Sports

Hardy Surfers Answer the Call of Winter Waves

But on the Island in the off-season it is still a select group. Waves can be plentiful in the deep winter, and there are considerably fewer people vying for waves when the air temperature drops into the teens. As the sun dipped behind the cliffs on Tuesday it cast a golden glow over the surfers. […]

Published

4 months ago

January 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hardy Surfers Answer the Call of Winter Waves

As the sun dipped behind the cliffs on Tuesday it cast a golden glow over the surfers. Their faces were red from the cold water’s sting but already they were discussing the next day’s surfing conditions. Although the surfers remained undeterred by the cold, the waves always have the last say.

Many surfers said they enjoy how small the off-season surfing community is. The waves tend to be less crowded and their spots stay secluded and serene.

“Surfing in general is getting a little more popular everywhere,” he said. “They keep building new wave pools in places and they added it to the Olympics.”

More pictures.

Ian Ridgeway, a 40 year-old from West Tisbury who is the co-funder and co-executive director of the MV Ocean Academy, was on the water Tuesday. He learned to surf when he was in high school in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Mr. Smith learned to surf in high school and said it’s a feeling he doesn’t get doing anything else. Over the past few years, he’s noticed more teenagers picking it up.

Off the shores of Chilmark, 13 surfers representing various age groups and professions paddled out on Tuesday, battling winter winds.

Ian Ridgeway learned to surf in California — welcome to New England style.

— Ray Ewing

Walter Greene starts his run.

— Ray Ewing

Clyde Smith knows what to do on college break.

Ms. Bucci learned to surf in New Jersey over a decade ago and taught lessons briefly. She’s fallen in love with the Vineyard’s surfing scene, which she said is different from other places on the East Coast, like the Hamptons or Florida, because of the rocky shores. For her, being on the water is meditative.

Maggie Bucci, a 30 year old who runs a personal training business called Hatch Vitality, moved to Edgartown three years ago. She said that while surfers can be protective of their turf, most everyone she has met follows surfer etiquette and looks out for one another.

It’s a close-knit community, surfers say, one that is intergenerational.

Frigid temperatures took hold this week, with ice forming at the ocean’s edge. But that didn’t deter the Island’s surfing community, which took to the water in 6 mm thick wet suits, resembling seals more than people as they paddled out in search of waves.

“We’ll surf with people who are in their 70s and then every decade down to like 15 [years-old] on any given day,” Mr. Smith said.

“It’s a very friendly vibe with everyone that I’ve met, and we have a really strong girl crew…” Ms. Bucci said. “If you go out there with someone who knows [the surf] and can tell you ‘this is the rock you want to look out for’… it helps.”

Ian Ridgeway learned to surf in California — welcome to New England style.

“It just brings me right back to center, reconnects me with nature and fully pulls me into the present,” Ms. Bucci said. “When you’re on a wave, you can’t be thinking about any of the other stuff that gets in your way. You just ride the wave.”

Clyde Smith knows what to do on college break.

— Ray Ewing

“If you ask people questions, they’ll certainly give you their perspective and ideas, and you can glean information that way, but it’s mostly self directed,” Mr. Ridgeway said.

“Some people probably just don’t surf in the winter… it’s gnarlier for sure and definitely gets cold but in some ways [that’s] more invigorating,” said Rudy Sanfilipo, a 36 year-old from Aquinnah who has been surfing his whole life.

Clyde Smith also grew up in Aquinnah and is now a sophomore at Harvard University. Home for winter break, he said he and his friends don’t mind braving the cold to spend a few hours in the water.

“Your face gets cold when you dive under so you do whatever you can to not [dive under],” Mr. Smith said. “As soon as the sun gets behind the cliff we’re done.”

In the lineup.

— Ray Ewing

He explained that while learning to surf can be a solitary activity, a lot of trial and error, there are people on the Island who teach lessons, and the community helps one another on the water.

He said it’s great to see young people pick up surfing.

