NEW GLOUCESTER, ME - Junior Luke O'Connor topped a field of 64 runners and the Tufts Men's Cross Country team was first out of three teams at the season-opening Bates College Invitational on Saturday.
O'Connor won the race by a healthy seven seconds with his 25:39.8 time across eight kilometers. This marks the second straight season he opens with a victory. O'Connor won the 2014 Bowdoin Invitational in a nearly identical time of 25:39.4.
The Bates race scored the top 10 finishers for each team. Tufts led with a 133 total followed by the host Bobcats at 152 and RPI at 180.
Four Tufts runners finished in the top 10. Behind O'Connor, senior co-captain James Traester was sixth overall in 26:34.4. Sophomore Tim Nichols recorded a 26:38.1 time to score third for Tufts and finish seventh overall. Freshman Christian Swenson made his collegiate debut with a ninth-place effort of 26:41.4.
Junior Michael Caughron was the fifth Jumbo across the finish line (26:58 flat). Rounding out the top 10 for Tufts were freshman Ryan Bird in 15th overall (27:03.08), sophomore Sam Little in 17th (27:08.2), freshman Matthew McDermott in 20th (27:12), freshman Dylan Jones in 21st (27:12.3) and freshman Brian Reaney in 24th (27:20.6).
The Jumbos run at Williams College's Purple Valley Classic next Saturday.
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