Several Jumbo teams are already seeing NCAA and other postseason action, with more to come
From left, Rishabh Sharda, A23, Josh Belandres, E23, and men’s tennis coach Karl Gregor after the NCAA championship match. Photo: Courtesy of NCAA
Tufts student-athletes are having a very busy spring season, as multiple teams are in postseason play or heading to it soon. Here’s a roundup of all the action.
Men’s Tennis. Playing in the program’s first-ever NCAA Division III men’s tennis championship match on May 16, the Jumbos finished their historic season as the national runners-up, setting a record for victories in a season with 24. They couldn’t rally from a 3-0 deficit after doubles in a 5-2 loss to No. 1 Case Western Reserve University (33-4), the runners-up for the past two years. Despite the loss, the season will go down as the best in program history, as the Jumbos were the first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) team in the championship match since 2018.
Men’s Lacrosse. After clinching the NESCAC championship on May 7, the Jumbos won their first two NCAA matches at home May 13 and 14. The No. 1 DIII Tufts men’s lacrosse team was selected as a quarterfinal and semifinal weekend host (May 20-21). Tufts will play Lynchburg on May 20 at 2 p.m. in the first game.
Women’s Lacrosse. The fifth-ranked Jumbos, coming off a big 24-10 win over No. 22 Cortland in the second round of the NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament, head to Geneva, New York to take on No. 7 Wesleyan University on May 20.
Baseball. On the heels of their seventh New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title, the Jumbos head to Mitchell College in New London, Connecticut, to battle the host Mariners in the 2023 NCAA Division III baseball tournament. Husson College and Wheaton College will also take part in the NCAA regional. The Jumbos will play at 1:30 p.m. May 19.
Softball. The Tufts softball team received an NCAA tournament berth for the 21st time in program history, and the Jumbos will host a regional pod at Spicer Field beginning May 18. Tufts (37-4) lost 3-1 in the NESCAC championship game on May 14 to Williams College, but received an at-large berth into the NCAAs. The Jumbos will host the Husson University Eagles (30-12-1), the Moravian University Greyhounds (32-8), and the Cabrini University Cavaliers (29-12) in the regional.
Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field. The men’s track & field team won the NESCAC championship on April 29, and finished action at the 2023 New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Championships May 13. The meets were highlighted by Carter Rosewell’s strong finish in the decathlon. Rosewell, E23, finished with a personal-best in the decathlon (6269 points). With the point total, Rosewell moved into the Top 20 for DIII in the country. Tufts heads to the MIT Final Qualifier May 18, before NCAA Division III Championship qualifiers are announced May 20-21. Qualifying athletes from the men’s and women’s teams will compete May 25-27 in Rochester, New York. Hannah Neilon, EG23, set the 800 meters school record of 2:10.43 and improved her standing in the NCAA performance list to eighth in the country at the NEICAAA meet on May 13.
Men’s Rowing. The Jumbo men’s rowing team was third in the NESCAC championship, part of the National Invitational Rowing Championships on Lake Quinsigamond, on May 12. A potential berth into the ITA DIII national championship—there is no NCAA competition in men’s rowing—will be announced this week.
Women’s Rowing. The Tufts women’s rowing team was the only squad to medal in all National Invitational Rowing Championships races on May 12 at Lake Quinsigamond, earning the team-points trophy while finishing second in the NESCAC Championships race. The team received a berth into NCAA championship May 26-27 at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Women’s Sailing. The Tufts Jumbos received an at-large selection into the 2023 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women’s Fleet Race national championship to be held May 23-26 in Kings Point, New York. Thirty-six teams will compete at the event, first at a pair of 18-team semifinal regattas May 23-24. The top nine teams from the semifinals will advance to a two-day final May 25-26.
Co-ed Sailing. Tufts received an at-large selection into the 2023 Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Open Fleet Race National Championship, to be held May 30-June 2 in Kings Point, New York. Thirty-six teams will compete at the event, first at a pair of 18-team semifinal regattas May 30-31. The top nine teams from the semifinals will advance to a two-day final June 1-2.
