WILLIAMSTOWN, MA (September 19, 2026) – With sophomores and first-years earning eight of their top 10 finishes, the Tufts University women's cross country team's youth movement was only display today at the Purple Valley Classic hosted by Williams College.
Competing on the six-kilometer course at Mount Greylock High School, the Jumbos earned a team score of 42 for second place. Host Williams College won the team competition with a strong 17 score. Both teams rested some of their top runners. Molloy University was also in action and compiled an 85 team score.
The Jumbo scoring five consisted of a sophomore, three first-years and a junior. The team was led by sophomore
Lily Simmonds, who ran a 22:34 time for fourth place overall out of 41 total finishers.
Tufts' three scoring first-years were all in the top 10 overall.
Kajol Karra's 22:55 was seventh, a 23:10 mark by
Addison Julian placed ninth and
Claire Palmer ran 10th with her 23:19 time.
Junior
Samara McVey was the fifth and final Jumbo scorer, recording a 23:26 time for 12th place.
Tufts' top seven had first-year
Kat Piantka in 13th place (23:37) and sophomore
Alanna Jacob 14th (23:43).
Each of the Jumbos' top 10 for the day placed in the overall top 20. That included first-year
Sylvia Perrin crossing the finish line 15th (23:44), first-year Esme Gullbransen taking 18th (23:51) and junior
Eleanor Whitehouse coming in 19th (23:53).
Williams College first-year Sophie Capozzi won the race in 22:00 flat.
The Jumbos are off next week before running at the NCAA Championship site at Carleton College on October 3.
--JUMBOS--
