AMHERST, MA (April 4, 2026) – Tufts University junior
Simi Lawal and the Jumbo 4x100-meter relay consisting of sophomores
Elysse Cumberland,
Makayla Moriarty and
Arielle Chechile along with Lawal broke school records during an outstanding performance by the women's outdoor track & field team at the Amherst Spring Fling on Saturday.
The 4x1 relay, in its first race of the season, timed 46.37 seconds to break the school record and earn the #1 time in the nation as of Saturday evening. The same foursome held the old school record of 47.17 from last year.
Lawal then matched that performance with a time of 11.69 seconds in the 100-meter dash which was first out of 32 individuals at the meet. She broke a 10-year old school record, ranks #2 in the nation and it is the 23rd fastest time ever in Division III for the event. She lowered the Tufts standard from the time of 11.88 seconds that Alexis Harrison set in 2016. Lawal also won the 200 meters today in a 25.20 time that ranks her sixth at Tufts. Her outdoor PR, the time is in the top 40 for Division III. Moriarty was third in the 200 today (26.06).
Chechile, who like Lawal was in her outdoor season debut today, ran the nation's third-fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles, a 1:00.58 mark that was first at the meet and made her #3 all-time at Tufts. Chechile also had a time of 12.13 seconds in the 100-meter dash today that is her PR and ranks 25th in the nation.
Cumberland, competing for the first time since winning the triple jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, was also third in the long jump today. Her 5.49m (18'0 ¼") mark was tied for 27th in the national rankings on Saturday night.
Among the throwers, junior
Ceci LaBarge had a huge 51.31m (168'4") hammer throw that won the event out of 24 entries. It places her #3 all-time at Tufts and ranks her 15th nationally as of Saturday evening. Sophomore
Julia Saporito spun the discus 37.51m (123'0") for fifth place today, while the top shot put mark for Tufts today came from junior
Jackie Wells at 10.99m (36'0 ¾") for ninth place.
Running the 1500 meters for the first time, sophomore
Zui Chinchalkar added another Tufts victory with a time of 4:40.84 which is a top 40 Division III spot. First-years
Lily Simmonds and
Kayleigh Forde ran a pair of solid times in the 800 meters. Simmonds was fourth in the event (2:16.58) and Forde was sixth (2:17.11), with Simmonds' mark in the national top 50 as of Saturday evening.
Junior
Emma Gall was the runner-up in the pole vault today, recording a 3.40m (11'1 ¾") best. Tufts also ran its first 4x400-meter relay today. First-year
Lauren Downer, sophomore
Anne-Sophie Janssen, first-year
Cori Stewart and Simmonds combined on a 4:06.28 time that was second at the meet. Downer added a 59.99 mark in the 400 meters for fourth place.
First-year
Camille Brand finished sixth in the high jump at 1.47m (4'9 ¾"). Sophomore
Grace Doyle in the 3000-meter steeplechase recorded an 11:52.87 time for seventh place. Junior
Nora Jean-Jacques' 10.71m (35'1 ¾") in the triple jump took fifth today. First-year
Camilla Brewer recorded a time of 16.22 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles (10th place).
Tufts will compete at home for the only time this spring next weekend (Friday and Saturday) with the Tufts Spring Invitational at Dussault Track.
--JUMBOS--
