Alumni Men 3-peat - Tufts Women Reclaim Crown

(9/4/2009) See more Photos     Full Results

There is no better way to kick off the Labor Day Weekend festivities than with the Alumni BBQ/5k. This past Saturday, more than 100 parents, alumni, athletes, and coaches met at the Tufts Vet School for the running of the 2009 Alumni BBQ. It may sound odd to "run" a BBQ, but one has to realize that the Alumni BBQ is just that, a BBQ. It simply has a 5k dual meet dropped in right before the grill gets fired.

To the credit of the alumni, the men have successfully defended their crown for the 3rd consecutive year. And as a coach, I could not be more excited about that fact. Seeing alumni continue to have a desire to run, train, and compete beyond their four years of college is a great thing. For all of them, running is a lifetime sport. For some of them, it is even more.

Each member of the Alumni�s Top 7 brought their considerable experience competing on the national level in both cross country and track. Their racing experience helps as the Alumni BBQ has since been dubbed �Alumni Nationals� in many circles. Together, Matt Lacy, Nate Brigham, Dave Sorensen, Matt Fortin, Aaron Kaye, Brian McNamara, and Neil Orfield have raced at well over 10 XC national championships, have six All American honors, countless regional accolades, and seven current or past school records.

This years race was the maiden voyage for the class of 2013 on the Tufts home course in Grafton, MA. It marked the first time that the entire 2009 TUXC squad toed the line together. After alumni Matt Lacey and Nate Brigham took the top two spots, the Jumbos top finisher Jesse Faller crossed the line. Right on his heals was another alumni in the form of David Sorensen. Once the Alumni team picked up the 1, 2, 4 spots, the race was all but decided.

Junior Chris Brunnquell did all that he could to stop the bleeding crossing the finish line in 5th place. Brunnquell's strength and solid summer training were evident in his relaxed effort at this years Alumni Run. Rounding out the rest of the Top 6 for the Jumbos were seniors Nick Welch, Ryan Lena, Billy Hale, and Jason Hanrahan. Following the quartet of seniors was the first freshman finisher in the form of Matt Rand. Right behind Rand was a slew of Tufts finishers including sophomore Connor Rose and fellow freshman Kyle Marks.

On the women's side, the alumni/coaches team had a strong front three, but couldn�t overcome the depth of the current roster. Cat Beck, Caitlin Malloy, and Mandy Williams started off the women with a great 1, 2, 3 punch, but it would be the womens pack taking the 6-10th spots that would help them reclaim the crown from the alums.

But ultimately, it was the weather and the BBQ that outperformed all at the Alumni BBQ this year. As the numbers steadily grow, the reuniting, stories, weddings, and children (future Jumbos) become all the more exciting. I�m already looking forward to next year's competitive BBQ. Mark your calendar � Labor Day Weekend 2010.



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