MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Freshman Chris Gregory's time of the 49.07 seconds in the 400 meters topped several good performances as the Tufts men's outdoor track & field team opened the 2015 season at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational hosted by Coastal Carolina University Thursday through Saturday.
Ninth out of 44 runners at the meet, with only D1 competitors ahead of him, Gregory's time currently ranks fourth in Division III early in the outdoor season.
Senior co-captain Marshall Pagano ran the nation's 10th-best 3,000-meter steeplechase with a 9:47.05 finish at the meet. He was seventh out of 24.
Also in the national top 10 following the spring break competition was Jumbo junior Alex Karys in the decathlon. His score of 5,427 points was seventh at the meet and 10th nationally early in the spring.
Two other Jumbos had top 20 national performances at the meet. Sophomore Luke O'Connor ran a 15:03.38 in the 5,000 meters for a #12 national ranking. He was sixth out of 44 at the meet. Freshman Linus Gordon won the 26-man long jump with a best mark of 21'6" (6.55m), which is currently #17 on the national performance list.
Junior Atticus Swett had Tufts' top throws in the shot (45'3 1/2 - 13.80m), discus (137'0" - 41.76m) and javelin (162'9" - 49.61). He was 15th at the meet in all three events, each featureing more than 40 competitors. Senior co-captain Brian Williamson added a 146'8" (44.71m) hammer throw for 20th out of 48.
Sophomore Nick Usoff posted a time of 56.70 in the 400-meter hurdles.
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