Women's Track and Field Wins 2025 Division III New England Championships

NEW LONDON, CONN. (May 3, 2025) - The Tufts University women's track and field team secured victory at the Division III New England Championships after another excellent day of competition down in New London at the United States Coast Guard Academy.

Senior Harper Meek became the first Jumbo to score points on day two, finishing second in the high jump with a massive mark of 1.66m. Her second place finish was enough for the 16th best mark in the NCAA Division III.

First year Mia Kurtz became the next Jumbo to score points with her eighth place finish in the discus throw. Her mark of 39.02m picked up a point for the Jumbos, helping to keep them atop the team standings.

Simisola Lawal and Makayla Moriarty made consecutive finishes in the 100m dash finals as Lawal took sixth with a 12.19 and Moriarty seventh with a 12.24. Both finishes were inside the Top 100 fastest times in the NCAA Division III.

Carly Rinko and Phoebe Bryar also took consecutive finishes in the 800m run. Rinko was third with a season-best 2:14.95 for the 60th best time in the NCAA Division III, while Bryar broke the facility record with a personal best time of 2:13.24.

First year Grace Doyle finished just outside the podium in the 3000m steeplechase with a fourth place finish in a personal best time of 11:33.04. Junior Lexi Dean was just a bit behind her in fifth with an 11:39.33.

The Jumbos relay teams saw two facility records fall in both of their races. The 4x100m relay team of Lawal, Chechile, Moriarty and Cumberland took third in a track-best time of 47.17. It was the fastest time posted by the squad this season. The 4x400m relay finished in a track-best time of 3:51.26 for second place. It was the best time posted by the squad of Smith, Moriarty, Chechile and Kral.

The heptathlon's conclusion saw sophomore Tessa Player leapfrog ahead into first place for the win. Her day started with a fourth place finish in the long jump before she rattled off back-to-back first place finishes in the javelin throw and 800m run. Her points total of 4257 was just 55 points ahead of the runner-up from Bowdoin.

The Jumbos took first place by an overwhelming 34 points with 94 to Connecticut College's 60. They will have the week off before heading out west to compete in the NEICAAA Championships at UMass Amherst.