had a great deal of support on the course, as the rest of the sub-varsity and many track athletes showed up as Crazies, painting themselves with brown and blue paint and sprinting around the course, waving the team banner, and relentlessly chanting "TUXC!"

The Jumbos all had impressive races, with Justin Chung leading the way in 8th place with a time of 25:58, earning All-New England honors and giving him a berth in the NCAA Division III National meet next Saturday at Wilmington College in West Chester, Ohio. Other individuals earning All-New England honors were Josh Kennedy (26th place, 26:27), and Nick Welch (35th, 26:35). Rounding out the Jumbos' top seven were Dave Sorensen, Jesse Faller, Chad Uy, and Peter Browne, who finished in 45th, 66th, 83rd, and 123rd, respectively. Having been ranked 10th in the region coming into Saturday's race, Tufts moved up to capture 5th place overall.



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