Related Topics:building business center cold college dive group high school new Olympics rock season sports surfing university winter

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Liberty League Performers of the Week for May 19

Story Links Women’s Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week – Laura Suppa Laura Suppa highlighted the AARTFC championship for the Bombers as she won the 100-meter hurdles with a finals time of 13.86 seconds. That time moved her up to No. 4 on the Division III list and set a new […]

Published

13 minutes ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Women’s Track & Field – Track Performer of the Week – Laura Suppa

Laura Suppa highlighted the AARTFC championship for the Bombers as she won the 100-meter hurdles with a finals time of 13.86 seconds. That time moved her up to No. 4 on the Division III list and set a new school record. She also ran a leg on the record-setting 4×100-meter relay team that finished third with a time of 47.51 seconds.

Softball Pitcher of the Week – Anna Cornell

Anna Cornell helped the Bombers to a runner-up finish in the Ithaca Regional. The senior tossed a pair of complete games across 15.2 innings pitched where she collected 19 strikeouts, including six looking and posted a 3.13 ERA.

Softball Performer of the Week – Belle de Oliveira

Belle de Oliveira had a productive regional as the graduate student hit .400 (4-for-10) and earned a place on the All-Tournament team. De Oliveira scored a run while driving in two RBI, while playing perfect defense in center field with eight putouts and an assist.

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30 MLB Prospects With Improved 90th Percentile EV, Miss Rates & Chase Rates In 2025

Baseball is a constantly-evolving sport, in part because it’s the one game where players can change their entire archetype in a single offseason. Adjustments to swings, approaches and physical strength can see players return to play out of the offseason new and improved. We’re now around a quarter of the way through the minor league […]

Published

18 minutes ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

30 MLB Prospects With Improved 90th Percentile EV, Miss Rates & Chase Rates In 2025

We’re now around a quarter of the way through the minor league season in 2025. Many of our metrics have standardized at this point, giving us some signal to identify true skill gainers.

Below, we’ll take a look at 30 players who have improved their miss rate, chase rate and 90th percentile exit velocity the most. The sample size for each category is a minimum of 50 plate appearances, and all of the names listed have samples larger than that in each of the last two seasons. While imperfect, this sample does give us some understanding of how players adjusted over the offseason.

90th Percentile Exit Velocity Gainers

One of the stickiest exit velocity metrics, 90th percentile EV gives us an idea of a hitter’s high-end power by looking at their top 10% exit velocities. This correlates to game power and, ultimately, slugging percentage.

Below is the list of the 10 hitters who increased their 90th Percentile EV the most:

player	org	age	level	bats	2024 90% EV	2025 90% EV	90% EV Diff
Nick Peoples	WSH	20	Low-A	S	105.7	114.2	8.5
Lyle Miller-Green	CWS	24	Low-A	R	103.3	110.6	7.3
Davis Diaz	ATH	22	Low-A	R	97.1	104.2	7.1
Adrian Rodriguez	AZ	21	Low-A	R	96.2	103.2	7
Dillon Lewis	NYY	21	Low-A	R	102.4	109.3	6.9
Dante Nori	PHI	20	Low-A	L	94.5	101.3	6.8
Eddie Micheletti Jr.	TOR	23	High-A	L	98	104.8	6.8
Drew Gilbert	NYM	24	Triple-A	L	100.7	107.3	6.6
Luis Peña	MIL	18	Low-A	R	99.9	106.5	6.6
Caden Powell	HOU	21	Low-A	R	103	109.4	6.4

Our biggest EV gainer is the Nationals Low-A outfielder Nick Peoples, a 2022 12th-round pick who’s struggled over the first three seasons of his professional career. Peoples has shown absurd raw power early, but it has not come with production, as he’s hitting just .200/.273/.389 on the season.

Luis Peña has been one of the true breakout stars of 2025. After a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League last year, Peña has shown a significant increase in power in 2025. This portends well for future power development, as Peña boasts strong plate skills to go along with this newfound power. It’s a perfect combination of traits for a burgeoning prospect.

We covered Mets prospect Drew Gilbert last week and noticed his much-improved data in 2025. More than any hitter listed in this section, Gilbert has turned his added EV into increased production. He is not only showing improved exit velocities but also excellent angles on contact and plus plate skills. He’s been very unlucky on balls in play, but taking a look under the hood, I anticipate Gilbert’s numbers will begin to climb in the coming weeks.

Astros 2024 sixth-round pick Caden Powell cracks the list, as the juco standout has put together a very solid showing in his professional debut, albeit against Low-A competition. While swing-and-miss is very much a concern, there’s legitimate impact in Powell’s bat, and his .200 isolated slugging is a testament to that.

