The calendar may still say April, but the men's track and field team will be kicking it into high gear tomorrow, as it travels to Middlebury for the NESCAC Championships.
The Jumbos have been impressive so far this season, notching strong performances in several competitions, including a first-place finish in the Coast Guard Invitational April 7. Although coach Ethan Barron's squad refuses to take anything for granted, it is still looking to strut its stuff tomorrow against some of the best teams Div. III has to offer.
"The morale of the team is very good right now," senior tri-captain Nate Cleveland said in an e-mail to the Daily. "People are really excited to get into this meet and lay it all on the line. This is our big team meet for the year so we are looking forward to it."
Tufts hope to draw on successful performances across the board, especially from a rookie class that has been nothing short of phenomenal all season long. Led by hurdlers Ikenna Acholonu and Jared Engelking, along with middle distance runner Billy Hale and sprinter Andrew Longley, this year's freshman class has constantly been turning heads and giving the team an extra jolt of energy.
"The freshmen are a huge part of the team numbers wise," Cleveland said. "If the case is the same as it was in indoors, they will be a large part of our success. We have a strong class of freshman with talent in many different event areas and their ability to step up this weekend will be an integral piece of the puzzle."
While the freshmen look to make a huge first impression in their first NESCAC Championship, the team will still lean on the core trio of senior captains Cleveland, Dave McCleary and Fred Jones, who have been staples of the program for the last four years.
"A team will turn to them for guidance and experience," Barron said in an e-mail to the Daily. "We have a very green team when it comes to the NESCAC Championships. Luckily, we have a very veteran team when it comes to big meets and championship races. This may be some athletes' first trip to NESCACs, but they've run in much bigger races than this before."
Although the Tufts lineup boasts a number of talented athletes, such as Cleveland, who has had a standout season in the middle distance events, and Jones, who has dominated the jumping scene once again, it will need to be firing on all cylinders if it wants to take the crown from the defending champion Williams Ephs.
"I think we have as good a shot as anyone at dethroning Williams for the title this year," Cleveland said. "I think if everyone has a quality performance in their individual events, we catch a couple of breaks and some guys throw down some PRs, we should be looking strong."
Championship-season success is also contingent upon the Jumbos maintaining focus and adhering to their usual routine as they head into NESCACs.
"The preparation this week is pretty similar to any other week for most people," Cleveland said. "For the most part, we are trying to keep things normal and relaxed."
Although the season is far from over, NESCACs kick off a new playoff season from the team, which should reenergize the team as it tries to overtake Williams for league supremacy.
"We try to give ourselves the best opportunity to win every meet while still minimizing costs to the team," Barron said. "We will be putting together a maximum effort this weekend."
While the Jumbos will be hoping that a season's worth of preparation and hard work can lead to a NESCAC Championship, Barron is confident his team has what it takes to walk out of Middlebury with its first championship banner of the season.
"NESCACs will be a battle," Barron said. "Williams is a very strong program as are we. We have one of the most balanced and talented attacks that Tufts has put forth in recent years. We will definitely be building on last season's performance."
