(Men's 8k race winner, Dave Bridgewater of Keene State College, leading the field and running near the historic Locust Barn at the Tufts Farm Course)
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Eighth Jumbo Invitational by John LaPoint
GRAFTON: Grafton’s first intercollegiate sports event of the
Fall 2004 season, the Eighth Jumbo Invitational cross country meet run Saturday
at Tufts Vet School’s championship facility, featured a new women’s 6k
course record set by All American Senior Carter Hamill of Amherst College. In
what meet director and Tufts Varsity Men’s Cross Country Coach Connie Putnam
described as a blistering performance, Hamill completed the race in 21 minutes,
29 seconds, lowering the previous 6k standard set by Julia Benson of Williams
College (21.41.31) by more than 12 seconds.
After the first half mile of the women's race, Hamill took complete command and
was far ahead of the pack at the course’s two mile mark, on the short downhill
loop near the historic Locust Barn and the Administration Building. Hamill, who
has won three NCAA national championships in indoor (5,000 meter) and outdoor
(10,000 meter) track meets, finished a full 1 minute, 2 seconds in front of her
teammate, Shauneen Garrahan. Amherst won the women’s team event, placing six
runners in the top 15 positions. Tufts women’s team, currently ranked 16th in
the September 21st Division III National Poll, finished second. 102 women from
nine college teams competed in the noon 6k race at The Farm Course on the Tufts
campus at Grafton.
In the 8k men’s competition, 132 men from 10 collegiate teams took to the
starting line at 1:00 PM. Tufts men’s team, currently ranked 7th in the
nation, continued their strong at home performance from the 2003 season. Tufts
placed eight runners in the top 20 positions, including second, third, fourth,
sixth and seventh place positions by Senior Nathan Brigham, Junior Matthew
Lacey, Sophomore Joshua Kennedy, Senior Brian McNamara, and Junior Matthew
Fortin. Tufts dominated the men's team competition with a score of 22 points, 42
less than second place Keene State. (lowest five runners score wins in
collegiate cross country) Keene State won the 2003 Jumbo Invitational with Tufts
finishing second. Senior Dave Bridgewater of Keene State College won the men’s
individual race in a time of 26:02.70, 7.1 seconds ahead of second place
finisher Nathan Brigham of Tufts. In all 132 collegiate men from ten colleges
participated in the Jumbo Invitational.
The Tufts Farm Course is one of the most spectator friendly cross country venues
in the country, with the championship women's 6K and men’s 8k courses starting
near the Vet School’s administration building and rising gently to a high
central plateau overlooking virtually the entire property.
From this mid position of the still active farm field (hay and corn) it is
possible to see virtually the entire championship course except for a small loop
stretch located in Westboro through the woods. The CSX railroad tracks frame one
side of the course and freight and passenger trains regularly run during the
cross country meets.
Upcoming cross country events at The Farm Course in the Fall of 2004 include one
of the country's largest one day intercollegiate athletic events, the Eastern
Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Cross Country Men’s and
Women’s Championships, set for Saturday, November 6th at 11:00 AM and 12:00
Noon. In 2003 236 men and 240 women representing 33 colleges competed at The
Farm Course in these championship events. The Southern Worcester Country League
High School Championship meet, including our own Grafton High School, will also
be staged on the Farm Course at Tufts on Tuesday afternoon, October 28th.
Full men's and women's race results for the 2004 Jumbo Invitational can be found
at : http://www.coolrunning.com/results/04/ma/Sep25_JumboC_set1.shtml