Miss Rates Improvers

Despite the influx of advanced information made available for player evaluation in modern baseball, at the end of the day, the ability to simply get the bat on the ball is still an important foundational skill. While one doesn’t need to be an elite contact hitter to be a productive or even star player, there is a baseline of contact important for all archetypes of hitters.

Below, we’ll look at 10 hitters who are making more contact at the highest rates in 2025:

player	org	age	level	bats	2024 miss%	2025 miss%	miss% diff
Vance Honeycutt	BAL	21	High-A	R	42.70%	26.20%	16.50%
Jordan Sprinkle	CWS	24	High-A	R	30.00%	15.90%	14.10%
George Wolkow	CWS	19	Low-A	L	46.70%	32.70%	14.00%
Braden Barry	TOR	23	Low-A	R	31.90%	17.20%	14.70%
Yordys Valdes	CLE	23	Triple-A	S	36.00%	21.50%	14.50%
Bernard Moon	CIN	20	Low-A	R	31.50%	17.10%	14.40%
Jorbit Vivas	NYY	24	Triple-A	L	25.00%	11.10%	13.90%
Kaden Hollow	SD	24	Low-A	L	28.80%	15.00%	13.80%
James Tibbs III	SF	22	High-A	L	32.10%	18.90%	13.20%
Tommy White	ATH	22	High-A	R	29.00%	16.50%	12.50%

This list features a trio of day-one 2024 draftees: Vance Honeycutt, James Tibbs and Tommy White. Of all the players on the list, the added bat-to-ball ability for Honeycutt might be the most welcomed sign. That said, it has not led to a reasonable strikeout rate, as he is still striking out in 37.1% of his plate appearances. Of the three, only White has turned his skill gain into production, as he’s hitting .299/.390/.467 so far in 2025.

After putting together a nice 2024 in spite of concerning strikeout rates, George Wolkow is showing far more reasonable swing-and-miss in 2025. It hasn’t culminated in improved production, however, as he’s still only hitting .203/.288/.341, but Wolkow’s strikeout rate is down from 40.3% in 2024 to 31.3% in 2025. This improvement shows in the contact rates, as Wolkow went from having swing-and-miss that was a true dealbreaker to showing enough contact for his power to play. That’s yet to happen, but time till tell if the improved contact unlocks more game power for the 6-foot-7 slugger.

Jorbit Vivas has seen time in 15 games with the Yankees this season, and while the production in the majors has been underwhelming, he’s showing improved contact skills this season in Triple-A. He’s walked in 12.9% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 6.9%. This outlier strikeout-to-walk ratio is exactly what Vivas needs to take another step towards a future full-time MLB role.

Chase Rate Improvers

While power and bat-to-ball ability are important, the ability to identify balls and strikes while attacking the right pitches is paramount. Often, the biggest gains in production year over year are the product of an improved approach. While chase rate doesn’t fully capture all the elements of approach, it does give us a good idea of which hitters are aggressive and which are passive.

Below, we’ll look at 10 hitters who have improved their chase rates the most in 2025:

player	org	age	level	bats	2024 chase%	2025 chase%	chase% diff
Wilman Diaz	LAD	21	High-A	R	33.30%	16.10%	17.20%
Christian Moore	LAA	22	Double-A	R	29.20%	13.00%	16.20%
Tre Richardson	STL	23	High-A	R	26.10%	10.70%	15.40%
Emaarion Boyd	MIA	21	High-A	R	33.20%	18.30%	14.90%
Robert Moore	PHI	23	Double-A	S	28.70%	13.80%	14.90%
Tommy White	ATH	22	High-A	R	38.80%	24.00%	14.80%
Adrián Sugastey	SF	22	Double-A	R	45.70%	31.00%	14.70%
Victor Rodrigues	LAD	20	Low-A	R	28.10%	13.70%	14.40%
Ivan Brethowr	CHC	22	High-A	R	29.90%	15.50%	14.40%
Ryan Ritter	COL	24	Triple-A	R	34.90%	21.00%	13.90%

After two years of sub-10% walk rates for Emaarion Boyd, he’s showing a much-improved approach in 2025. With the improvement in chase rate, he’s seen his year-over-year walk rate increase from 6.8% in 2024 to 14.5% in 2025. This gain in approach has resulted in a 114 wRC+, a 20-point increase from last season.

