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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Jumbos earn at-large bid to Nationals

2014-11-17-Cross-Country-Regionals-1
Junior co-captain Alice Wasserman led the Jumbos to victory this past weekend at the Codfish Bowl.

This past weekend, the women's cross country team went into the NCAA Div. III New England Regional Championship in Williamstown, Mass., determined to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championship meet held next weekend in Mason, Ohio. Although the race didn't go as planned, the Jumbos placed sixth overall, and because of the depth of the New England region, they were able to earn an at-large bid to the national meet.

The top two teams from each region qualify for the national championships automatically, while the teams who place third through sixth wait to see if their efforts earn them an at-large bid to the meet. Typically, most regions in the nation may earn one or two at-large bids, but due to New England's depth, this year's committee chose four teams from the region to race at nationals, in additional to the two automatic bids given to the top two teams in the region. A number of factors go into the decision, including performance at the regional meet as well as teams' performances throughout the season. The Jumbos had a strong start to their season this fall, capped off by a US No. 10 national ranking in the middle of the season, which gave them a strong case to be considered for nationals.

Temperatures at Mount Greylock High School were in the mid-30s. Although there was a coating of snow covering much of the area, the ground was soft and compact, setting the stage for relatively fast times over the challenging course.

"The race was a lot colder than it was the last time we raced at Williams at the Purple Valley Classic in September, where temperatures were in the 80s," sophomore Kelly Fahey said. "It was definitely more challenging, but coach Morwick bought us gloves and long sleeves to wear under our uniforms, which really helped take the chill off."

Junior Audrey Gould led the Jumbo herd with her third-place, 21:51.8 time over the six-kilometer course. She hung tight in the pack for most of the race, before making her move toward the end of the race at the top of the largest hill on the course. Middlebury senior and NESCAC champion Alison Maxwell was second overall, just out-kicking Gould in 21:48.8, while MIT sophomore Sarah Quinn, who has dominated Div. III all season, ran away with the individual title in 21:39.9. Fahey returned to form as the Jumbos' number-two runner, earning herself All-New England status with her 32nd place finish in 22:52.2. Junior Olivia Beltrani was a few ticks behind, placing 44th in 23:04.4. Sophomore Alice Wasserman was next for Tufts, placing 53rd overall in 23:20.0 and junior Michele de Mars rounded out the scoring for the Jumbos, claiming 75th place in 23:44.0. First-year Sara Stokesbury finished sixth for the Jumbos, placing 76th in 23:45.1, while sophomore Sam Cox, fresh off a quality performance at last week's ECAC meet, was seventh for the Jumbos in 78th place in 23:46.9.

"Ideally we were racing for fourth or fifth place, but we ended up coming in sixth." Fahey said. "Because of that we were anxious to hear back if we would receive an at-large bid for nationals, but we were hopeful because we had a strong season leading up to the championship races."

De Mars, Tufts' fifth runner, explained that her strategy for the race was to start conservatively.

"I knew I wanted to go out more conservatively than I did at NESCACs, so I was aiming for a more controlled first mile," de Mars said. "Then I focused on using my teammates to push me through. All season, we have done well when we race together, and Saturday was no exception."

"The key for us as a team for the meet was to stay relaxed and focused," Fahey said. "We always want to run every race like we run our workouts."

The energy of the "Tufts crazies," as they are known, also pushed the girls to their limits in their races. Over 100 members of the cross country and track teams, as well as members of the men's and women's crew teams, made the trek all the way out to Williamstown, clad in brown and blue body paint.

"The energy of over 100 Tufts students covered in body paint holding giant heads of the runners and waving the Tufts flag was surreal," Fahey said. "They lined the course and chanted cheers that motivated all of us to run faster. We had by far the largest fan turnout at the meet, and we were thankful that we have such a supportive fanbase."

"Suddenly, as the gun went off, we became swept up in the energy and the 'crazies' lining the course," de Mars added.

Although the team started off strongly, faltering slightly in the championship part of the season, de Mars had nothing but praise for the squad.

"I was extremely proud of all the work we put in this season and the great strides that many of our girls have made," she said. "Obviously, I thought we deserved a spot at nationals, and I was hoping the committee would agree, but I knew that either way I am extremely grateful to be apart of TUXC."

The Jumbos will head to Mason, Ohio on Thursday for Saturday's National Championship meet. Last year, the team finished 13th overall at this meet.The Jumbos lost four of last year's top seven due to graduation, but will still aim for a better performance as they have a strong group of girls with the potential to get the team a top-10 finish.