Tufts alum places fourth at World Championships

Jennifer Toomey is the most accomplished runner to ever spend four years on the Hill. Her name is already entered in the United States Track & Field record book once, and may find it's way there at least a few more times in the future. But no matter how hard you scour the Tufts record books, you won't find Toomey's name anywhere -- and it's not just because she got married and changed her name.

Jennifer (Lincoln) Toomey (LA '94) never even ran track or cross-country at Tufts. Besides a one-year stint as a 400 meter runner when she was a freshman in high school, Toomey didn't even begin her running career until the age of 27. Now 32 and residing in Salem, Mass., Toomey has spent the last five years undergoing an incredible transformation into one of the most promising middle-distance runners in the country.

Just over a week ago, Toomey managed a feat that no woman has ever accomplished winning both the 800 and 1500 meter races at the US Indoor Championships (in 2:00.02 and 4:09.82, respectively). Not only that, but last month, Toomey set a new US record in the 1,000 meters, in a time of 2:35.29, at the Norwich Grand Prix in Birmingham, England.

As a relatively new face in the world of elite runners, Toomey is still gaining experience and may have a lot of untapped potential remaining. Two days ago, at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Toomey competed in her first world championships final. Despite being boxed in against the rail until the last 50 meters of the 800-meter race, Toomey still squeezed out a new personal-best time, 1:59.64, which was good for fourth.

While competitive running is a new addition to Toomey's repertoire, she is no stranger to athletic success. She was a state champion diver at Branford High School in Branford, Connecticut, and continued the sport for two years at Tufts. After two seasons, the biology major left the team.

According to Tufts Swimming & Diving Team coach Nancy Bigelow, who is in her 21st season at the helm, "Jenny Lincoln was very, very talented, but she lacked focus."

Now, on the track instead of the springboard, it appears that "Jenny Lincoln" has found her focus. And with the Athens Olympics just around the corner, there's no telling what Jumbo-sized accomplishments Toomey has in store.