Matt Rand, Men's Track and Field
Sophomore Matt Rand continued to show his dominance on Saturday at the Conn. College Invitational. In a field of 225 competitors, which featured runners from Divs. I, II and III, Rand took fifth in 25:47, only eight seconds out of second place.
Despite gusts of winds as high as 50 mph that slowed down the field, Rand's time on the eight-kilometer course was just three seconds off his PR of 25:44, which he ran last Saturday at the Open New England Championships.
Rand's performance led Tufts to a first-place finish in the competitive meet, tying Div. I UConn with 59 points, less than half the score of any of the other 17 teams, which included several Div. III New England schools such as MIT and NESCAC opponents Conn. College and Trinity. Saturday's finish was both the team's and Rand's highest placing in a meet this year.
On a deeper and stronger squad than in years past, Rand has established himself as a dependable and promising leader for the Jumbos, finishing as their first runner in each of the team's four meets. And as the squad prepares to enter the championship season, Rand is still on the rise.
Jamie Love-Nichols, Women's Soccer
With senior co-captains Sarah Nolet and Carrie Wilson both sidelined late in Saturday's crucial conference match with Trinity, it was up to the rest of the team to step up. Junior Jamie Love-Nichols was up to the task, scoring a monumental goal for the Jumbos in their road contest.
In the 55th minute, a cross from classmate Lauren O'Connor bounced around the box before falling to the foot of Love-Nichols. She wasted no time slotting the game-winner into the upper corner. It was her third goal of the season and propelled the Jumbos to a 1-0 victory on the road. She also had a team-high five shots during the game.
Big goals are nothing new for Love-Nichols, who has been making up for lost time after not starting for much of her sophomore year. Her goal on Saturday was her second game-winner of the year, and could not have come at a more important time.
With three games left in league play, Tufts now controls its own destiny, and with the strong play of their young core of forwards led by Love-Nichols, the team may be a few weeks away from a NESCAC title.
