MEDFORD, MA (March 9, 2026) – The Tufts University women's indoor track & field team had five individuals earn NCAA qualifying berths announced on Sunday, and this group will compete in six events at the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday and Saturday (Mar. 13-14).
2026 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships
Dates: Friday, March 13 through Sunday, March 14
Location: Birmingham, AL (Birmingham Crossplex)
Coverage:
LIVE RESULTS –
LIVE VIDEO –
WOMEN'S PERFORMANCE LIST
Senior
Liz Donahue, junior
Simisola Lawal and sophomores
Arielle Chechile,
Elysse Cumberland and
Makayla Moriarty will travel to NCAA's for the Jumbos. The top 20 nationally-ranked individuals and top 12 relays who declare to compete at the NCAA's earn berths.
The Jumbos have top-three seeds in four events. At the Tufts Final Qualifier meet on Saturday (Mar. 7), Lawal's time of 7.48 seconds broke a 10-year old school record and tied for the sixth-fastest time in DIII history. It's also tied for the #2 seed at the NCAA meet. Her 24.53 time from the New England DIII Championships is the 12th seed nationally in the 200 meters as well.
Cumberland, who returns to the meet as the defending national champion in the triple jump, has the third-best marks in both the long jump and triple jump. Her 5.96m (19'6 ¾") long jump from the New England Division III Championships on March 1 is the school record. For the triple jump, her season-best is a 12.10m (39'8 ½") also happened at the New England Championships.
Chechile is ranked third in the 400 meters with her converted time (flat track to converted track) of 54.92 seconds from the New England Championship meet. She's also entered in the 200 meters as the 11th seed from a 24.50 converted mark from the Tufts Invitational on February 7. Chechile has the school records in both events.
Donahue earned the #15 seed for the 5000 meters. Her 16:54.83 time run at the first meet of the indoor season – the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener on December 6 – earns her first NCAA Track berth.
Moriarty's converted 56.12 from the Tufts Final Qualifier on Saturday got her into the meet and is 17th on the performance list.
In addition to winning the indoor triple jump national championship in 2025, Cumberland was also fifth in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor meet in 2025. Including a 13th-place finish in the triple outdoors last year, she's a three-time All-American entering the weekend.
Chechile and Moriarty are also honorable mention All-Americans. They were on the 4x400 relay that placed 10th Indoors last year. Chechile also qualified indoors in the 400-meter hurdles last year, and as did Moriarty in the 400 meters outdoors. Donahue was a cross country All-American in the fall.
On the schedule, Lawal competes first for the Jumbos in the 60-meter dash preliminaries on Friday at 2:00 PM CST (3:00 PM EST). If she advances to the final, it's on Saturday at 10:55 AM CST (11:55 EST). Chechile and Moriarty run in the 400 prelims on Friday at 3:05 PM CST, with potential finals on Saturday at 4:25 PM CST (5:25 PM EST). The 200 prelims for Chechile and Lawal are Friday at 4:15 PM CST (5:15 PM EST), with finals on Saturday at 5:15 PM CST (6:15 PM EST). Donahue runs in a straight 5000 final on Friday at 4:45 PM CST (5:45 PM EST).
Cumberland has the long jump prelims and finals on Friday at 3:30 PM CST (4:30 PM EST), and then the triple jump prelims and finals on Saturday at 2:00 PM CST (3:00 PM EST).
--JUMBOS--
