ITHACA, N.Y. -- Recent Cornell graduate Benito Jaramillo has been named the United States Polo Association's Stephen A. Orthwein Male Intercollegiate Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season. The honor, presented annually by the Polo Training Foundation, recognizes the top male player in collegiate polo nationally.

Jaramillo capped a four-year career at Cornell that helped return the Big Red to the forefront of collegiate polo. A four-year starter and senior captain, he was a central figure in the program's resurgence from 2022-26, helping lead Cornell to two Northeastern Regional Championships, two USPA Division II national final appearances, including winning the title in 2024, and a berth in the 2026 USPA Division I National Championship final, the program's first appearance at the Division I level since 2011.

"We are very excited and so proud of Benito for this amazing accomplishment," said Anthony Condo Jr., The Peter B. Orthwein `68 Head Coach of Polo. "Benito has demonstrated ability and playing skill in the arena since his arrival at Cornell in 2022. The elevation of our men's team's improvement has mirrored the trajectory of his stellar career, and are a testament to his ability as a player, as a leader and as a horseman."

Individually, Jaramillo was named a USPA National Intercollegiate All-Star in each of his final three seasons (2024, 2025, 2026) and won the USPA National Horsemanship Award three consecutive years over that same span, underscoring both his play on the field and his command of the sport's equestrian demands.