Jumbos Take Tumble at ECAC Championships

(11/8/2008) Full Results

One week after the NESCAC Championships the Jumbo XC squad headed down to Bristol, RI and Colt State Park for the ECAC Championships. With the top six from the previous week resting for the New England Championships, there was still a high level of confidence as Tufts toed the line for the gun. Five miles and five falls later Tufts would come away with a 16th place finish at this Saturday’s race.

Five spills? One is understandable in a field this size, two is a disappointment, three a shock, but five is way off the bell curve. The worst of the falls would claim Andrew Bellet only 400m into the race. Blindsided by a 3’ post in the middle of the course, Andrew was forced from the race at a very early juncture. Being the top finisher in the previous week, that would prove to be a difficult loss for the ECAC Seven. From their, the Jumbos would fight through four more falls, but none that would force anyone from the race.

Colt State Park is home to a very respectable XC course comprised of flat grass fields and soft wooded trails. However, it also proved to be a very difficult course for a race with 300+ participants. Each Jumbo felt that they surged off the starting line well; however most found themselves buried 100-150 places back from the lead at the 400m mark. After the first 600m, the course made the move into the woods for the first time. Here the race was forced to bottleneck down from 6-8 racers wide to 2-3 which had a drastic effect on the race’s pace.

With the majority of the first two miles run in the wooded trails, the Jumbos found themselves jogging through the first half of the race in a pedestrian 5:40+ pace completely unable to pass. From here all hopes of a time PR were abandoned and the focus was on moving up in the race. Upon exiting the woods loop, each Jumbo looked rested and ready to move up over the flat fields loops. Their fresh legs and hopes of advancing would eventually be thwarted by a string of right angles and hairpin turns.

When all was said and done, it appeared that the ECAC Championships was won or lost in the first mile. Teams that worked for solid position in the first 1/2 mile raced strong through the finish with clean sailing. Those that got out more conservatively found themselves running a much different race that resembled the start of a marathon more than a cross country race.

Consider it a lesson learned. When you need to get off the line well, you do what it takes to put yourself where you need to be. After a string of top 10 finishes dating back to the 1990’s, this weekend’s 16th place was a bit of a disappointment and in no way reflects the fitness of those competing. With one senior running in the top 14 for the Jumbos this fall, the future looks strong as the team moves forward from here.


Full Results