BOSTON - Even with the team's top 12 runners out of action, the Tufts men's cross country team was able to hold their own against some stellar competition at the Codfish Bowl in Boston on Saturday. The Jumbos placed all five scorers in the top 85 of the 286-man field to accumulate 219 points, good enough for seventh out of 24 teams.
NESCAC rival Bates won the meet with a score of 49, followed by Boston University with 77 and Stonehill with 86. Rich Peters of Boston University ran to the individual title with a time of 25:11 over the eight-kilometer course.
Sloppy conditions were the story of the day. All competitors were forced to battle through puddles and mud, making it difficult to record an exceptionally fast time. Nonetheless, the Jumbos were able to assemble some solid early-season performances
Fifth-year senior Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (Brookline, MA) was able to hold on after a 4:50 opening mile to finish first for Tufts and 33rd overall with a time of 27:03. Only four seconds and two places behind Eisenberg-Guyot was sophomore Andrew Shapero (Laguna Beach, CA). The third Tufts finisher was another sophomore in the form of Jake McCauley (Darien, CT) who finished 52nd overall with a time of 27:27
The final point-scorers for the Jumbos were sophomore Bobby McShane (Mansfield, MA) and freshman Justin Rheingold (Potomac, MD). McShane came in 71st with a time of 28:02, while Rheingold recorded a solid eight-kilometer debut with a time of 28:13, good enough for 83rd overall.
Rounding out the top seven for Tufts was senior Jeff Prescott (Wilton, CT), who crossed the line in 86th place with a time of 28:23, and freshman Cyrus Cousins (Barrington, RI) who finished only three seconds behind Prescott to take 88th overall.
Considering the Jumbos were without their varsity runners, the seventh place finish in a field of 24 teams from all divisions was certainly an impressive showing. The strong finish is a testament to the depth of this year's squad.
Coach Ethan Barron's team will take next weekend off from racing before venturing back to Franklin Park on October 8 to compete in the Open New England Championship.
Race results
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