Commencement 2012
The Tufts Daily
43
Sports
Men’s Tennis
Zach Drucker | The Loser
Transitive year ends with a flourish for men’s tennis team Marcus Budline
The last two matches said it all for the men’s tennis team. A disheartening sweep in a must-win match, followed by a convincing finish, told the story of an up-and-down season that featured moments of greatness but also troubling times. Going into their penultimate matchup against Bates, Tufts knew that in postseason lives were on the line, as it would be eliminated from NESCAC tournament contention with a loss. The Bobcats, however, easily handled the Jumbos, 9-0, and dashed their hopes of continuing the season. “We knew it was going to be a challenge,” said rising junior Matt Pataro. “Things just didn’t fall our way.” That is one side of the story of the 2012 season, as the Jumbos struggled all year with what they felt were the big points, the ones that could turn around a match against a higher-ranked opponent. In losses to Bowdoin, Bates and Trinity, those breaks just did not go Tufts’ way, leading to disappointment in crucial matchups. “It was in general people finding new roles on the team to step into,” graduating senior co-captain Morrie Bossen said. “A lot of the matches that we lost [as a team], a lot of people lost a close match.” The other side to that story, however, was the team’s consistent ability to capitalize against weaker opponents and rebound after difficult losses. The Jumbos had four 9-0 wins throughout the fall and spring, and they went into the final match looking for another sweep. “We went into [Colby] thinking that this match is very winnable,” Pataro said. “If we lost that match [the season] would’ve felt like far more of a failure.” With that in mind, the Jumbos came out strong, winning doubles, 2-1, and singles, 4-2, en route to a 6-3 victory that showcaswed their ability to put teams away when they fired on all cylinders. The win left the Jumbos’ final by
Last licks
Senior Staff Writer
scott tingley / the Tufts Daily
Graduating senior co-captain Morrie Bossen started all four years of his career with the men’s tennis team, which failed to reach the NESCAC tournament this season after losing a must-win match at Bates on April 27. spring record at 7-9, a sturdy mark from a season that began with instability. In between the fall and spring seasons, the Jumbos lost two starters, and
Men’s Crew
first-year coach Jaime Kenney had no choice but to slide players into posisee MEN’S TENNIS, page 35
Women’s crew
Jumbos finish 11th at New England Championships by Sam
Gold
Senior Staff Writer
winless varsity group. Despite the lack of positive results, the varsity squad remained level-headed about its races. While they did not come away with any race victories, the Jumbos dropped seconds consistently as the year wore on, suggesting that they had the stamina to handle the physical and mental strain of their schedule. Among the team’s goals was improving the second 500 meters in races, in
Leading up to the New England Championships and ECAC National Invitational Rowing Championships, the women’s crew team raced against Smith and No. 4 Wellesley on April 28. In order to hit their stride heading into the last and most important regattas of the season, it was imperative that the Jumbos race to the best of their abilities. Things got off to a great start for Tufts, but a promising day quickly deteriorated as the competition dragged on. In the first race against Smith, the first varsity eight eked out a thrilling three-second victory with time of 7:17.12, helping Tufts move ahead in the polls before championship weekend. The second eight raced as well, losing by nearly 27 seconds. The first eight team put on a clinical display of technique in its race, powering through the midway point to emerge in front and hold on for the win. It was an entirely different story against a stronger Wellesley squad, however, as its first varsity eight rowed hard and fast to win by nearly 30 seconds. Wellesley’s second varsity four also earned a victory, but this time by only 11 seconds. “Against Wellesley, we were clearly tired,” said senior tri-captain Erika
see MEN’S CREW, page 33
see WOMEN’S CREW, page 34
courtesy michael bai
The men’s crew team took steps in the right direction this spring, placing 16th at New Englands and 13th at ECACs.
Amid adversity, men’s crew salvages final races In the last two races of the spring, the men’s crew team finished strong, coming in 16th and 13th, at the New England and ECAC Championships, respectively. The performances represent a positive ending to a tough season, one filled with adversity that nonetheless holds promise for the future. By and large, the spring was marked by an impressive novice program and a by
GJ Vitale
Senior Staff Writer
W
hen thinking of Commencement and its implications, I, like many of my fellow Tufts seniors, start to feel sentimental. I yearn to reach out to all of the friends and family who have supported me over the past four years and thank them. Translating those feelings into coherent words and phrases, however, is impossible. I want to commemorate and celebrate my experiences in a condensed, but all-encompassing, manner. But, I dare not try, for fear of coming off all ooey-gooey. So, I decided to take some tips from the sports leaders who are forever remembered by their career-capping speeches and construct my own Tuftsending tribute that way. The king of closing chapters will forever be Lou Gehrig. The famed Yankees first baseman dubbed himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth” when he retired from baseball due to his bout with ALS. His words were poignant and filled with optimism. Yet, his brave discourse was in the face of a fatal illness, and I’ve never been a fan of the Yankees. Gehrig’s touching finale is too tragic to inspire a commencement signoff. I next thought of Brett Favre’s example. Perhaps there were some hidden nuggets of wisdom in the longtime Packer’s words. But, after digging up a video of his retirement on YouTube, I could not make out much amidst all the blubbering. For goodness sake, Brett, you came back the very next season! I quickly realized that I should shy away from retirement declarations and begin to seek inspiration elsewhere. So, I looked at some sports films. Too cliche, sure, but Hollywood is an ever-flowing fountain of spine-tingling one-liners. Instantly, I turned my attention to Al Pacino’s “Any Given Sunday” (1999) locker room sermon, the Kurt Russell version of Herb Brooks’ underdog dissertation in “Miracle” (2004) and Gene Hackman’s fiery call to arms in 1986’s “Hoosiers” (and the subsequent slow clap). In watching as many scenes as I could, I found the Fighting Irish huddle in “Rudy” (1993) gave me the biggest rush. Coach Dan Devine rouses his troops and reminds his graduating players: “It’s your last one, so make it count.” Hey, if it’s good enough to motivate an undersized walk-on, it’s good enough for me. Finally, I recalled a moment in sports history of which I will forever be a part. In 2006, I attended a third-round tennis match at the U.S. Open. After four swift sets, Benjamin Becker emerged as the victor. Andre Agassi was the loser, but before walking proudly off the court, he bid adieu to his sport in front of his most adoring fans. “Over the last 21 years, I have found you,” Agassi said. “And I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life.” Now, Agassi never attended college — he dropped out of school in the ninth grade to pursue his dream. Nonetheless, his words are fitting for college graduates. Just pretend “21 years” refers to our lives rather than Agassi’s storied tennis career. Over the last 21 years, I have found myself. I have found myself as a brother, a son, a person and a friend. I could never have discovered my inner identity without my experiences at Tufts. Just as Agassi and our heroes will always hold a place in our hearts, I will always call Tufts home. And I consider myself lucky to have met so many diverse, exciting and inspiring people in four years here.
Zach Drucker graduates today with a degree in international relations and Spanish.