With the men's cross country team's top 12 athletes resting this weekend, younger members of the squad stepped up to the scoring positions for Tufts at the Conn. College Invitational Saturday, demonstrating the Jumbos' depth.
The team had to fight tough conditions, with 25−35 mph winds blowing on the 8,000−meter waterfront course at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn., but several runners still emerged from the day with new personal bests.
Sophomore Jake McCauley led the squad, finishing 20th among 211 competitors in a new 8k best time of 26:37.
"I moved up really well and I went out pretty comfortably. Things just finally clicked for me," said McCauley, who suffered a streak of injuries last year that prevented him from racing to his potential. "It was nice working with everyone on the team. Guys 13 [and up] were really focused on performing well for the team."
Freshmen Cyrus Cousins and Joe Poupard were the next Jumbos across the line in 31st and 33rd, respectively, with times of 26:57 and 27:05. Sophomore Jamie Norton and senior Jeff Prescott rounded out the scorers. Norton crossed the line in 43rd with a time of 27:18, while Prescott finished 45th in 27:26. Junior Luke Maher was just one second behind them in 47th place.
With 172 points, the Jumbos took seventh among the 14 teams present, an impressive finish for the smaller Tufts squad that competed against teams from Div. I, II and III. Southern Connecticut State (Div. II) won the meet with 52 points, placing their top four runners among the top five overall finishers, including Brian Nill, whose 25:27 8k was the fastest of the day. The squad from host Conn. College earned the runner−up spot with 75 points.
Last fall, Tufts, racing in full force, tied Div. I UConn to win the meet with 59 points.
"Everyone was working with each other so we could see how our second or third seven could stack up among varsity of other teams," Prescott said. "Having freshmen right in the middle of that is great to see because this [season] is their first time running 8ks, and guys like Luke and Jake who have been running for a while stepped up to help lead those freshmen to run great races."
The opportunity to finish in scoring position added a new intensity to the day for some Jumbos.
"It was just a completely different level of competition and drive," Prescott said. "Many guys found themselves in top−seven positions, so our lead pack Saturday, which is normally mid−way through the team, found themselves among varsities of other teams. A lot of us went out with a faster pack more aggressively … A mile and a half in, we could see the leaders, which is not a position we are usually in."
"It was a cool feeling to have that pressure of running for your team," McCauley added. "A lot of guys come from high schools where we were the top runners, but being in such a talented program here, sometimes you have to run for yourself more than just for the team. So Saturday brought a different mentality knowing your team is counting on you."
For many Jumbos, Saturday concluded their season, which for the seniors meant the end of their collegiate cross country careers.
"During our team huddle we recognized that it might be the last race for [senior co−captain] Erik Antokal and Jeff Prescott, so we definitely wanted to run our best to support those guys," McCauley said. "Erik had a great race and he moved up a lot during it, and Prescott ran phenomenally and he is looking to have a great track season."
The experience was brought full−circle for Prescott, who began his cross country career in Connecticut during high school and returned to conclude his collegiate era in the sport.
"Knowing it was my last race of the season, I kind of just had fun with it and I think a lot of our guys did … It being my last race got my adrenaline and emotions high and I ran aggressively — kind of throwing the race plan out the window," said Prescott, who dropped 34 seconds from his 2010 27:59 finish at the Conn. College Invitational. "It was a good ending. The whole idea of consistently improving while staying healthy is my goal, especially with long term track goals in the future."
On Saturday the Mayor's Cup at Franklin Park in Boston will see an even smaller Tufts squad, composed of some middle−distance athletes and others looking for an opportunity to end their seasons on a higher note. The top 15 Jumbos are now preparing for the championship season, beginning with NESCACs on Oct 29th, which will feature Tufts' top 12 athletes.
