MEDFORD – Senior Veer Bhalla running the nation's fastest time in the 800 meters capped a very successful day for the Tufts Men's Track & Field team at their own Cupid Challenge held in the Gantcher Center on Saturday.
Bhalla and juniors Luke O'Connor and Tim Nichols all ran national top 10 times in their respective events. Senior James Traester was just outside of the top 10 and freshman Josh Etkind broke a school record.
A 1:52.32 time in the 800 gives Bhalla the #1 in the nation mark as of Saturday night. He won the race by three seconds and his national mark is slightly more than one second faster than Lee Cattanach from Eastern Connecticut who has a converted time of 1:53.37.
Cross Country All-American Tim Nichols put himself in position to do the same on the track as he won Saturday's 5,000 meters in a 14:34.05 time. He edged Amherst's Mohamed Hussein (14:36.60) at the line with a time that is currently third in nation.
O'Connor and Traester teamed up in an exciting 3,000 meters for the Jumbos. O'Connor's 8:25.99 won the 29-man race and is ranked seventh nationally at the moment. Traester was close behind in 8:28.40 for third in race and 11th nationally.
Etkind's time of 8.49 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles final broke a six-year old school record. Jared Engelking had the previous mark of 8.50 from 2010. Etkind was fourth in the race as the meet featured a very competitive field.
In the weight throw, Tufts got a win from senior Atticus Swett in the shot put and had three of top five finishers in weight throw. Swett launched the shot put 48'8" (14.83m) for his victory. Senior Ife Adebayo was second in the weight throw at 47'8 ½" (14.54m), followed by senior Michael Paloian in third at 47'6 ¼" (14.48m), and Swett's 45'9" (13.94m) for fifth.
In other times and finishes of note, senior Bryson Hoover-Hankerson was third in the 60-meter dash final (7.29) after junior Blake Coolidge ran 7.24 in prelims. Junior Nick Usoff took third in the 600 with a 1:23.97. Senior Michael Curley recorded a 4:20.02 time in mile for fifth place.
Tufts will have competitors at Boston University's David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 12-13) and at the MIT Invitational on Saturday.
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