Cornell Women Ready for Ivy League Heptagonal Championships

PRINCETON, N.J. — The Cornell Big Red women's outdoor track and field team travels to Princeton University this weekend for the 2026 Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17.

Competition begins Saturday at 10 a.m. as the Ivy League's top athletes compete for conference titles over two days of championship action. Live results will be available through Leone Timing, while the full championship schedule can be found on the Ivy League website.

Cornell enters the weekend with momentum across multiple event groups and will look to challenge near the top of the team standings behind a blend of veteran leadership and emerging young talent.

Leading the way for the Big Red is defending Ivy League pole vault champion Avery Hilliard, who ranks third in the conference this season and owns the Cornell school record in the event. Hilliard also enters the weekend ranked among the top 70 vaulters nationally.

Paula-Marie Brown will be a key contributor across several events for Cornell. Brown ranks second in the Ivy League in the heptathlon and high jump while also sitting fifth in the conference in the long jump. The senior currently ranks No. 62 nationally in the heptathlon and has continued to impress the coaching staff with her growth throughout her Cornell career.

Cornell's sprint and hurdle groups have also emerged as major strengths this season. Natasha Redmond ranks fifth in the Ivy League in the 100m, while Arianna Allen and Divine Bamgboye both sit among the conference's top seven in the 100m hurdles. The Big Red's 4x100 relay squad enters the weekend ranked fifth in the league.

In the middle-distance and distance events, Mairead Clas enters the championship ranked sixth in the Ivy League in the 5,000m after posting the third-fastest time in Cornell program history earlier this spring.

The Big Red has also received strong performances in the throws and jumps throughout the outdoor season. Avery Hastings ranks second in the Ivy League in the hammer throw, while Nicole Loy and Claire Springer both sit inside the conference's top 10 in the shot put.

Cornell's younger athletes have made an immediate impact throughout the season as well, highlighted by freshman Sophia Comfere, who set program freshman records in both the 400m and 800m this spring.

One defining characteristic of Cornell's program throughout the year has been the close connection between the men's and women's teams, with athletes regularly training together and supporting one another throughout the season. That atmosphere is expected to be on full display this weekend as the Big Red competes for Ivy League championships.

With warm and sunny conditions forecasted in Princeton, Cornell will look to finish the outdoor season on a strong note against the league's top competition.

BY THE NUMBERS

Women's Ivy League Performance Rankings:

Sprints

Middle Distance/Distance

Hurdles

100m hurdles

400m hurdles

3,000m steeplechase

Relays

4x100 relay (Bamgboye, Beckham, Redmond, Walters) — No. 5 (45.23)

4x400 relay (Pennachio, Ebersole, Schminke, George) — No. 4 (9:10.77)

Field Events

High Jump

Pole Vault

Long Jump

Triple Jump

Shot Put

Hammer Throw

Javelin

Combined Events

Current Cornell Program Top 10 Record Holders:

100m

200m

400m

800m

5,000m

100m Hurdles

400m Hurdles

4x100 Relay

Long Jump

Triple Jump

Pole Vault

High Jump

Heptathlon

Shot Put

Hammer Throw