CAMBRIDGE, England — Under sweltering temperatures that climbed into the 90s, Cornell track & field added another chapter to one of the sport's oldest traditions on Saturday, teaming up with UPenn to earn decisive victories over Oxford & Cambridge in the 2026 Transatlantic Series at Wilberforce Road.
Competing in an international dual meet that dates back to 1894—predating the modern Olympic Games—the Big Red joined forces with the Quakers to claim all three team titles. Penn & Cornell captured the men's competition, 114-83, the women's meet, 130-65, and the combined title, 244-148.
The biennial series remains one of track & field's most unique traditions, bringing together Ivy League student-athletes and their British counterparts for a weekend of elite competition, cultural exchange and international camaraderie.
Cornell athletes made their presence felt throughout the day, collecting victories across the track and field events.
Leading the men's effort was junior Peter Northrup, who swept the throwing events by winning both the hammer throw (58.14m) and shot put (17.19m). Thomas Bucks paced a Penn & Cornell sweep in the pole vault after clearing 4.95m, while Kampton Kam claimed the high jump with a clearance of 2.10m.
Continuing in the field, Kameron Coleman captured the triple jump with a leap of 14.14m and added a runner-up finish in the long jump (6.68m), while Griffin Gammon placed second in the javelin with a throw of 56.38m. Joe Seib added a victory in the discus (41.78m) before finishing second behind Northrup in the shot put.
On the track, Ryder King crossed the finish line first in both hurdle races, posting winning times of 52.24 in the 400-meter hurdles and 14.37 in the 110-meter hurdles. Although King competed as a non-scoring guest in the 400-meter hurdles, his performance highlighted a dominant showing from the Penn & Cornell hurdle group. Cade Swart and Jason Meza followed in second and third, respectively, to secure the maximum point total in the event.
The sprint corps also delivered key performances. Simeon Adams edged Oxford & Cambridge's Pelumi Babalola by seven hundredths of a second to win the 200-meter dash in 21.87, while Penn & Cornell closed the afternoon with victories in both the 4x100-meter relay (42.01) and 4x400-meter relay (3:16.62).
The women's squad was equally impressive, controlling the field events while showcasing depth across the track.
Fresh off making Cornell history in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month, Avery Hilliard added another victory to her season by clearing 3.90m to win the pole vault.
Jessica Oji doubled in the throws, capturing both the discus (45.24m) and shot put (16.91m), while Gabriella Vizcarrondo opened the meet with a victory in the hammer throw at 46.74m.
Cornell also dominated the horizontal jumps. Paula-Marie Brown shared the top mark in the long jump at 5.62m before returning to finish third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.65). Adannia Agbo claimed the triple jump title with a leap of 12.55m, while Anika Sukumar added a third-place finish (11.77m).
The Big Red & Quaker team continued to pile up victories on the oval. Sofia Swindell swept the hurdle events by winning the 100-meter hurdles (14.04) and 400-meter hurdles (1:03.09), with Annika Topchy finishing just one-hundredth of a second behind in the longer hurdles. Rianna Floyd captured the 400 meters in 55.06, Milan Ramey won the 100-meter dash in 11.92, Jailyn Milord sprinted to victory in the 200-meters in 24.79, and Sarah Fischer cruised to the 2,000-meter steeplechase title in 7:01.15.
Penn & Cornell also completed relay sweeps on the women's side, winning the 4x100-meter relay in 47.12 and the 4x400-meter relay in 3:53.52.
The Transatlantic Series rotates on a four-year cycle, with Penn and Cornell joining forces against the combined Oxford & Cambridge squad—known as the Achilles Club—in one of the world's longest-running international track & field competitions. Dating back more than 130 years, the meet continues to celebrate the sport's rich history while fostering friendships that stretch far beyond the finish line.
