WILLIAMSTOWN - Sophomore Luke O'Connor, who won the season's first race at Bowdoin two weeks ago, paced the Tufts men's cross country team again today finishing ninth at the Purple Valley Invitational hosted by Williams College at Mount Greylock High School. That led Tufts to fifth place overall out of 21 teams.
O'Connor covered the eight-kilometer course in 26:31.5 to score first for Tufts. The Jumbos totaled a 120 score overall. NESCAC foe Colby College won the Invitational with a 55 score. Tufts was fourth among conference teams.
All five Jumbo scorers finished within 46 seconds of each other. Senior co-captain Nick Guarnaccia was second for Tufts with a 26:59.2 finish that was 22nd overall. Sophomore Tim Nichols was right on his tail in 27:00.7 for 23rd individually.
Senior co-captain Marshall Pagano crossed the finish line in 27:17.2, fourth for Tufts and 36th overall. He was followed by classmate Colin McCrory in 37th place with a 27:17.9 time.
The Mount Greylock course will be the site of the NCAA Regional Championship in November, where Tufts will hope to qualify for the NCAA Championship race. With many of the teams they will face in that race in action today at Williams, the Jumbos proved they can contend for a fourth straight Nationals berth.
Sophomore David Chelimo from Colby won today's race in 25:42. The Invitational featured 236 competitors overall.
Head coach Ethan Barron's Jumbos are idle next week before running in the at NEICAA Championships at Franklin Park in Boston on October 11.
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