Tufts' Athletics Facilities
Tufts is fortunate to have some of the finest facilities in New England Division III athletics. Few other schools in New England, regardless of division, have three quality venues, arguably putting Tufts among the top tier of all New England programs.
Primary Venues
Gantcher Indoor Track
The Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation center, completed in November 1999, houses Tufts' indoor track team. This multi-million dollar, 70,000 sq. foot complex features a 200 meter, six lane (eight-lane straightaway) Mondo oval track with fully in-ground Lynx timing, dual FinishLynx cameras for fully-automatic timing, and a Daktronics Matrix Information Board. Gantcher has facilities for two throwing circles, including a custom-made cage. There are also two vaulting setups, as well as high jump and horizontal jump pits.
The Gantcher Center has hosted championship meets each year since 2001, including the Women's and Men's Division III New England Championships, the Women's Division I New England Championships, and the Women's and Men's ECAC Championships.
In addition to being a state-of-the-art track and field facility, the Gantcher Center routinely hosts large events with its seating capacity of 6,000. This includes Tufts' Fares Lecture Series, with recent speakers including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
Directions to the Gantcher Complex
Ellis Outdoor Oval
Tufts' outdoor facility was resurfaced in 2005 with a Eurotan all-weather surface. The eight lane track includes a steeplechase pit, two jumping pits, fully automatic timing, and two throwing rings. The Hillside Relays have produced some stellar performances in ideal evening running conditions.
Grafton Cross Country Course
The Tufts Cross Country team competes at the University's Veterinary School in Grafton, Massachusetts. The course winds through hay, alfalfa, and corn, as well as some wooded areas and rolling hills. The relatively new "Farm Course" has already hosted six ECAC Division III Championships, numerous local high school league championships, the MIAA State High School Cross Country Championships and the 2002 NESCAC Championships.
Directions to the Grafton XC Course
Other Facilities
Cousens Gym Complex
In addition to being home to the varsity volleyball, swimming, squash and basketball teams, the Cousens Complex also houses the newly updated Lunder Fitness Center. The 8,000 sq. foot center includes cardio equipment, weight machines, free weights, and televisions including three new flat screens. Tufts' Sports Medicine department is also found in the Cousens Complex.
Cousens Gym Complex also houses the Carzo Cage, home to the old, unique, 200-meter, synthetic four lane track that also includes space for the field events, including the shot put and weights, pole vault and horizontal jumps. The Cousens track primarily serves as a warm-up area during meets.
Middlesex Fells Reservation, Minute Man National Historical Park, and the Charles River
Tufts' distance teams have the advantage of running on trails and paths in addition to local city streets. The wooded area known as "The Fells" is a 2,000 acre reservation less than two miles from Tufts. The reservation includes miles of hilly trails that circle several reservoirs. The team visits The Fells often for runs ranging from 5 to 12 miles. On workout and long run days, the team often heads out to the Minute Man National Historical Park, where they run on hard-packed dirt trails with picturesque, historical scenery all along the route. The team also runs along paths on the banks of the Charles River and around Fresh Pond. Various routes take the team past the campuses of Harvard, MIT, and BU and include sweeping views of downtown Boston. Distances typically range from 5 to 12 miles. The team often extends runs beyond the banks of the Charles venturing to the Boston Marathon course on Marathon Monday, the Bunker Hill monument, Fenway Park, Chinatown, Boston Commons, the New England Aquarium, and even Logan Airport.