The Jumbos Run to Plan at UMass Dartmouth

(9/18/2005) See more Photos     Full Results

On a potentially volatile day with Tropical Storm Ophelia just off shore, the 2005 Jumbos were profoundly calm. With a game plan in hand, the team relaxed and pondered the results of the Japanese Collegiate All-Star Team. Last year the team perfect scored the field and a repeat was almost certain.

After settling into the UMass gym and some small talk the varsity eight took off for their warm-up around the course. Watching for slick spots during the varsity women's race, the team gained a little insight on potential troubles. The warm-up went by quickly and the team was back in the gym to stretch and dress up. Shoe selection was difficult due to the alternating sources of shoe eating mud and pavement. In the end the entire team went for some version of race flats with little grip that would come to bite them later on with a few falls.

And the team lined up, right next to the Japanese Collegiate All-Star Team for a second straight year. It was a quick start and everyone got out well, except for Matt Fortin, who misjudged the slickness of the grass and went straight to the ground on the gun. A quick separation occurred between the top eight as Matt Lacey, Josh Kennedy, Kyle Doran, Justin Chung, and Neil Orfield hit the front end of the pack, while Matt Fortin, Dave Sorensen, and Brendan McNeish got caught up with the middle of the pack.

With the race plan of an easy start the two groups set up and raced a nice and even first couple miles, slowly passing tiring runners in their wake. Those that were feeling especially good used to the downhill section of the race that dominates the final miles to their advantage to put further steps in between those around them. In the end Lacey and Kennedy had caught and passed the collegiate pack save for one UMass Lowell runner and Ryan Gough of Keene State. Lacey even managed to out sprint one of the Japanese runners, a feat he had been unable to accomplish last year.

The junior varsity race went off with much the same plan, which was executed just as well with great team running and pacing.

Overall everyone was quite happy with their performance and the day. Sorenson and Cleveland should be noted for the huge PRs they set on the course.

As a team the Jumbos finished 2nd in the american collegiate division, two points behind NE rival Keene State. The Japanese Collegiate All-Star Team won for a second consecutive year with a perfect score of 15.

The Jumbos next race will be at Grafton farm course next Saturday for the Jumbo Invitational and our one home meet of the season.


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