NORTHFIELD, MN / KEENE, NH (October 3, 2026) – Led by three runners in the top 30 individually, the Tufts University women's cross country team posted an outstanding fourth-place finish at the Running of the Cows meet today hosted by Carleton College.
The event was held at the Bill Huyck Championship Cross Country Course in Northfield, Minnesota, which is the site of 2026 NCAA Division III Championships coming up in November. Most of the top teams in the nation competed there today.
Tufts, ranked sixth nationally, was fourth out of 35 teams overall today with a 197 score. Second-ranked Williams College won the meet with a 79 score, while #7 Wisconsin-La Crosse was second (141), third-ranked Johns Hopkins took third (176) and #10 Washington University St. Louis placed fifth (203).
In a race featuring 324 runners overall, Tufts was led by sophomore
Lily Simmonds who took 20th place with a 22:02.9 time over the six-kilometer course. Also in the top 30 overall for the Jumbos were sophomore
Zui Chinchalkar in 23rd (22:04.5) and senior
Katya Henisz in 27th (22:06.0).
Tufts had a pair of first-years score today as well.
Claire Palmer ran 22:31.7 for fourth on the team and 55th overall, while
Kajol Karra finished in 22:51.7 for fifth on the team and 92nd overall.
The Jumbo top seven at the "Pre-Nationals" meet in Minnesota also included senior
Deirdre Flanagan (22:52.1 for 94th) and junior
Zoe Margolies (23:07.0 for 120th).
Tufts also had a group at the KSC Invitational hosted by Keene State College today, where the Jumbos placed third out of 27 teams. First-year
Kat Piantka led Tufts and was seventh overall among 244 finishers with a 22:22.5 time across six kilometers.
Sophomore
Kayleigh Forde was 26th in the race (22:54.4), first-year
Esme Gulbransen placed 27th (22:56.8), junior
Eleanor Whitehouse ran 41st (23:23.5) and sophomore
Alanna Jacob was 47th (23:44.5) to make up Tufts' scoring five.
Also in the team's top seven at Keene were first-year
Sylvia Perrin (24:04.8 for 61st overall) and senior
Sonia Olson (26:03.5 for 160th).
--JUMBOS--
