MEDFORD, MA (November 2, 2024) – In one of the closest NESCAC Men's Cross Country Championship races ever, the Jumbo team was in the hunt until the end and finished with a fourth-place showing out of the 11 teams.
Tufts' 87 final score was just one point behind third-place Middlebury College (86), and not far back from runner-up Amherst College (77) and 2024 conference champion Williams College (76).
"In what surely has to be one of the closest NESCAC races ever, fourth stings a bit, but we were right there with a legit chance to win with a mile to go," head coach
Jamie Norton said. "I loved how our guys competed and bounced back from a tough meet at Connecticut College a couple weeks ago. We put ourselves up front in the mix and ran to win rather than running safe to try to take second or third. The ceiling continues to be incredibly high for this group as we continue to fine-tune our racing strategy and find the right approach for us."
Tufts had three runners place among the top 14 today to earn All-Conference accolades. Junior
Luke Brennan was first for the Jumbos and 10th overall (25:02.40), junior
Amokrane Aouchiche was right next to Brennan in 11th (25:02.58) and junior
Calvin Cummings ran 14th out of the 162 total finishers with a 25:06.92 mark. Aouchiche adds the honor to his NESCAC Rookie of the Year race in 2022, while Cummings is awarded after missing by just two places a year ago. Before today's strong race, Brennan's previous best at NESCAC's had been 41st last year.
Jonah Reisner continued a strong sophomore year by scoring fourth for Tufts and 23rd overall (25:21.76). Junior
Quinn Hampson was the fifth Jumbo scorer in 29th place crossing the finish line in 25:29.28 for eight kilometers.
Tufts' next three were all inside the top 35 as well. Sophomore
Avery Smart led that group in 32nd place overall (25:32.90). Sophomores
Harris Gulbransen and
Jake Fippin showed the Jumbos depth, as these young competitors made statements with 25:36.89 (34th) and 25:38.15 (35th) finishes today.
The Jumbos' 87 team score today was its lowest at NESCAC's since the 2012 team won the league with a 66 score. It's the best fourth-place score in championship meet history since 2001.
Tufts is idle next week prior to the NCAA East Region Championship Race coming up November 16 in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.
--JUMBOS--
