Unpredictable Mother Nature Cannot Deter TUTF

(2/25/2013 6:17 AM) Full Results

For the first time in program history, the Tufts Men’s Track & Field had five meets on the docket this weekend. Luckily, only one of them took place. With winter storm Nemo due to shut down much of the Northeast this weekend—the governor enacted a statewide driving ban starting Friday afternoon—BU was forced to make the difficult decision of canceling their Valentine Invite, one of the biggest indoor meets on the east coast. That left a bevy of athletes looking to enter the Cupid Challenge, which, undeterred, Tufts vowed to put on.

And on Monday evening, after three rescheduled start times, the distance medley relay kicked off in the Gantcher Center. Despite 96 hours of uncertainty, the Jumbos brought the same intensity as if they were battling D1 talent at Valentine. No one where was that more evident than in the throws circle. Senior captain Curtis Yancy’s heave of 18.81m tied a facility and 62-year old school record in the weight throw and placed him in good position to travel to NCAAs in a month. Not only was Tom Bane’s 1951 record the oldest on the Tufts books, but it was a world record when it was set. The energy his throw set off was infectious, its first victim senior Andre Figueroa, who set his own lifetime weight throw best of 16.10m. Freshmen Alex Karys and AJ Fields set new marks in the shot put at 12.61m and 11.88m, respectively, and graduate student Adam Aronson stepped back in the ring for a 15.05m/11.51m double in the weight and shot.

On the runway, freshman Hee Jae An battled one-on-one with a UML jumper—the only other competitor in the triple—and let it power him to a PR of 12.12m, his first time over 12 meters. Frosh Bryson Hoover-Hankerson and junior Trevor Rothaus both grabbed third in the long jump and pole vault, respectively.

No worse for the wear after a bout with mono, junior Graham Beutler led things for the Jumbos on the track, winning the 200m in an impressive 22.65. In the mile, senior Sam Haney hung tough to dip under 4:20 and qualify for the New England Championships, an important step forward off the purely strength work he has done thus far. To wrap things up, first-year Michael Curley put together a studly debut 5000m of 16:01.74 despite racing much of the second half alone.

During a week of continual cancelations and changes due to Mother Nature, the Jumbos showed incredible poise. The unexpected can always happen in a meet. This weekend proved it can’t knock TUTF off course. Next week, Tufts takes on the rest of the region at the New England Championships at Bates.


Full Results