MEDFORD, MA (April 21, 2026) – After an outstanding performance with the Tufts University women's outdoor track & field team in California late last week, sophomore
Arielle Chechile has been named New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCSAC) Track Athlete of the Week today.
On Thursday at the Pacific Coast Invitational hosted by Long Beach State University, Chechile ran a time of 59.05 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. It's the #1 time in the nation this week, more than a half-second faster than the #2 national ranked mark (59.61). Chechile was fifth out of 34 mostly Division I entries at the meet.
Then on Saturday at the Bryan Clay Invitational held at Azusa Pacific University, Chechile continued her impressive week with great performances in the 200 and 400 meters. She first ran a time of 54.30 seconds in the 400 meters to break the school record of 55.21 set by her classmate
Makayla Moriarty last year. Chechile's 54.30, 12th out of 71 individuals at the meet, is the #3 time in the nation this week.
In the first 200 of her outdoor career at the Bryan Clay meet, Chechile's time of 24.42 seconds ranks #17 nationally this week. The mark is faster than the previous school record of 24.65 set by Tufts legend Vera Stenhouse in 1990, though Chechile's junior teammate
Simi Lawal ran 24.39 at Azusa Pacific on Saturday to earn the record. Chechile's mark is #2 on the Tufts all-time list.
Earning the NESCAC award for the first time, Chechile continued a season of outstanding achievement by the Jumbo team. Her junior teammate
Ceci LaBarge was also announced as the NESCAC Field Athlete of the Week today. It's the first time Tufts has won both the Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors in the same week since the NESCAC began presenting the awards in 2008. Tufts has now earned four of the conference's Performer of the Week awards this season, including Lawal for track on April 7 and sophomore Elysee Cumberland for field on April 14.
The Jumbos compete at the NESCAC Championship meet this weekend (Apr. 25-26) at Williams College.
--JUMBOS--