The son of former Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore, Robert Moore was a standout at Arkansas who took some time to find his sea legs as a professional. This season, Moore is enjoying a career year to start with Double-A Reading, hitting .235/.353/.439 for a 125 wRC+. His 15.7% walk rate is a direct result of improved swing decisions, and it’s having a positive impact on his production despite poor luck on balls in play.

Tommy White makes his second appearance in this article, as his swing decisions have improved tremendously this season. White’s approach was a pock mark on his profile entering the draft, but in his first full professional season, he looks to be answering those questions emphatically.

On a team loaded with stars, the Dodgers’ Victor Rodriguez is enjoying an under-the-radar breakout season. He’s hitting .253/.431/.360 with a 22.5% walk rate to a 12.7% strikeout rate. While the power has been underwhelming, Rodriguez’s ability to get on base is noteworthy.

One of the more under-appreciated prospects in the upper minors at the moment is Ryan Ritter. A strong infield defender, Ritter can play all over the dirt, and over the last two seasons, he has shown improvements at the plate, too. Year-over-year, Ritter has improved his swing decisions tremendously, and it’s showing up in his production. Over 40 games with Triple-A Albuquerque, he is hitting .265/.397/.503—good enough for a 122 wRC+. He’s walking at the highest rate of his career while striking out at the lowest rate. Everything is clicking for Ritter at the moment, as he is showing above-average plate skills and power at the highest level of the minors.

Sports

CSUB Athletics Recognized for Improved APR Scores

“Achieving perfect single-year APR scores in six of our programs,” Conder continued, “is a remarkable accomplishment. Additionally, the improvement in our multiyear scores, led by perfect scores in Women’s Basketball and Beach Volleyball, highlights our sustained commitment to academic excellence.” Ten CSUB teams increased or maintained their single-year rates from last season, led by Wrestling (+35), […]

Published

20 minutes ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ten CSUB teams increased or maintained their single-year rates from last season, led by Wrestling (+35), Men’s Soccer (+29), Men’s Swim & Dive (+18), and Men’s Track & Field (+11).

Posting strong single-year scores leads to increased multiyear rates, a category in which the `Runners also excelled. Two CSUB programs in Women’s Basketball and Beach Volleyball also registered multiyear scores of 1,000. The 2025 data release marks the ninth-consecutive year of posting a 1,000 score for Beach Volleyball while Women’s Basketball has accomplished the feat in five straight.

Seven `Runner teams improved or maintained their multiyear score with Men’s Soccer (+13) and Women’s Swim & Dive (+5) leading the charge

Below are other highlights of Cal State Bakersfield’s 2025 APR success:

Women’s Basketball earned a perfect multiyear score for the fifth year in a row and Beach Volleyball earned a perfect multiyear score for the ninth consecutive year
Eight teams posted a single year score of 985 or better

Every Division I sports team across the nation calculates its APR each academic year, like a report card. Scholarship student-athletes earn one point each semester for maintaining academic eligibility and one point for staying in school or graduating.

Nationwide, Division I student-athletes continue to achieve classroom success at record-high levels, maintaining an overall multiyear Academic Progress Rate of 984. Since the Division I membership created the Academic Performance Program over 20 years ago, nearly 22,000 former student-athletes have earned APR points for their prior teams by returning to college and earning a degree after their eligibility expired.

Information from an NCAA press release was used in this report.

* About CSUB Athletics *

CSUB Athletics is the NCAA Division I program for Bakersfield and Kern County. The Roadrunners have claimed 30 national championships and 206 individual national titles. Located in the 9th largest city in California, CSUB Athletics sponsors 16 sports and is a proud member of The Big West and Pac-12. Buy tickets to all Cal State Bakersfield home competitions by visiting GoRunners.com/Tickets and support CSUB Athletics’ vision to Pursue Championships and Graduate Leaders by donating to the Roadrunner Club at GoRunners.com/Give.

~GoRunners.com~

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Jumbos Set for Competitive Weekend at NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships

Story Links MEDFORD, MA (May 21, 2025) – The Tufts University women’s track and field team will be represented by six talented competitors in eight events as they head out to Geneva, Ohio for the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Thursday, May 22. Meet Details: […]

Published

33 minutes ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MEDFORD, MA (May 21, 2025) – The Tufts University women’s track and field team will be represented by six talented competitors in eight events as they head out to Geneva, Ohio for the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Thursday, May 22.

