Hard-Fought Podium Finish at NE Champs

(2/21/2012 10:11 AM) Full Results

Every February, the Jumbos gear up for the Division New England Championships. Here, they go head-to-head with some of the best squads in the country. The occasion requires athletes to stretch themselves, as they compete in two, sometimes three events -- all to earn their team a coveted spot on the podium. This Saturday at Springfield College, the current crop of Jumbos epitomized the tenacity it takes for a team to succeed at this meet. The Jumbos marshaled spirit and grit and came together as a unit to take home some hardware.

Few brought more visible passion to the competition than junior pole vaulter Brad Nakanishi. No stranger to big-meet pressure, Nakanishi's set a lifetime best at 4.85m to win the event and put himself in contention for a trip to NCAAs. Perhaps more impressive, Nakanishi’s effort came at a crucial point in the meet and galvanized his teammates to surpass perennial foe, Williams College.

Junior Gbola Ajayi answered the call and grabbed second place in both the long and triple jumps. His leaps of 6.84m and 14.15m, the latter a PR, scored more points for the team than any other Tufts athlete. Gbola’s lock-down performance will no doubt push him forward in the coming weeks as he looks to post national caliber marks. In the sector, freshman Brian Williamson kept the momentum going with his precocious third-place finish in a loaded shot put field. The war cry he let loose after every toss could be heard by anyone in the building.

On the distance side, junior Matt Rand lead the Tufts 5k crew as they passed through the rest of the field like a wrecking ball. Earlier that week, the 5k squad decided they would work as a group to maximize event points. With eleven laps to go, Rand unleashed an all-or-nothing surge, pulling juniors Tyler Andrews and Kyle Marks along with him. The move paid dividends, propelling Rand to his first New England title on the track. Marks throttled down with 800 to go for sixth, while Andrews PR'd to nab eighth and a point.

The mid-distance crew also had an accomplished day. In the final lap of the 1000m, sophomore Bobby McShane moved from 6th to 3rd and set a PR of 2:30.55. Hungrier than ever, McShane continued his breakout day by anchoring the 4x800m relay squad in 1:57 for fourth. Junior Adam Brosh, freshman Aaron Roseman, and junior Jeff Marvel, coming off his fourth-place run in the 800, set up the relay perfectly. Senior captain Connor Rose continued to show his skills at the mile. He placed 6th place in a tactical championship race.

Sophomore Graham Beutler led an up-and-coming sprints contingent with a seemingly effortless runner-up finish in the 200m. More impressive was that he came within a quarter-second of his weeks-old PR of 22.34 -- set on the bank at BU -- with an astounding flat-track 22.57. He doubled back in the 400m and rounded it out with a leg of the 4x400m. Joining him were junior Vinnie Lee, sophomore Daniel Lange-Vagle, and senior Ben Crastnopol, who continued their winning ways with an inspired fourth-place effort only to be disqualified on an alleged lane violation.

Still, the team pressed on. Other notable performances included Andrew Osborne’s fourth-place finish in the heptathlon. Not to be outdone, fellow heptathlete Allan Yau, encapsulated what is asked of a Tufts competitor at this meet. Yau, a freshman, PR’d by 700 points, with individual PRs in all seven events. Sophomore David Sutherland also set a new best in the vault, even while coming in at a higher opening height than ever before. Finally, adding to the slew of PRs were frosh Marshall Pagano and sophomore Benji Hansen in the 3000m.

They say energy is neither created nor destroyed, but the Jumbos built up a lot of it from somewhere this weekend. They'll use it next weekend when they return to Boston University for the Open New England Championships in search of PRs and national qualifiers. Combining the intensity they brought at New Englands with BU’s fast track, the Jumbos are primed for outstanding performances.


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