Tufts Breaks the Ice of 2008 Outdoor Campaign

(4/1/2008) Full Results

This past Saturday marked the start of the 2008 outdoor track season for the Tufts University Jumbos. One should know that simply reading through the results of this weekends meet could never fully impart the true experience for what these athletes, coaches, and fans endured . This year’s Snowflake Classic lived up to both its billing and its title. Cold temperatures, biting winds, and brief flurries kept the fans and athletes alike searching for any and all possible ways to stay warm.

After scattering across the globe for this year’s spring break the team reunited at campus for a week of practice followed by this Saturday’s opener. The morning began with the standard efforts to get the meet underway. Hurdles were set up, long jump pits tossed, PV and HJ standards zeroed, throwing sectors lined, but most memorably, the steeplechase water-pit had to be relieved of the ½ inch of ice encasing it. Already one of the most grueling events on the track, it was pretty obvious that this would not be one of your average steeplechases. In fact, in all, there was not much about this years Snowflake Classic that could be construed as average.

Just as with the indoor season, you can always count on the Tufts throwers to kick off the meet in grand fashion. This weekend, senior Joe Brown kicked off the outdoor season with a 14 foot PR finishing as the top DIII thrower, 3rd place overall. He finished less than 9 feet off the national qualifying standard. This also marked the first ever hammer competition for freshman Cullan Riley. It is safe to say that the Jumbos expect to see big things out of all three of the freshmen throwers in the coming seasons. It was near impossible to see too much success in either the shot put or discus throw this weekend as the frigid temperatures made it incredibly difficult to hold the implements. Just as you would not want to go around licking metal poles in freezing temperatures, holding onto a steel shot put in 20 degree weather is a less than ideal experience. Needless to say, it was a great learning experience for the Tufts throwers - one that showed us that a little warmth and sun will lead to some very impressive performances for the collective.

Meanwhile on the track, a trio of freshman made their debuts in the 10k. Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, Andrew Bellet and Chris Brunnquell all ran smooth, even races in their first ever foray into the 6+ mile event. Each qualified for the NESCAC Championships with their effort all coming in under 34:00, with Eisenber-Guyot leading the way with 33:06. Following the 10k, the Jumbo sprinters kicked off their outdoor season’s with the 100m and 110H trials.

Four hurdles earned berths to the finals with their strong performances running into cold headwinds. At the end of the day, the Engelking brothers, Jared and Derek would both come away with PR’s. The same 4.0m/s headwind that slowed all 100m runners, also had a similar effect on the 110 hurdlers. It would be more than a windy day for the steeplechasers up next. It would be a cold and wet day as well. In the same situation as the 10k runners, sophomore Nick Welch made his attempt at the 3k steeplechase. Out conservatively, Welch would move past the competition with a mile to go and cruise home for the win in a PR of 9:58.

Following the steeplechase, the Jumbos saw both 4x100m relay teams disqualified. Each team raced well considering the weather; however, mistimed handoffs in the 2nd exchange led to both teams disqualification. The 4x100m gave way to the 1500m run. With the race starting off in a pedestrian 70 second 1st lap, it quickly became a tactical race. Both Jesse Faller and Billy Hale ran incredibly smart races finishing 1st and 2nd place respectively. Rounding out the mid-distance events Scott Brinkman outkicked teammate Alex Landy to take home 1st place in the 800m run.

Each of the quarter mile distance events demonstrated its own element of excitement. The 400m hurdles gave way to three strong early season performances by sophomores Andrew Longley, Trevor Donadt and senior, captain Nate Scott. Leading the way in the 400m dash was junior Marvin Walker, a newcomer to the event. Finally, of the eight 4x400m relay teams in the meet, six of them were donning Tufts uniforms. It was a fitting end to a long day of competition. Every program besides Bates, Wheaton, and Tufts was smart enough to head back to the buses and warm up from a long day of competition. The Jumbos were not about to let a 4x400m relay on their home track pass unchallenged.

With the exception of a decathlon in two weeks, this concludes the home competitions for the 2008 campaign. All in all, it was quite an exciting year of home competitions. From the 1st annual Alumni Invitational to the Division III New England Championships, Tufts played host to a number of memorable contests. This year’s Snowflake Classic was no exception. Next week the team will be heading to Stonehill College’s new facility with a fuller squad as the weather continues to warm.


Full Results