Meet Details:

Date: Thursday, May 22 – Saturday, May 24

Location: The Spire Institute, Geneva, Ohio

Live Coverage: Live Stats – Live Video

A Look at the Jumbos:

Elysse Cumberland has already been crowned an Indoor National Champion, and will look to add a pair of trophies to her growing collection as she contends for national glory in both the triple jump and long jump. Her first event on the schedule will be the long jump, which saw her improve significantly over the course of the outdoor season. Setting a personal best mark of 6.04m at the Tufts Sunshine Classic, the first year jumper enters the NCAA Championships as the number five seed. The top seeded jumper, Kennedy Kirkland of Bowdoin, leads the field with a mark of 6.28m.

Cumberland will also compete in the triple jump after her indoor season ended with a National Championship in the same event. Her personal best somehow improved to 12.66m to smash the Tufts program record and earn her the number three seed in the national field of competitors. The number one seeded jumper, Ebunoluwa Opata of Washington University will look to flip the results of the indoor competition, as Cumberland barely topped her by a single centimeter to claim the 2025 Indoor Triple Jump Championship Title. Opata holds the number one seed with a mark of 12.82m.

Senior Jordan Andrew will compete alongside Cumberland in the same two events, after a stellar season of her own. Andrew tied her personal best in the long jump with a mark of 5.80m, earning her the 21 seed in the event. Andrew also succeeded in the triple jump, setting a new personal best with a 12.29m to earn her the five seed. The triple jump will be a stacked event for Tufts, with both Andrew and Cumberland seeded within the top five.

Later on Thursday, first year Arielle Chechile will take on the national field of competitors in the 400m hurdles. She earned the qualification in the final meet of the season, breaking her own personal record at the MIT Final Qualifier with an incredible time of 1:00.64. The third fastest time in Tufts program history, the first year earned herself the number five seed in the preliminary round of the event taking place on Thursday at 6:25. The 400m hurdles finals will take place on Saturday at 3:25 pm.

Sophomore Jackie Wells also earned a Championship meet berth at the MIT Final Qualifier. The sophomore powered herself to a school record-breaking toss in the javelin with a mark of 42.41m. It was an impressive improvement of over a meter, and earned her the number 11 seed in the event taking place on Thursday at 3:30 pm.

Friday will feature a pair of Jumbos in action, with senior Harper Meek leading off her team with the high jump at 11:30 am. Meek earned an NCAA meet berth following a season defined by consistency. The veteran competitor surpassed 1.60m in all but one of her appearances this season, and was just a centimeter shy of her personal best at the New England D3 Championships. Despite missing out on a personal record by an agonizing margin, Meek enters the NCAA Division III Championships as the number 22 seed.

Finishing off the list of competing Jumbos is first year Makayla Moriarty. Competing in the 400m dash on Friday at 3:15 pm, the rookie runner has been a revelation for Tufts this season. The last three weekends of action has seen her set new personal records in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. Her NCAA entry into the 400m comes after a 55.21 to break the Tufts program record at the NEICAAA Championships. Her efforts on the track picked up the 18 seed in the event.

–JUMBOS–

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Women's Golf Signs Transfers Avery Robinson, Grace Petzold

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison women’s golf coach Tommy Baker announced the additions of transfers Avery Robinson and Grace Petzold on Wednesday afternoon. Robinson joins the Dukes after spending the first two seasons of her career at Georgia Southern, while Petzold played two seasons at St. Catherine University, a Division III school in St. Paul, Minn. […]

Published

47 minutes ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Women's Golf Signs Transfers Avery Robinson, Grace Petzold

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison women’s golf coach Tommy Baker announced the additions of transfers Avery Robinson and Grace Petzold on Wednesday afternoon.

Robinson joins the Dukes after spending the first two seasons of her career at Georgia Southern, while Petzold played two seasons at St. Catherine University, a Division III school in St. Paul, Minn. Both will have two seasons of eligibility at JMU.

