BRIGHTON, MA (January 28, 2024) -- The Tufts University women's indoor track and field squad competed at the 2024 Middlebury New England Small College Invitational Sunday afternoon at The TRACK at New Balance. The meet, which features only schools from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), was not scored as teams but still produced some strong finishes.
First-year
Simisola Lawal continued her superb start to her career, as the sprinter qualified second overall in the 60 meter preliminaries with an 8.00. Lawal then ran a 7.94 in the finals to take fourth place, recording a collegiate-best in the process. Lawal also recorded a 26.39 in the 200 meter dash for a collegiate-best time, taking 11th overall.
In other action,
Annika Kral ran a 59.90 to earn seventh place in the 400 meters, and
Ayala Mehrotra posted a time of 1:13.96 for a new personal best in the event. Senior
Emma Smith ran a new personal-best time of 2:19.14 to finish third overall in the 800 meters, and
Lexi Dean was Tufts' top finisher in the mile with a time of 5:19.54 for 12th place.
In the 3000 meters,
Elizabeth Donahue raced to a strong finish of fourth place, as she recorded a time of 10:29.87. Classmate
Grace Ogden was fifth with a new personal-best time of 10:34.19. First-year
Taylor Neldner also recorded a time of 10:41.74 for seventh place.
In the 60 hurdles, senior
Sarah Pillone continued to run well as she placed second in the prelims with a time of 9.04 seconds. Teammate Madelyn Silveira was seventh in prelims with a 9.57. In the finals, Pillone was second with a time of 9.02, while Silveira earned seventh with a time of 9.99.
In the jumps, first-year
Lexi King had her best day as a Jumbo thus far as she finished second in the high jump with a height of 1.57 meters. First-year teammate
Sarina Khani was also ninth in the high jump with a mark of 1.37 meters.
The long jump saw
Jordan Andrew take eighth place with a final mark of 5.11 meters on the final attempt, and first-year
Nora Jean-Jacques took 10th with a mark of 4.95 meters. Sophomore Amelia Wickham was the Jumbos top finisher in the pole vault, earning eighth place with a height of 3.25 meters, and
Nyla Thompson finished 10th after clearing the bar at 3.25 meters.
Pillone was back in action in the triple jump for the Jumbos, and she starred with a mark of 11.17 meters to finish third. Andrew was fifth with a top leap of 10.77 meters, and junior
Maelynn Ugokwe recorded a jump of 10.60 meters for ninth place.
In the throwing events, first-year
Ceci LaBarge was the Jumbos' top performer in the shot put, recording a final distance of 9.82 meters for ninth place. First-year
Jackie Wells was 12th with a 9.36 meter heave as well. LaBarge also paced Tufts in the weight throw, finishing sixth with a mark of 13.25 meters, and junior
Liz Graham recorded a throw of 13.19 meters for seventh place.
Tufts will return to action Friday evening, February 2 at 4 p.m. for the first of two days in the Tufts University Cupid Challenge and Multi Meet in Gantcher Field House.
--JUMBOS--
