Tufts Battles Thru Mud for PRs at Mayors Cup

(10/24/2009) Full Results

For a handful of Jumbos, this weekends Mayors Cup Race would be a final race to their cross country seasons. The team traveled down the road to the historic Franklin Park on a picture perfect sunday morning. However, with the heavy rains for days before the race, the course was just as expected, a beat-up, sloppy mess. So with their big boy spikes in and the shoes laced extra tight, the squad was ready to take on a pair of Sunday races as two smalls squads of Jumbos toed the line in the Championship 5k and 8k races.

To start off the day the squad opened up with the 5k Championship race. Leading the way for the team was senior Matt Tirrell. Tirrell hung right with the lead pack the entire race, crossed the line in 6th place with a time of 16:47. The next Jumbo finisher was Jason Hanrahan who placed 12th overall with a time of 17:17. Rounding up the senior lead pack was Billy Hale. Hale, who despite taking a tough spill in the wilderness section of Franklin Park, finished strong and took 14th place and ran a time of 17:30. The top five were rounded up by freshman Drew Fuchs and sophomore Jeff Prescott. Both finishing 20th and 44th respectively.

To conclude the day of racing was the Men Championship 8k race. Here most Jumbos racing would be ending their season with this race and looking to do it on a high note. In a race filled with many elite local and national clubs the Jumbos were lead by first-year Andy Haskell. Haskell lead the team with his time of 27:42 and a very respectful 98th finish. Right on Haskell’s heels was yet another freshman, Sam Haney. Sam finished the race in 100th and clocked in at a time of 27:43. The next Jumbo finisher was yet another freshman, Luke Maher. Luke crossed the line in 104th place with a time of 27:54. Following Maher, to round up the top five were junior Corey Melnick and freshman Adam Brosh. Melnick and Brosh finished the race in times of 28:18 and 28:53 respectively.

With the day coming to an end and also a season for many, most Jumbos ended it with a high note on a course that was not at its finest. With four first-years in the top five of this weekends 8k and most of them PR'ing on a deplorable Franklin Park course, this Sundays races left many Jumbos excited to start up the indoor track season. On the other hand, with the top twelve Jumbos resting up for the NESCAC Championship next Sunday (11/1). The race served as motivation for them to go out and give there all. It proved the overall fitness of the TUXC squad this fall and their potential for a great showing at the conference championships next Sunday.


Full Results