Avery Robinson | Junior | Macon, Ga. | First Presbyterian Day (Georgia Southern)
Georgia Southern (2023-25):

Played in 14 rounds across two seasons at Georgia Southern, compiling a stroke average of 74.23
In 2022-23, tied for ninth at The Southern, finishing at 223 (+7)
Fired a 68 (-4) in the first round of the Tiger Classic on Aug. 26, 2024
President’s List (Fall 2023)
2x Academic Honor Roll (Spring 2024, Spring 2025)

High School:

Named 2022 Southeastern Junior Golf Tour Player of the Year after posting eight top-10 finishes at First Presbyterian Day School in Macon, Ga.
3x All-Region and All-State Selection
2022 Area Low Medalist
2021 All-Area Team

Personal:

Daughter of Beth Walker and Johnny Robinson
Has four siblings, Chase, Emma, Cole, and Knox
Plans to major in Mass Communications at JMU
Started playing golf at six years old

Grace Petzold | Junior | Plymouth, Minn. | Plymouth (St. Catherine)
St. Catherine University (2023-25)

Spent two seasons at St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minn., of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2x Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-Region (2024, 2025)
2023-24 MIAC Women’s Golf Rookie of the Year
2x MIAC All-Conference (2023-24, 2024-25)
Eight top-three finishes in 2024-25, including a win at the Wartburg Spring Invite on April 5
Ranked as the No. 48 golfer in the Division III ranks
Compiled an adjusted stroke average of 74.50 in 2024-25, playing in 25 rounds
As a freshman in 2023-24, appeared in 25 rounds with a stroke average of 76.70
Dean’s List (2023-24)
WGCA All-American Scholar (2023-24)
Led St. Kate’s to two appearances in the Division III Championship, tying for 22nd in 2023-24 with a three-round score of 234 (+18)

High School:

Attended Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minn.
2023 Minnesota State High School League State Champion
2023 Minnesota All-State Selection
4x Section Champion
Competed in the MSHSL Championships five times while placing third in 2021
Three-Time Team Captain

Personal:

Daughter of Mark and Ashley Petzold
Father, Mark, played collegiate golf at North Florida
Plans to major in psychology at JMU
Enjoys cooking, baking, spending time with friends and family, and Legos

Sports

Men’s Track and Field set for Strong Weekend at NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships

Story Links MEDFORD, MA (May 21, 2025) – The Tufts University men’s track and field team will send a trio of competitors to Geneva, Ohio to take part in the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Juniors Josh Wilkie, Sahr Matturi and Amokrane Aouchiche will represent the […]

Published

53 minutes ago

May 21, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MEDFORD, MA (May 21, 2025) – The Tufts University men’s track and field team will send a trio of competitors to Geneva, Ohio to take part in the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Juniors Josh Wilkie, Sahr Matturi and Amokrane Aouchiche will represent the blue and brown at the Spire Institute beginning Thursday, May 22.

Meet Details:

Date: Thursday, May 22 – Saturday, May 24

Location: The Spire Institute, Geneva, Ohio

Live Coverage: Live Stats – Live Video

A Look at the Jumbos:

The first scheduled competitor for Tufts will be Sahr Matturi in the long jump at 2:30 pm on Thursday, May 22. The junior enters the competition as the number 12 seed, and will compete in the number three position in flight one of the event. His season was dotted with several improvements to his personal record, topping out at 7.34m. His new personal record earned him the second longest jump in Tufts program history, and has him in great shape as he enters the national competition. The top seeded jumper, Joshua Rivers of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, enters the competition with an 8.04m mark to lead the field.

Once Matturi is finished competing, Josh Wilkie will take over in the 400m hurdles at 6:10 pm. Competing as the number 10 seed, the junior is the highest seeded Jumbo competing in the national meet. His personal best time of 52.35 is the fourth fastest finish to the event in Tufts program history. Wilkie has shown consistent improvement throughout the season, and is in a great position to make the 400m hurdle finals on Saturday at 3:15 pm. The top seeded runner in the event, Ben Bulger of Susquehanna, holds a time of 51.47 to lead the field.

Rounding out the list and concluding the first day of action for Tufts at the NCAA Division III Championships is Amokrane Aouchiche in the 10,000m run at 8:30 pm. His personal best time of 29:55.43 was the second fastest time in Tufts program history, and earned him the number 21 seed. Aouchiche has been electrifying in the distance events this season, also setting a new personal best in the 5000m run this spring. The top seeded runner, Grant Matthai of Wisconsin La Crosse, enters the competition with a field-leading time of 28:53.93.

–JUMBOS–

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