Jumbos emerge as runners-up at Conn. College Invite

The women's cross country team traveled to Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn. this past Saturday for the annual Connecticut College Invitational. Tufts, ranked No. 3 in the latest USA Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USATFCCCA) poll, fared well at the meet, narrowly losing first place to No. 4 MIT, 62 to 67.

Despite the windy conditions on the shores of Long Island Sound, times were quick. Temperatures hovered in the 50s, and the course was relatively flat and the ground dry and compact, creating ideal racing conditions. The Jumbos capitalized on this, and the top five scorers averaged a fast 22:02 for the six-kilometer course.

The race got out quick, as junior Abby Shafer of New England College bolted to the lead. Her lead grew until she was almost 100 meters ahead of second place, but in the end, this strategy caught up to her. JuniorMaryann Gong of MIT unleashed a ferocious kick over the final half mile to catch her and take the victory in 21:31.3.

The first runner to cross for Tufts was senior co-captain Audrey Gould, who took eighth overall in 21:48.8. A tight pack soon followed, as classmate Olivia Beltrani was three seconds behind in 21:51.6, good for 10th overall. Junior Kelly Fahey kept the momentum going for Tufts, crossing the line in 14th place with a time of 22:00.3. Sophomore Brittany Bowman was the fourth Jumbo harrier to cross the line, coming in at 22:08.3 and taking 16th overall. Junior co-captain Alice Wasserman rounded out the Jumbos' top five with her 22:23.5 time, earning her 19th place.

Junior Sam Cox and senior Lily Corcoran finished sixth and seventh for the Jumbos, respectively. Cox, who has raced her way into the top seven this season, had another impressive time of 22:30.2, taking 23rd overall. In a tremendous effort, Corcoran was right behind Cox in 22:34.3, shaving over a minute off of her six-kilometer PR and throwing her name into the hat as a possible number seven runner.

Bowman explained her strategy in the race, arguably one of her best races of her college career.

"I wanted to go into the race confident and ready to focus for all six kilometers," Bowman said.  "Normally I [go] into races letting the others dictate my race...but at Conn. I led my own race, with the motivation of others, staying mentally tough throughout."

While Wasserman acknowledged the role the weather played in the team's strong showing, she also attributed the fast times to the team's improvement over the season.

"The race conditions were great," Wasserman said. "The weather was great, and the course was not worn out. There were a few sandy spots, but generally, the terrain was smooth. It was a generally fast day with MIT in the mix, and our times as a team have drastically improved [in] the past two years that we have run this course. Our team is extremely deep this year, and we have been pushing each other to run fast and stay together."

Wasserman explained how the racers wanted to take as many MIT scalps as possible.

"Our strategy during the race was to use each other and communicate and go after MIT," she said. "It was the final meet of the season for a lot of our teammates, so everyone wanted to go for it and have a great race all together for the last time this fall."

Overall, Wasserman believes that the Jumbos won the day but does think some improvements need to be made going into the NESCAC Championships.

"Although we didn't win, we had a great day," she said. "We demonstrated how deep we are. I came in fourth for Tufts last year at this meet, and this year about 10 girls were ahead of that time. It has been really amazing to watch us improve together and truly race as a team ... However, I certainly think our top pack can improve and subsequently take the rest of the team with it. We definitely have more to show moving into post-season."

After a week off from racing, the Jumbos will lace up their spikes again on Oct. 31 at Wesleyan for the NESCAC Championships. Tufts is a strong favorite going into the race but will face stiff competition from Williams and Middlebury, both opponents that Tufts defeated at the Paul Short Invitational on Oct. 2.

"I think we have a real shot at winning NESCACs...but it will certainly be a fight," Wasserman said. "Our lineup is still being worked out, and these next weeks of training will determine who will fill out the lineup ... We are going to keep pushing hard because we know that NESCACs is where our work will really pay off ... How we do at NESCACs can certainly set the pace for how we finish off the season, and I think a lot of us are looking for some redemption after last year's performance at that meet. We are definitely ready to surprise people."