LA VERNE / LONG BEACH, CA (April 16, 2026) – Remarkable performances by junior
Simi Lawal and sophomore
Arielle Chechile highlighted the Tufts University women's outdoor track & field team's first day of competition in California on Thursday.
The Jumbos competed at two meets on the West Coast Thursday. Tufts had three individuals in action at the Pacific Coast Invitational at Long Beach State University, and two competed at the Leopard Invitational hosted by the University of La Verne. Both meets featured competitors from across Divisions I, II and III.
Lawal continued her spectacular junior year by lowering her own school record in the 100-meter dash at the Pacific Coast Invitational today. She ran 11.66 seconds, shaving 0.03 off her previous mark (11.69). It's the fastest time in Division III as of Thursday afternoon, and she becomes just the 10th woman in DIII history to run 11.66 or faster in the event. She placed 12th out of 85 competitors at the meet.
Chechile practically matched Lawal's performance, except for the school record. Her time of 59.05 seconds marks the first time she has gone under the one-minute mark in the event, and it puts her #2 all-time at Tufts. Even more impressively, it's the #1 time in the nation right now, it's the 20th-fastest DIII time ever in the event, and it makes her one of just 10 DIII competitors who have run 59.05 or better in the history of the event.
Tufts junior
Ceci LaBarge hit her PR in the hammer throw at the Leopard Invitational on Thursday. The 51.41m (168'8") distance improved on her #3 all-time ranking on the team and on her #20 national ranking as of early Thursday evening. At the meet, she was fifth out of 19 entries.
Also at the Leopard Invitational, first-year
Lily Simmonds ran a national top 40 mark in the 800 meters with her season-best and the team outdoor-season best time of 2:14.51. She was fifth out of 63 finishers in the event.
Junior
Jackie Wells was at Long Beach State University for the Pacific Coast Invitational javelin throw and shot put. Her best javelin mark of 39.31m (128'11") was just shy of her season-best distance of 39.36m (129'2"), which is currently 31st nationally. In the shot, she had an 11.10m (36'5") best throw.
Four Jumbos compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational hosted by Azusa Pacific University on Friday, while two will be at the Leopard Invitational. Back home, some of the Jumbos who did not travel to California will start competition at MIT's Sean Collier Invitational.
--JUMBOS--
