After a month-long competitive hiatus, the women's track team is hungry to get back on track and regain the glory of last season. The Jumbos are well on their way to realizing that goal, with 13 runners qualifying for the New England Championships in their last outing. This weekend's Tufts Invitational meet will pit the women against tough competition on home turf and provide an opportunity for more exemplary performance.
In last semester's final meet - the non-scoring, Tufts-hosted Holiday Classic - the team saw many strong performances. Only the second of the season, the meet served as an opportunity for this young team to test its competitive arms and legs.
"The meet went well, I was impressed," senior co-captain Lauren Esposito said. "We want to try to get as many people qualified as early as possible. The earlier we do it the better so we can move people around and try them in different events."
Sophomores Shushanna Mignott and Amy Spiker, as well as junior co-captain Myriam Claudio had successful outings with excellent placings in two events. Mignott ran away with third in the 55-meter dash and leapt to fourth in the long jump, while Spiker raced to seventh in the 55 hurdles and soared to an impressive first place finish in the high jump with a jump of 5'2''. Claudio finished just behind Mignott in fourth place in the 55 race and tied for third in the pole vault.
Other notable performances included the freshman tandem of Claudia Clarke and Ayako Sawanobori, who raced to eighth and ninth places in the 55 dash, while sophomore Emily Bersin and freshman Sika Henry teamed up to take seventh and eighth in the 400 dash. Rounding out the sprints and middle distances were a third place finish by freshman Meghan McCarthy in the 600 race, and equally impressive third and fourth place finishes captured by freshman Katie Sheedy and Esposito, respectively in the 800 race.
In the longer distances, junior Mary Nodine took fifth in the 1000 run and senior Ellen Adams took seventh in the same event, while sophomore Lauren Caputo edged out stiff competition taking third in the 1500 run. The 5000 run found freshman Rachel Brandenburg, sophomore Katie Mason, and junior Sarah Foss crossing the finish line fourth, fifth, and sixth. The relay teams also left their mark, with the 4x200 relay team taking third place and the 4x400 relay team finishing fourth.
The throwers showed continued improvement on home turf. Freshman Katie Antle placed fifth in the shot put and eighth in the weight throw, and fellow freshman Jessica Colby took eighth in the shot put and tenth in the weight throw. Sophomore Jessica Gauthier ended up seventh in the shot put and captured fifth in the weight throw.
Due to inclement weather, the team could not make it to this past weekend's Dartmouth Invitational, but Gauthier found alternate means of transportation and participated as the sole Tufts representative. While there, she threw for a personal best in the discus, lofting it two feet farther than her previous mark.
With 2001 a distant memory, the team looks to the new year to realize its potential and match the last year's performance. While most of winter break saw the team practicing as individuals, the athletes did have the opportunity to start the semester about a week early as a team. During this early return the team held double practices, one an easier workout in the pool or cross training and the other a harder workout.
"It's hard to go home and train by yourself. This early return allows the team to get back into swing of things and provides some good opportunities for bonding," coach Kristen Morwick said.
Last year at the Tufts Invitational, the team coasted to an easy first place victory. However, with the loss of three key seniors and the addition of a few Div. I teams this time around that first place finish is unlikely. Instead the team is using the meet as a measure to see where its runners stand after winter training and in their first competitive venue in over a month. Teams such as UMass, Northeastern, Keene State, and Colby will provide stiff competition for the Jumbos.
"This will be a good meet to dictate the pace of the rest of the season. Most people will be competing and people are looking strong as they come back from break," senior Sarah Leistikow said.
While individual performances will be the main focus of this meet, team goals have also been set forth as the Jumbos get into the real meat of the season. Coach Morwick hopes to end the season with 25 to 30 Jumbos qualifying for the postseason and with Tufts sitting at third place in the overall standings.
"With such a young team it could be development year or could be a standout year. We're missing three studs this year but it's a strong team with a lot of potential. There are fairly high expectations, but if a lot of things go right for us the outcome will be what we want."
Even with their three studs put out to pasture by graduation, the team has proven thus far that it has the depth to overcome the loss. Saturday's Invitational will give the team a home field advantage as it goes out to display its depth and challenge each of its members.
@s:Team hopes to make up for losses
