NEW YORK — From Feb. 28 to March 1, Penn track and field hit the road to compete at the 2026 Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Championships.
Under the ceiling of the Armory Track, the Red and Blue excelled, breaking continental and Olympian records despite a second-place overall finish to Princeton in the conference display. Here’s how The Daily Pennsylvanian captured key moments from the weekend’s competition.
Freshman pole vaulter Thomas Bucks was adorned the Ivy League champion after launching a 5.20-meter personal best in the men’s pole vault event. He placed ahead of his teammate, sophomore pole vaulter Alex Georgiev, who was the bronze medalist in the event.
Freshman distance runner Joseph Socarras competed in the 1000-meter preliminary heat, smiling all the way to his first-place finish.
As he crossed the finish line to become the men’s 1000m champion in the finals, he gestured to his cheering teammates who supported him from the upper stands.
As the anchor in the men’s 4x800-meter relays, Socarras celebrated his victory, leading the Quakers to clinch the gold medal in the event.
Senior sprinter Fore Abinusawa closed off her final Ivy League season as the champion in the women’s 200-meter sprint. Earlier in the competition, she broke Olympian Gabby Thomas’ Ivy League record in the women’s 60-meter dash during the preliminary heat, later taking home the gold medal for the Quakers in both of her events.
Freshman sprinter Jailyn Milord showcased her prowess in the women’s 400-meter sprint, completing the race with first-place finishes in both the prelims and finals.
Junior sprinter Nayyir Newash-Campbell placed second in the men’s 400-meter preliminary heat, only to cross the finish line as the Ivy League champion in the finals of the event.
Newash-Campbell was also the second leg on the men’s 4x400-meter relays, competing alongside teammates sophomore distance runner Benjamin Markham, senior sprinter Alec Jackson, and junior sprinter and hurdler Ryan Matulonis.
As the anchor in the men’s 4x400m, Matulonis sped ahead of Princeton during the final stretch of the race to uphold the gold for the Quakers.
Matulonis also competed in the men’s 500-meter and men’s 60-meter hurdles, setting a new conference record in the 500m and finishing in fifth place in the men’s 60-meter hurdles.
Senior high jump specialist Kampton Kam passed his first two attempts at heights of 1.92 meters and 1.97 meters in the men’s high jump. He cleared his first attempt at 2.02 meters, holding up one finger upon completion.
The three-time All-American finished the event in first place after clearing 2.12 meters, though he was unable to clear 2.17 meters, which is lower than his personal best at 2.25 meters in the event.
Freshman multi-event competitor Yuliya Maslouskaya set the meet record in the women’s indoor pentathlon. She finished the Ivy League competition with three personal bests and a season best in her events.
Freshman shot put specialist Jessica Oji broke multiple records during her attempts in the circle. With a distance of 18.50 meters, Oji placed for No. 4 in Division I, breaking the Nigerian national record, as well as the African continental record.
After finishing first in the heat of the men’s 60m hurdles, senior hurdler Shane Gardner was upset by Princeton hurdler Greg Foster in the finals of the men’s 60m hurdles. He was bested by a difference of 0.002 seconds, and Foster’s time ahead of Gardner brought a new Ancient Eight record.
Senior distance runner Lily Murphy ran her personal best in the women’s 3000-meter, becoming the bronze medalist in the conference. Murphy also competed in the 4000-meter distance medley relay, where Penn finished second with a season best in the event.
Sophomore distance runner Quin Stovall completed the women’s 800-meter with a silver medal and found her new personal best.
Initially charging ahead of Princeton in the women’s 4x800-meter relays, Stovall was bested by the Tigers’ anchor, finishing in second place despite the Quakers setting a season best.
Freshman multi-event competitor and sprinter Giuliana Ligor anchored the women’s 4x400-meter relays, and the Penn women finished third in the event to close out the final day of Ivy League championships.
