An institution that has long been one of the nation’s foremost track and field hubs is still producing results on the national stage.
Last week, Penn track and field sent five athletes to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Ore., with all five earning All-American honors for their efforts. Leading the pack was senior jumper Kampton Kam, who finished eighth in the high jump for a first team All-American nod.
Junior hurdler Ryan Matulonis was named a second team All-American following his 15th place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, while 2025 College graduate and distance specialist Dylan Throop, junior hurdler Alex Sadikov, and senior thrower Angeludi Asaah all earned All-American honorable mentions in their respective events.
“It was a super amazing feeling to finally be first team All-American at Hayward Field,” Kam told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “I’ve been to indoor nationals twice, and this is my first time making it to outdoor nationals, so I was elated to make it out of regionals especially being ranked third in the NCAA coming in.”
Ahead of the national meet, Kam’s season-best clearance of 2.25 meters at April’s South Florida Invitational was good for third-best in the nation. In Eugene, he cleared 2.10m and 2.15m on his first attempts but failed to surpass the next height of 2.20m. Only one athelte, Mississippi jumper Arvesta Troupe, bested Kam’s season-best. Troupe jumped 2.27m in the final flight to bring home the national championship crown.
Kam described a persistent foot injury as a factor that hampered his performance.
“I was dealing with a stress reaction on my foot two weeks after Penn Relays and had to modify my run-up to even jump after that,” Kam said. “Initially, I was optimistic that I’d recover in time for nationals, but as the time passed, it didn’t seem to get better, and a sprain at [the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships] made it worse.”
“Going into nationals, I kept an open mind and wanted to enjoy the extra two weeks of the season,” Kam added. “I focused on not letting the injury and pain bother me but to execute what I needed to, and that paid off with the first attempt clearances at 2.10m and 2.15m.”
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Kam, a native of Singapore and holder of his country’s all-time high jump record, also said he was “honored” to become the first Singaporean to score individually at the NCAA track and field championships.
The 400m hurdles marked the sole event in which Penn qualified multiple athletes, but Matulonis and Sadikov were determined to make the most of their trip. Competing in the event’s semifinals, Sadikov took 21st with a time of 52.50 seconds, while Matulonis finished 15th with a time of 50.75 seconds. The meet marked the second trip to the outdoor championships for Matulonis, who also qualified in 2024 and was a semifinalist in the 400m hurdles during last year’s United States Olympic Trials.
Throop, a veteran for the Quakers, made his first career trip to outdoor track and field’s highest stage. After missing significant time due to an injury during his Penn career, the meet was a fitting end for one of the Red and Blue’s top distance runners. Throop finished 17th in the 10,000m event with a time of 29:24.03, earning an All-American honorable mention. After graduating from Penn in May, Throop will spend his final year of collegiate eligibility at Notre Dame next season.
Asaah was the lone member of the Penn women’s track and field team to qualify for the championships, also staking her claim against the best in the country. Competing in the discus throw, Asaah finished 23rd in the nation with a mark of 50.33 meters, earning her All-American honorable mention status.
Though she fell short of her personal-best mark of 57.04 meters set at South Florida, Asaah cherished the chance to compete at the national level.
“While it was a tough ending, I am so grateful for the whole Nattys experience,” Asaah said. “When I walked on freshman year, I thought Ivy Champs was the biggest stage I’d get, and I was just so happy to be on the team. Nationals and All-American honors is a dream.”
Several Quakers also expressed excitement in carrying their momentum into the seasons to come. Throop is the lone senior out of Penn’s national qualifiers, giving the rest of the group a chance to build on their success for the Red and Blue.
“I learned so much during this long season and am excited to take time off, recover, make adjustments, and come back stronger than ever senior year,” Asaah said.
“I want to strive to make a bigger mark next year,” Kam said. “As long as I’m healthy, I know I have it in me to win a national title.”
