Fred Jones is National Champion, Dan Marcy 6th in Triple Jump

(5/25/2006) Full Results

Four Jumbos were accepted into the NCAA Division III Championships. This meet marks the culmination of the hard work for many athletes. The competition was held by Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. Hot temperatures had been in the forecast, something the Tufts athletes haven't seen much of in New England.

Before the jumbos arrived at the meet, they were greeted with some bad news. Christopher Kantos, an unexpected qualifier in the 10000 meter run, was forced to withdraw from the meet because of a back injury. Regardless, the men were not going to let the disaster that occurred at indoor nationals repeat itself.

Senior captain Jason Galvin started off the meet for the Jumbos on Friday afternoon in the Hammer Throw. Four years of solid improvement led to Jason's qualification in this meet. Just like many athletes before him, Jason learned that one's first time at Nationals can be very tough; however, he carried himself well under the pressure. Jason's best effort came on his first throw of the day (52.02). Unfortunately, his throw did not qualify him for the final. Jason had a great career at Tufts. He consistently improved in all his events. He added over 40 feet to his Hammer Throw since his freshman year. Jason was one of the most solid contributors to the team this season and his leadership will be missed.

On Saturday, Sophomore Dan Marcy and Junior Fred Jones competed in the Triple Jump. The conditions were the best of the season for these two athletes, and they made the most of the opportunity. Dan bruised his heel the previous week at the ECAC championships but put the pain aside for enough time to PR yet again. His jump of 14.57/47-9.75 earned him sixth place and All-American honors. For Fred, this was the first national meet since his freshman year where he didn't compete in the long jump. While disappointed, Fred was determined to do something special in the triple. On his third jump in the preliminary round, Fred jumped over 15 meters for the first time. His mark of 15.11/49-7 would hold up as the leader and Fred earned his first National Championship. Oddly enough, this was Fred's first victory in any event this outdoor season. He picked a great time to get it though.

This concludes the 2005-06 campaign for the Jumbos. Their work is by no means over as most will begin summer training in the upcoming weeks.



Full Results