Tough Weather, Competition, No Match for Jumbos at Amherst Spring Fling

AMHERST, MA (April 5, 2025) - The Tufts University women's outdoor track and field team carried their momentum with them as they traveled out west for a great day of competition at the Amherst Spring Fling at Amherst College on Saturday.

Another rainy early-spring weekend saw senior Carly Rinko earn the first podium of the day for the Jumbos. She took third in the 1500m run with a NCAA Division III Top 100 time of 4:48.93. The senior middle-distance runner also took fourth place in the 800m run with a 2:19.39, a time that also landed her in the NCAA Division III Top 100. 

Junior Lexi Dean rounded out a solid day on the track with a third place finish in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing with a personal best time of 11:27.30 for the 34th best time in the NCAA Division III. Sophomore Sophie Carpenter was just behind her in fourth, also finishing with a personal best time of 11:37.19. Fellow sophomore Taylor Neldner finished in fifth, also setting a new personal best with a 11:48.85, and first year Grace Doyle rounded out the chunk of consecutive Jumbos with a sixth place finish and a time of 11:50.04. All four of the consecutive finishers landed times inside of the NCAA Division III Top 100. 

On the field, first year Mia Kurtz kicked things off with a fourth place finish in the discus throw with a mark of 36.65m. The rookie also took third place in the shot put, setting a personal second-best mark of 11.42m for the second podium finish by a Jumbo in a throwing event. 

The first podium finish came through a victory in the hammer throw by sophomore Ceci LaBarge. Her toss of 46.38m was the 45th best mark in the NCAA Division III and was enough to earn her the individual win for the Jumbos. 

Elsewhere on the field, senior Harper Meek took third in the high jump with a solid mark of 1.57m. The final jumping event of the day saw first year Ava DiPrizio, landing a mark of 9.64m for the last podium finish for Tufts on the day. 

The Jumbos will take the week to rest up before heading out to Northampton to compete in the Smith College Carla Coffey Invitational on Friday and Saturday.