MIDDLEBURY, VT (September 12, 2026) – At a meet featuring three of the top six teams in the USTFCCCA preseason national poll, the Tufts University women's cross country team opened its 2026 season with a third-place finish at Middlebury College's Aldrich Invitational on Saturday.
Williams College, the #2 team in the preseason poll, won the competition with a 22 score. Host and #5-ranked Middlebury was second with a 43 score. The Jumbos, who are at #6 in the national poll, finished with a 67 team score. Nine teams overall were at the meet.
Tufts had three runners in the top 12 out of 90 finishers in today's race. Sophomore
Zui Chinchalkar led the Jumbos with her 23:08.21 mark for ninth place. Senior
Deirdre Flanagan recorded a 23:11.46 finish for 11th place in the race. Junior
Zoe Margolies crossed the finish line 12th in a 23:14.92 mark.
Senior
Katya Henisz, another key returnee for the Jumbos, finished the six-kilometer track in a 23:22.20 time that was 18th overall. Fellow returnee
Lily Simmonds, now in her sophomore year, ran 23:33.09 for 22nd place.
Between Henisz and Simmonds among Jumbo runners was the first finisher from the promising first-year class as
Kajol Karra was 19th overall with a 23:27.14 time in her collegiate debut. Two other first-years were also in the top 30 overall on Saturday, as
Claire Palmer timed 23:35.35 for 24th place and
Kat Piantka ran 23:44.01 for 26th place.
Other Jumbos among placing among the top 40 individuals on Saturday were sophomore
Alanna Jacob (24:06.54 for 35th) and first-year
Esme Gulbransen (24:14.88 for 36th).
Kate Tuttle from Williams College won today's race with a 22:16.12 time.
Williams will host the Purple Valley Classic where Tufts will compete next Saturday.
--JUMBOS--
