WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- The Amherst women's track and field team put on a display of grit and collective talent this weekend, battling their way to a podium finish at the 2026 NESCAC Championships with 131 total points.

Claiming 3rd place overall, the Mammoths proved they are a threat, fueled by a championship performance in the hurdles and a podium sweep in the horizontal jumps. While they didn't take the top team trophy, the weekend was a testament to the program's depth, with athletes scoring in every discipline and pushing through high-pressure finals to secure one of the highest team point totals in recent memory.
 
The weekend was headlined by a spectacular masterclass in the 100m hurdles. Myeh Medina was the star of the show, capturing the individual title and 10 points with a blistering 1st-place finish in 14.59s. She was closely followed by teammate Anastasia Ioppolo, who took 2nd in 14.69s, while Arissa Grace McGowan completed the scoring onslaught with a 6th-place finish (15.22s). Medina wasn't finished, however; she returned to the track for the 400m hurdles to claim a second place finish of 1:00.08, joined by Mads Rabb, who fought for 6th place in 1:04.56 to round out a dominant hurdle crew performance.
 
In the field, the Mammoths were a force to be reckoned with, particularly in the long jump where Amherst occupied three of the top five spots. Heloise Hughes led the charge with a massive 2nd-place leap of 5.81m, followed by Anna Kramarchuk in 4th (5.57m) and Alayah Campbell in 5th (5.53m). Anastasia Ioppolo translated her hurdle speed to the sand as well, taking 3rd in the triple jump with an 11.73m mark, while Leah Smith showed great composure over the bar to take 3rd in the high jump, clearing 1.58m.
 
The throwing circle provided a steady stream of points throughout the competition. Emma Ramsingh delivered in the discus, throwing 42.63m to take 2nd place overall. She was backed up by Tess Adams, who scored in both the discus (5th, 38.31m) and the shot put (7th, 11.66m). The javelin runway saw a 4th-place finish from Madison Vant with a toss of 39.22m, with Morgan Rome adding a point in 8th (33.86m). In the hammer throw, Lily Meadows ground out a 7th-place finish with a mark of 45.54m, ensuring the Mammoths remained a threat in every throwing event.
 
On the track, Heloise Hughes was an absolute powerhouse, contributing points in both the 100m dash (4th, 12.14s) and the 200m dash (3rd, 24.77s) in addition to her jumping duties. The middle-distance and distance runners showed incredible heart as well. Piper Lentz took a hard-earned 3rd place in the 800m (2:10.51), while Zoe Marcus pulled a difficult double, scoring in both the 800m (7th, 2:14.66) and the 1500m (6th, 4:34.71). In the long-distance battles, Nikki Chopra took 4th in the 10,000m (36:42.05) with Allison Lounsbury taking 8th, while Ani Bailin (7th) and Addison McGoey (8th) both scored in a fast 5000m final.
 
The meet concluded with Amherst's relay teams showcasing their speed and endurance. The 4x800m squad of Audrey Seeger, Josie McLaughlin, Hannah Adhikari, and Piper Lentz nearly took the win, finishing 2nd in a stellar 9:09.87. The 4x100m team, consisting of Rachel Hubley, Camilla Lash, Ellie Jolly, and Heloise Hughes battled to a 3rd-place finish in 46.99s. Finally, the 4x400m quartet of Mads Rabb, Myeh Medina, Leila Davani, and Camilla Lash crossed the line in 6th (3:54.76) to cap off an incredible 131-point weekend. It was an effort defined by versatility and spirit, proving that the Amherst women are on the rise with more to come in the future.