Tufts scores first-place finish in Bowdoin Invitiational

The women's track and field team traveled through the snowstorm to Brunswick, Maine on Saturday for the Bowdoin Invitational.Traditionally, this meet has been the smallest competition for the Jumbos during the indoor season, with numbers as low as four teams.However, this year was different with 11 teams signed up to compete. Although the Coast Guard Academy, Colby-Sawyer College and Keene State College cancelled due to the snow, Tufts competed strongly against seven other teams, finishing as the overall winner of the day with 137 points, outpacing second place Southern Maine (115 points).

The day started with the women's 5000 meters.First-year Olivia Nicholson had a huge race for the Jumbos as she rode a strong pace in the middle of the front pack to a fast time. Nicholson took second with a time of 18:51.79, a huge improvement from her 5k cross country times.The Jumbos also scored six points in the mile, as senior Meghan Gillis and Maine's own, sophomore Sam Cox, rode a very fast first 800 meters (2:34) to fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Most of the points on the day, however, came from juniors Alexis Harrison and Marilyn Allen. Harrison took second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.87, and won the long jump with a leap of 16' 11 1/2".She is surely rounding into the form she exhibited last year when she qualified for the Div. III Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter dash.Allen took second in the 60-meter hurdles, running 9.06 seconds, just 0.02 seconds behind Southern Maine's senior Peyton Dostie.

Allen later returned to win the 200-meter dash by 0.01 seconds over Wheaton sophomore Emily Gustavson, in a new personal best of 26.82 seconds.Sophomore Rita Donohoe also took third in the same event with a 27.22 second clocking.Donohoe later returned to help propel the 4x400-meter relay team of senior Lauren Gormer, sophomore Hannah Loss and freshman Julia Prusaczyk, as well as herself, to victory with a time of 4:06.15.

"I feel like my races went well yesterday considering my hamstring injury," Allen said. "I also think my starts have improved a lot this season, which have helped me improve a lot on my times. But, I still need to improve on my approach to the first hurdle."

In the mid-distance events, the runners had a very strong showing. Junior Sydney Smith led the charge in the 1000 meters, taking second overall in 3:08.08. Sophomore Alice Wasserman was not far behind in 3:10.45 for third, while first-year Sara Stokesbury also had a strong race in 3:12.15 for fourth. Gormer and Prusaczyk also scored 10 points for the Jumbos in the 600 meters, as Gormer ran 1:39.86 for third overall and Prusacyzk ran 1:41.08 for fourth overall.First-year Evelyn Heffernan took fifth in the 800 meters in 2:28.30.Smith and Heffernan later returned with Cox and first-year Prudence Saxto take the victory in the 4x800 meter relay in 9:58.95.

"The meet went really well; we won in team scoring which was awesome," Prusacyzk said. "I PRed in the 600 by three seconds which was huge for me, and unexpected because I was sick. We also won the 4x400 so it was nice to have a win with my teammates."

In the field events, sophomore Keren Hendel continued to vault well in the pole vault, placing third with a 10' 10" clearing.Sophomore Bailey Conner scored key points in the throws, as she took fourth in the shot put with a 36' 11 1/2" heave and second in the weight throw with a launch of 46' 8". First-year Amylee Anyoha also threw well in the weight throw, placing fourth with a 44' 3 1/2" throw.

This season, the majority of the team are underclassmen, but that has not stopped the squad from excelling.

"The transition from high school to college was pretty tough at first because now I'm training every single day, and the workouts are harder than anything I've ever done in high school," Prusaczyk said. "But after fall track, and as the season has progressed, I feel as though I have adjusted."

Allen hopes for a strong showing, both individually and as a team.

"Individually, I want to qualify for the Indoor Nationals in the [60-meter high hurdles]," Allen said. "But as a team, I would love to have a strong showing in the hurdles by all hurdlers. We have a few freshmen and sophomores who have a strong background in the hurdles and I am excited to see the hurdle presence grow this year."

The team has high hopes for the season, with the ultimate goal of a top-three finish at the Div. III New Englands.

"By season's end, we want to put our full effort into championship meets, and hopefully finish in the top three at Div. III New Englands," Prusacyzk said.

The Jumbos will be splitting their squad next week, as some will compete at Boston University's Terrier Invitational, while the rest will be at Tufts' own Stampede Invitational.