Jumbos Defeat Alum to Break Two-Year Losing Streak

(9/17/2014 1:21 PM) Full Results

For the past two years, the Jumbos have suffered crushing defeats at the hand of their former teammates. Excuses were being thrown around left and right, with words like “tempo run” and “workout” clouding the integrity of the event. This year, the alumni came into the race as heavy favorites to reclaim their crown. Connor Rose, speaking for the alumni group, said in a private message before the race “we are going to go 1-4 obviously,” and with regards to the core pack of current Tufts runners “I think Scott could beat ‘em. He’s a beast.” Even the current athletes were prepared for the worst. Co-Captain Nick Guarnaccia said the Wednesday before the race “I think we’re totally screwed.”

Despite all of this trash talk and self-pity, the Jumbos still managed to get themselves to the line for the race. The current team got off to a strong start, taking a lead and pulling the pack to a fast first mile. As the group climbed the Packard Ave hill for the first time, Matty “Ice” Rand started to pull away from the pack. Rand, well known for cheating, used the ice water in his veins to cool himself off in the 90 degree heat, and easily ran away to victory in the race.

The front group began to spread out, with former athlete/coach Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot being chased by lead Jumbo Nick Guarnaccia. The real race began to develop behind them. Kyle “Fire” Marks proved no match for the heat, and the blistering 5:15 opening mile began to take its toll on one of the pre-race favorites. Marks would fade outside of the top 10 in a disappointing finish. The Jumbos used their intimate knowledge of the course to put on a strong move in the 2nd mile, utilizing the hot downhill section of the course to put themselves in a strong position. A pack of 2014 alums, Shapero, Wallis, and Norton, tried desperately to hold on to their recent stardom, only to discover that one has to run in order to be good at running. In what can only be described as a changing of the guard, Jumbos Nichols, Pagano, Traester, and O’Connor began to separate themselves from their former peers.

With a mile to go, the situation was bleak for the alumni. Despite holding the 1-2 positions, the Jumbos were dominant in the 3-7 spots, and not much would change. Scott did in fact prove to be a “beast,” holding down the fort as the 3rd alum in the 8th spot, followed closely by Norton. Freshman “phenom” John Greenberg and McCrory did a great job as 6-7 men, displacing the Mean Bean and Shapero to steal some points and ensure a decisive victory. In what onlookers described as “the best kick of his life,” Wallis was able to surge by teammate Shapero, but was no match for the younger talent ahead of him. Once the dust settled, the Jumbos came out on top, defying all odds and reaching a convincing 24-33 victory over the Alumni.

Further down the list, the confident Connor Rose barely cracked the top 20. Some of the older alums, including Rod Hemingway, Brian McNamara, and Chris Kantos showed that they still have it, defeating the likes of 5 time all-American Mitchell Black. Black will look to have a redeeming performance at a 5k or 8k later in the season.Thank you to all of the Alumni for coming out this year and braving the heat. We hope to see you all again next year.


Full Results