Spring is Here - PR's All Around

(4/21/2007) See more Photos     Full Results

The long awaited and much anticipated spring weather finally made its first real appearance this April as the Tufts University Track & Field teams tested themselves at the MIT Spring Invitational. Saturday?s competition proved to be a small, yet high quality meet that included teams such as UMass Lowell, Stonehill, MIT, and others. Expecting great weather for the first time this outdoor season, the potential for both season and lifetime bests was reaching its highest point all spring. Such expectation and potential were exceeded and then some.

Jump-starting the day (pun intended) would be the solid pole vault performances of Kenny Kang and James Rogers. Following up last weeks 13-3 performance by decathlete, Skip Pagel, Kang added his own 13-3 PR to the mix. Kang was followed closely by Rogers? 12-3 collegiate PR. Right alongside the pole vault runway captain Fred Jones battled a head-wind to take 1st place in the long jump with his jump of 22-4. Later in the day Jones would lead a trio of Jumbo triple jumpers to the finals. His leap of 48-0 was good enough to qualify provisionally for the national championships this spring in Wisconsin. Finishing just back on Jones were junior, Dan Marcy, and freshman, Ikenna Acholonu. Marcy was impressive in his first meet back from injury distancing a jump of 44-2 from a shortened approach. Ikenna Acholonu posted his best series of the outdoor season and seems to be rounding into form as the team prepares for its championship season. Finishing off the jumping events would be the Jeremy Arak and James Bradley. The two jumpers grabbed to top 2 spots in this weekend?s competition with their matching 6-5 jumps.

On the track, the Jumbos faired equally as well as they did on the runways. In the men?s 1500m, both Jesse Faller and Billy Hale qualified for the New England Championships with their times of 4:03.77 and 4:04.42 respectively. They were followed by a large handful of PR?s from the rest of the Jumbo milers. Seeing their teammates run so well and to not be shown up by their middle distance counterparts, those competing in the 800m also decided to put up their own solid performances. Leading the way was captain, Nate Cleveland (1:57) followed closely by Dan Sullivan (1:58) and Jason Hanrahan (1:58).

With such great momentum throughout the day, even putting 10 hurdles in the way couldn?t stop the flow of PR?s for the Jumbos. Jared Engelking started off the onslaught of hurdle PR's when he trimmed off another 0.19 seconds with his 110H race. In the quarter hurdlers, Nate Scott, Andrew Longley, and Dave McCleary would all reset their personal bests this weekend, while Trevor Donadt tied his. Scott?s 56.27 led the way followed by Longley?s 56.36 and McCleary?s 57.24. McCleary would follow up his 400IH PR with another in the javelin. His toss of 174-10 was good enough for 2nd place. Juniors Joe Brown and David Igbalajobi also added strong performances in the throws this weekend posting qualifying marks in the hammer throw and discus.

Yet even with all the excitement of the day. The national qualifying jumps, PR after PR, gorgeous weather, Tufts would save the most exciting event for last. The two Tufts 4x400m relay teams raced neck and neck for 1600m only to have the outcome decided by less than 0.10 seconds. The two squads clocked in at 3:20.56 and 3:20.65. With 3 consecutive hand offs made simultaneously the 8 athletes ran stride for stride this weekend with the only differentiating feature being senior Dustin Virgilio?s literal dive across the finish line to out-lean freshman Scott Brinkman.

This weekend?s MIT Spring Invitational marked the end of the regular season for the 2007 Jumbos. Tufts? championship meets begin next weekend at Middlebury College with the NESCAC Championships. Tufts has finished 2nd place at the past two NESCAC Championships and looks to improve on last year?s 118.5 point showing.



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