Before swapping cards or candy hearts, the women's track and field team spent Valentine's Day weekend gearing up for the upcoming Div. III New England Championships with back−to−back meets at BU and MIT.
The Jumbos competed at BU on Friday and Saturday in the competitive and crowded Valentine Invitational. Sophomore Nakeisha Jones led the team on Friday and continued her streak of improvement in the triple jump, placing third out of 20 competitors with a 39−foot, 1.25−inch jump. Jones leapt almost seven inches past the NCAA provisional qualifying distance as early as Jan. 16 with a mark of 37 feet, five inches. Though her performance at BU on Friday ranks her comfortably at the best triple jump mark in Div. III this season, Jones was humble about her success.
"I did pretty well, but I know I can do better," Jones said. "It hasn't been my best season."
Having jumped 40 feet, 10.25 inches for the Tufts program outdoor record in 2009, her standards are high. Now, Jones is looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the pentathlon this weekend when she competes in the event at the Div. III New England Championships. Her teammate, senior co−captain Andrea Ferri, has already secured a slot in the pentathlon at the NCAA meet with a score of 3,023 points.
Tufts hovered around NCAA Div. III qualifying marks in several other events, keeping the Jumbos optimistic for the upcoming championship season. Tufts' 4x400−meter relay team was less than a second away from qualifying, with Ferri, sophomore Kayley Pettoruto and juniors Andrea Caruth and Kaylee Maykranz finishing in just a shade over four minutes.
Their impressive performance was due in part to Caruth, who had a strong weekend of 400−meter runs all around. Her time of 59.30 seconds in the open 400 was good enough for the 35th place out of 145 competitors in the event, and just 0.66 seconds away from the provisional mark.
"It was really exciting," Ferri said. "We're running a 4x400−meter race next weekend [at the New England meet], and we're a second away from qualifying for nationals. Andrea [Caruth] made a huge personal improvement on her 400s last weekend, and based on that, we know she's going to run well next weekend."
While the foursome hopes to place in the 4x400 for nationals, senior Logan Crane is still seeking a spot in the 55−meter dash at the NCAA Championships. She ran 7.45 seconds at the Valentine Invitational on Friday, just 0.16 seconds off the NCAA Div. III qualifying time and 0.27 seconds off her program record−breaking time of 7.18 for Tufts in 2008. Despite the strong times, Crane's performance was not enough to make the final in a stacked field.
At the non−scoring MIT Invitational on Saturday, sophomore Dayorsha Collins returned for her first meet this season after taking a hiatus to play for the women's basketball team. She cleared 5−feet, 5−inches in the high jump, just 0.25 inches from qualifying for nationals.
"I came back to track because I knew I could contribute to the team, and I missed my teammates and coach," Collins said. "I was definitely really nervous for my first meet back. I'm just trying to get back into it and jump the highest I can right now."
Though a spot in the high jump for the NCAA Championships looks feasible from her results at MIT, Collins is hesitant to get too far ahead of herself after her recent return to the sport.
"I don't want to think too much about nationals just yet," she said. "I'm focusing on the next meet and thinking about my team winning."
Junior Kanku Kabongo proved to be a triple threat at the Invitational on Saturday, taking all levels of the podium across her three events. She won the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 11.25 inches, grabbed second place in the 55−meter dash with a time of 7.73 seconds and took third in the triple jump with a mark of 34 feet, 11 inches.
The Jumbos presented a strong showing in several other events at MIT. Freshman Kelly Allen placed second in the shot put, while senior Julia Feltus snagged sixth place in the weight throw. Freshman Evelyn Orlando continued a strong first season for Tufts, placing fourth in the 3,000−meter with a time of 11:16.18. Sophomore Heather Theiss was the other top−five finisher for Tufts on the day, tying for fourth in the pole vault.
The upcoming New England Div. III Championships at the University of Southern Maine on Feb. 19−20 marks a shift in mentality for the women's team, according to Ferri.
"This is where it all comes together for us as a team," she said. "We unite — it's just a different atmosphere. Last weekend was all about doing our personal best, and the next meet is about placing and beating the competition."
Ferri said the Tufts team has an eye on rival Williams, a competitor it has not overcome since the Div. III meet in 2008.
"We always want to win this meet, so now it's more about doing the best you can to get the most points for your team, and I think we have a good shot," Collins said. "This year I've noticed a lot more people really into it, really focused in on doing what they need to do to contribute to the team."
"I think that we've all worked really hard and have a good shot at doing well," Jones added. "Of course I want to PR, but the win would definitely be more important. We all want to win this."
