In a fun display of athleticism, tradition, and international camaraderie, Penn track and field delivered standout performances this past Friday in one of collegiate athletics’ most storied meets: the Transatlantic Series.
With more than 100 years in its history, this competition brought together student-athletes from Penn and Cornell to face off against the Achilles Club — a joint squad composed of track and field athletes from Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the United Kingdom. Hosted at Franklin Field, this lighthearted invitational meet provided both veterans and young talent the opportunity to showcase their skills.
The meet wasn’t just a source of new competition, as it was also a fun experience for the athletes from all the schools involved. Many Quakers opened their homes to visiting athletes from the United Kingdom, hosting them throughout the weekend and forming connections that extended far beyond the track. This special tradition, rooted in over one century of shared athletic history, added a personal and cultural depth that made the event stand out from a typical meet.
“It brings back the fun in the sport; it’s so cool competing with athletes from different countries, and competing for something bigger than ourselves,” said junior distance runner Anna Weirich, who partook in this tradition for the first time this season. “It really shows what a great sport and community track and field is, and how the team aspect is such a big part of it.”
While the meet was much more than just the competition, the day was still marked by success from the Red and Blue with the friendly environment providing many Quakers with the opportunity to put their best foot forward. The Penn-Cornell combination women’s track and field team ended the day with a win, outscoring their foreign competitors 14-5, while the Penn men’s track and field defeated the Achilles Club 13-5.
The afternoon opened with a first-place title in men’s javelin for junior thrower Atticus Soehren, who recorded a personal best mark of 66.86 meters.
In the next event, the success for the Red and Blue continued with another personal best performance from freshman sprinter Mary Rozier who finished second in the long-jump, jumping 5.95m. Rozier went on to also place second in the 100m dash, raking in another top-three finish for the Quakers with a time of 12.02 seconds.
Contributions from rookie Quakers did not stop there, as freshman jumper Zofia Limbert achieved another first-place finish for Penn with a personal-best mark of 1.71m in the high jump. The men saw success in this event too. Senior and sophomore jumpers Conrad Moore and Mark Hellwig hit a one-two punch with marks of 2.11m and 2.06m respectively in the high-jump.
Penn veterans also made their presence known. Junior thrower Angeludi Asaah continued what has been a season of dominant performances breaking the school record not once but twice, finishing first in shot put for the Quakers. Asaah recorded a personal-best fifth-round mark of 16.52m after first breaking the record by putting 16.07m in the third round.
Senior pole vaulter Meghan Hart and sophomore pole vaulter Evangeline Thomson tied for second place in that event with a mark of 4.08m, a personal record for both Quakers.
A day of personal records continued on the track when junior sprinter Christiana Nwachuku placed first in the 400m race, recording a time of 54.48 seconds. This moved Nwachuku to No. 7 on Penn’s all-time performance list.
Back on the field, junior thrower Stella Inman claimed second place in both discus and hammer throw. Inman achieved a personal best of 44.63m in the discus and 50.22m in the hammer. On the men’s side, senior thrower Scott Dochat also set a personal record of 62.42m in the hammer throw, finishing in first place and coming in at No. 2 on Penn’s all-time performance list.
In the distance events, sophomore and freshman distance runners Sarah Fischer and Kate Hos finished second and third respectively in the 2000m steeplechase in personal-record-breaking fashion.
Weirich, who has been injured this season, was able to compete in her first meet back in Friday’s fun environment, ultimately crossing the finish line in second place in the 3000m with a time of 10:17.74.
“It was just a great atmosphere to get back into it, and get to do it at home as part of this esteemed tradition,” Weirich said. “Because it was my first meet back, my main goal honestly was to compete well but really just to have fun and take it lightheartedly, and this was the perfect meet to do this.”
The Red and Blue closed off the day by securing a victory in the women’s 4x100m relay that set a season-best time, clocking in at 45.64 seconds.
The Quakers will compete next at the South Florida Invitational and Bison Outdoor Classic this weekend from April 11-12, hoping to build on the success of this day of friendly and historic competition.
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