Handful of Women's Track & Field Jumbos Improve National Rankings at Harvard Invitational

CAMBRIDGE, MA (January 31, 2026) - Juniors Emma Gall, Ceci LaBarge and Simisola Lawal as well as sophomore Arielle Chechile all improved their national rankings in their respective events to lead the Tufts University women's indoor track & field team at the Harvard Invitational on Saturday.

Lawal improved her career-best time in the 60-meter dash to 7.70 seconds. That mark improved her national ranking into the top 20, and also bettered her #2 all-time mark in the event at Tufts. She was 10th among 64 in the prelims at the Harvard meet, just missing a spot in the finals.

In the championship pole vault event, the last to finish today, Gall cleared a career-best 3.80m (12'5 ½"). It places her #2 all-time indoors at Tufts, and is a top 15 mark nationally as of Saturday evening. She earned sixth place. 
 
Chechile's time of 57.15 seconds in the 400 meters is a top 15 national mark, as well as making her the fourth-fastest ever for the indoor 400 at Tufts. She finished third out of 59 finishers in the event. Sophomore Makayla Moriarty added a top 50 national time in the 400 meters race (58.66) for a strong seventh place.

LaBarge won the open weight throw event out of 46 entries today at Harvard. Her 16.00m (52'6") winning mark came on her first attempt of the day, and it's a top 30 national mark. It also places her fourth all-time at Tufts in the event. Also in the weight throw, junior Nicole Kuhl had a PR of 13.66m (44'9 ¼").

Making her collegiate debut today, first-year Eleanor Clark cleared 3.40m (11'1 ¼") in the open pole vault event. The mark was ninth at the meet out of 34 entries, and quickly earned her a spot in the Tufts indoor top 10.

Other Jumbo top moments today included senior Julia Dolce taking third out of 42 runners in the 1000 meters with a 3:00.05 PR. First-year Lily Simmonds finished top 10 in the 1000 (3:03.74). Sophomore Mia Kurtz was entered in the championship weight throw event and had a 15.46m (50'8 ¼") best today.

Leading Tufts in other events were senior Vivian Lau who was 10th in the 5000 meters (18:06.33), and junior Jackie Wells placing 18th out of 46 throwers in shot put with an 11.04m (36'2 ¾") best mark.

No team scoring was kept at the Harvard Invitational.

The Jumbos will return home to the Gantcher Center for the Tufts Invitational next Saturday.