Another Step Forward at Open NEs

(10/9/2010 3:30 PM) See more Photos     Full Results

320-plus bodies on the line. Dozens of coaches yelling splits. Hundreds of fans. As an athlete taking part, it's easy to feel as though Open New Englands is little more than barely controlled chaos. It's not uncommon to see a 27:45 guy go out in 4:52, or for a All Region returner to find himself running through a seemingly endless sea of bodies. So it is every second weekend of October that the men of TUXC find themselves on the line at Franklin Park squaring off against the best New England teams in all divisions.

But 2010 proved to break with tradition. Where years past have seen the varsity squad struggle to pack up in the commotion, the top 7 this weekend had an impressive 58 second spread, with just 12 seconds between 3-6. All seven Jumbos in the varsity race set new PRs at 8k, several in the sub-v joining them in the feat. In total, an unprecedented 13 Jumbos ran 26:59 or better, nearly doubling the next best year of sub-27 performances (7 in 2006, and 6 in 2009 and 2004 when TUXC went on to win the Region). Granted, a firm course and clear 64 degree afternoon led to fast times across the board. But with just two seniors in the top 28, the future looks bright.

Leading the way for the Jumbos' 17th place team finish was the fiery-cool sophomore tandem of Matt Rand and Kyle Marks in 54th and 68th place, respectively. Close behind in surely one the best XC races of his life was junior Scott McArthur, breaking into the top 100 at 95th in a PR of 26:11. Four rookies rounded out the top 7: freshmen Ben Wallis, Liam Cassidy, and Andrew Shapero, and sophomore Tyler Andrews stopping the tally as the 5th man. Given that it was only the 2nd real 8k of these rookie's career, it's safe to say that those PR's should continue to roll as they gain comfort with the event.

The sub-varsity race was no less impressive. Junior Connor Rose set a Franklin Park PR of 26:27 for 13th overall. Freshman Sam Goodwin chose a great time to cut over two minutes off his 8k best to run 26:48. Seniors Chris Brunnquell and Jeff Ragazzini tempoed through in 26:50 and 26:51 for a great workout. Sophomore Sam Haney and freshman Brian McLaughlin both took huge strides forward in getting under the 27 minute barrier. These six show that that top 7 is really a top 13 at least.

All in all, a solid day for the Jumbos. But TUXC knows more work is to be done. Tomorrow is another day. Open New Englands has already become a thing of the past. They've taken from it all that it can teach and moved on to another challenge. Specifically, look for the Jumbos to suit up next weekend at the Conn College Invite in New London, CT. The journey continues.



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