Bates men’s track and field second out of 14 teams at Tufts Invite
MEDFORD, Mass. — The Bates College men’s track and field team finished second in points out of 14 teams at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday at Gantcher Famly Sports & Convocation Center, just 4.50 points behind a much larger Tufts squad.
Bates had seven first-place finishes, 26 season-best performances, 10 personal records, and nine qualifiers for the New England Division III indoor championships at the meet. The Bobcats (142 points) finished well ahead of third-place SUNY Plattsburgh (113.50), as well as Trinity, Worcester State, Wesleyan, Keene State, Rhode Island College, Amherst, Salem State, Colby, Fitchburg State, Assumption and Hartwick.
“It was really an amazing day for us,” said head coach Al Fereshetian. “We only brought 21 guys, and everybody came through so big today.”
Among the standouts for Bates were:
- Sophomore Noah Gauthier (Amherst, N.H.), who won both the shot put (47-5.25) and the weight throw (54-11.5), and completed his goal of qualifying for the NCAA Division III championships in the weight.
- Senior Joel Colony (Harrisville, N.H.), who won the 200 meters in 23.18 and was second in the 55 (6.69), qualifying for New Englands in both events.
- Junior Sam Thomas (Richmond, Va.), who won the 500 in 1:06.81, the fifth-best time in school history, and qualified for the 600 at New Englands in the process.
- Senior Matt Biggart (Cheshire, Conn.), who won the 5,000 meters in 15:27.03, a New Englands qualifying time.
- Senior Adam Macbeth, who trounced the field in the finals of the 55 hurdles in 7.91 seconds, 0.19 ahead of second place.
- The 4×400 relay team of junior Matt Capone (Auburn, Maine), Macbeth, Colony and Thomas, which won the event in 3:25.58.
- Sophomore Matt Lopez (Lexington, Mass.), who qualified for the New Englands in the weight throw (47-6.25).
Bates competes at the USM Invitational next Saturday.