Sophomore Elysse Cumberland won her second consecutive indoor triple jump national championship, leading the Tufts University women’s track and field team to a tie for ninth place at the NCAA Division III championships held at the Birmingham Crossplex in Alabama on March 14.
Cumberland advanced through the preliminaries with a mark of 12.20 meters. In the finals, she secured victory with a distance of 12.54 meters on her first attempt, followed by jumps of 12.39 meters and 12.50 meters. Her performance outpaced Serena McNeilly from Centre College, who finished second with a mark of 12.30 meters.
Cumberland was the defending champion after winning last year with a personal record of 12.60 meters. She is now a two-time national champion and has earned All-American honors five times during her collegiate career.
With this latest title, the Tufts women’s track and field program has achieved a total of 23 NCAA individual and relay championships, including 15 indoor titles.
In other sports news from Tufts, the men’s basketball team advanced to only its second Elite Eight appearance in program history after defeating Wesleyan University 75-61 on March 14. The Jumbos will face Trinity College in Fort Wayne, Indiana on March 19 for a spot in the NCAA semifinals.
