Arielle Chechile ’24, one of the greatest student-athletes in the 200-plus year history of Wilbraham & Monson Academy, signed her letter of commitment to attend and run track & field at Tufts University during a happy ceremony in the Athletic Center on April 30.

Arielle owns multiple school records for the Winter Track and Spring Track teams. She served as captain for both teams her junior and senior year. Academically, she has taken a college course, nine Advanced Placement classes and eight more at the honors level.

Quotes from Coach Danielle Vartabedian

On Arielle’s ability: “Arielle came out as a freshman and was a natural talent. Getting her to learn track & field was second nature to her. She immediately picked up every event. Her determination helped her dig in and do what it took to learn these events. Her speed and strength lend toward all the success she’s had in track.”

On Arielle’s character: “She’s an amazing person. She’s always such a positive person and upbeat. She’s the first person to pat you on the back and say ‘Good job.’ She’s always lifting people up when they’re down and trying to get them to see the brighter side. She’s an amazing leader, never shying away from leading the team. She’s a team player and will make the sacrifice for the greater good.”

Quotes from Arielle

On what drew her to Tufts: “First, the opportunities at Tufts are incredible. They have one of the best tracks (in the region) and a whole bunch of staff and coaches available. The athletic opportunities are boundless, and that was really exciting. The location is close enough to home that I can go home if I want to. Academically it’s renowned for its engineering. Overall, it’s what I was hoping for. It checked all the boxes.”

On WMA: “Despite being so excited for collegiate track and college in general, I’ll definitely miss WMA, especially all the people. They’ve left an impact on me. No matter how excited I am for the next step, I’ll always think back to WMA fondly.”