SOMERVILLE - The Tufts University men's outdoor track & field team finished in first place at the Sunshine Classic hosted by the Jumbos at Dussault Track on Saturday.
Tufts' 4x100-meter relay combined for a time of 42.03 seconds at the meet that won a four-team race and ranks among the national top 50. The Jumbo team was junior Willy White, sophomore Luke Botsford, freshman Naheim Washington and junior Alex Lemieux.
Harry Rienecker-Found cleared 1.96m (6'5") to win the high jump, and sophomore Liam Garrison (pictured) had a 4.00m (13'1 1/2") best for first in the pole vault. Junior Drew Svoboda went 7.06m (23'2") for first out of 11 in the long jump, and senior Ben Stein won a three-man triple jump (12.60m - 41'4 1/4").
Sophomore Luke Botsford won the 200 meters in 48.44 seconds, just 0.08 off his season best (48.36) which ranks 17th nationally. Freshman Jay Sharma's 55.90 won today's 400-meter hurdles.
Lemieux was second in the 200 meters in 22.10 seconds, and sophomore Jack Walsh placed second in the 1,500 meters (4:05.46). White was behind Sharma in the 400h at 55.92 seconds, while Svoboda was the runner-up in the high jump with a 1.91m (6'3 1/4") make. Junior Jackson Hemphill cleared 3.70m (12'1 1/2") for second in the vault and freshman Anthony Bhangdia's 6.51m (21'4 1/2") long jump was second.
Tufts had four top-five finishes in the throws. Freshman Eric Meyer's 47.03m (154'3") in the hammer throw was third. Freshman Matthew Carey had a 12.55m (41'2 1/4") best in the shot put for fourth. Fifths went to Meyer in the discus (39.09m - 128'3") and junior Milo Goode in the javelin (45.63m - 149'8").
Their team score of 212 won the meet for Tufts.
The Jumbos will open the championship season at NESCAC's next Saturday at Hamilton College.
