MEDFORD - The Men's Cross Country New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference first team announced yesterday includes sophomore Walter Wagude of Tufts University.
In the conference championship race on Sunday in Manchester, Connecticut, Wagude placed fifth. He clocked in at 25:17.6 in the 8K race. He finished five seconds behind fourth-place Graham Tuohy-Gaydos of Williams. The top seven finishers made the NESCAC All-Conference first team, with the next seven making the NESCAC All-Conference second team.
Wagude is the first Tufts runner to make the All-Conference first team in the past five seasons. Tim Nichols and Luke O'Connor are Jumbos who made the first team with first and second place finishes in 2016, respectively. Colin Raposo earned a spot on the All-Conference second team in 2018.
His fifth-place finish helped the Jumbos secure a fourth-place team score out of 11 teams, an improvement from their eight-place finish in 2019. Tufts earned fourth place with 121 points.
To this point Wagude has had a very successful season. This includes his first-place finish in the first competition of the season - the Trinity College Bantam Invitational on September 11. He ran the 5K race in 16:21.2 for the win. He won the NESCAC Performer of the Week back on September 13 for his effort. In three other races he has placed third, 16th and 22nd respectively.
The next race Wagude will participate in is the NCAA New England Championships on Sunday, November 7. It will take place at Franklin Park in Boston.
> 2021 NESCAC Men's Cross Country All-Conference Teams
Written by Dani Vittori, Athletic Communciations Intern
