NEW YORK, N.Y. — Championship Sundays demand poise, belief and the ability to rise in defining moments. Inside The Armory, Cornell women's indoor track and field delivered exactly that.

Behind record-breaking performances, historic relay success and contributions across every event group, the Big Red closed the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships with a fourth-place team finish and 63 points — a total built on resilience and breakthrough efforts from start to finish.

Princeton secured the team championship, followed by Penn and Harvard, with Cornell finishing ahead of Yale, Dartmouth, Brown and Columbia. But the story of the day for the Big Red was one of momentum — and history.

Midday Momentum Surged on the Oval

The afternoon began with early points on the track and in the field. Arianna Allen set the tone in the 60m hurdles final, placing sixth in 8.60 — a time that ties her at No. 9 in program history. In the high jump, Syna Sony delivered a steady series, clearing 1.71m to finish fifth overall and secure key team points. 

On the runway, Anika Sukumar represented the Big Red in the triple jump, battling through the rounds to clinch sixth place with a mark of 12.38m.

Francine Stevens powered her way to a runner-up finish in the 400m, crossing in 54.01 and asserting Cornell's presence in the sprint events. Shortly after, Sophia Comfere delivered one of the defining individual performances of the meet in the 500m. The freshman stormed to a second-place finish in 1:10.51 — a mark that stands as the current No. 1 school record and Cornell track & field freshman record.

In a championship setting, it was a statement performance far beyond her class year, and she's just getting started.

Comfere was joined in adding team points in the 500m by teammate, Elise Sawyer, who finished sixth with a time of 1:13.54.

The middle-distance crew continued to stack points as the afternoon unfolded. Katja Jackson ran a season-best 2:07.67 in the 800m to place fifth, moving to No. 8 in program history. 

The jumpers proved to be impactful on the day as well.

On the runway, Anika Sukumar represented the Big Red in the triple jump, battling through the rounds to clinch sixth place with a mark of 12.38m. In the high jump, Syna Sony delivered a steady series, clearing 1.71m to finish fifth overall and secure key team points. 

In the shot put, the competition did not fully fall Cornell's way, but Claire Springer battled her way into the eight-athlete final — a testament to the group's fight in a deep field.

Then, at 3:15p.m., came a moment that redefined the program's history.

The Distance Medley Relay — 1200m, 400m, 800m, 1600m — has been part of the Ivy League Championship schedule since 2014. Until Sunday, Cornell had never won it.

That changed.

Maisie McManus opened the race with a strong 3:31.2 leg before Olivia Walters kept the team in contention with a sharp 57.02 split. Katja Jackson positioned the Big Red for a breakthrough with a 2:09.5 carry, setting the stage for anchor Mairead Clas. With the title within reach, Clas delivered a decisive 4:41.3 final leg to secure the Ivy crown in 11:18.98.

The victory marked Cornell's first-ever Heps title in the women's Distance Medley Relay and stands as the third-fastest time ever run at the Championships. The mark also ranks No. 43 in NCAA Division I this season.

It was more than a relay win — it was a breakthrough moment.

Cornell's 4x800-meter relay team of Riley Ebersole, Tenley Nelson, Lee and Sawyer added further depth, placing sixth in a season-best 8:56.61 to round out the scoring and reinforce the team's collective strength.

Then, in the 4x400-meter relay, Justine Hounsell, Natasha Redmond, Sophia Comfere and Francine Stevens combined for a fourth-place finish in 3:42.40, closing the meet with determination and composure.

Championship meets are remembered for moments — the record that falls, the relay that rewrites history, the points earned through persistence. On Sunday, the Big Red created all three.

When asked about the weekend, Alan B. '53 and Elizabeth Heekin Harris Head Coach of Women's Track and Field, Mike Henderson said:

    "Reflecting on this meet, the thing I am most proud of from the women's team is their determination, passion and resolve in the face of tough competition.

    Nothing comes easy at the Heps Championships, but the women never backed down from the challenge at hand and delivered a number of memorable and outstanding performances, including two     Heps titles, two runner-up finishes, a school record, a freshman record and 16 different point-scoring performances overall.

    Of course, our highlights from the weekend start with our Heps champions — Avery, Maise, Olivia, Katja and Mairead — but the story does not end there. There were so many athletes who stepped up     time and again all weekend long and did so in a way that should make all alums, friends and fans of the program proud. Paula-Marie Brown and Francine Stevens had incredibly busy weekends and     never once failed to bring their best. We had steady and reliable performances from experienced athletes like Katja Jackson, Elise Sawyer and Syna Sony that kept the group grounded and picking up     points. We had first-years like Sophia Comfere, Gabriella Vizcarrondo and Arianna Allen show what a bright future the program has with young athletes stepping up on the biggest stage. Then we     had athletes like Maisie McManus, Lauren Cashman and Annika Sukumar, who have been working hard and chipping away for years, finally put up their first individual scoring performances in very     deep and talented fields. That combination of experiences across the meet really made the weekend a special and memorable one for the Big Red.

    Things never go exactly to plan, but that is also what makes the meet so exciting and creates so many unique and memorable moments. I am proud of the way the group competed, but I also love     that no one is content with being fourth overall and that everyone is hungry to keep working and battling to get better."

For fans following the program's story, the message was clear: this is a team capable of rewriting its record book and stepping onto the championship stage with confidence. Cornell closes the indoor season with momentum firmly on its side as the focus shifts to the outdoor campaign.