Birmingham Ivy League Exchange 2024
Just after Easter, a squad of 60 selected athletes, including five coaches, set out on a two-week student exchange to four Ivy League Universities from Harvard, Yale, Penn and Cornell, following in the footsteps of generations of Birmingham student-athletes before them.
An earthquake, storm, and the experience of a lifetime
The adventure began in New York City, where a storm welcomed the team in the heart of Manhattan. Even with the weather, some athletes eagerly ventured into Central Park for their first run! But this wasn’t the only surprise during their trip – following a rewarding Alumni gathering in NYC, the team faced an unexpected challenge – a magnitude 4.8 earthquake. Despite obstacles, our senior athletes and coaches had a chance to share their stories and network with the attendees, having a rewarding experience for both parties impressed by each other’s achievements. Later in the day, the athletes paired up with their student hosts for the three-night visit to the University of Pennsylvania.
Taking wins back home!
The first competition took place at the iconic Franklin Fields stadium, where Birmingham League had a chance to experience and take three individual wins from our athletes, each achieving personal bests in the process:
Josh Woods leading in the Long Jump with 7.41 (PB)
James Pratt excelled in Javelin, with 64.74 (PB)
Jasmine Wilkins sprinted through 100m, with 11.78 (PB) – an impressive score putting her for consideration for the World U20 Championships in Peru later this summer.
A highlight of the trip came at the University of Connecticut Northeast Challenge, where the team shattered records and set the stage for future successes. The quartet of Molly Swingler, Jasmine Wilkins, Zoe Austridge and Maddie Whapples came away with a New University Club Record of 47.13s in the Women’s 4×100 relay.
We wanted to say a huge congratulations to all participants and our winners!
A Journey Across Four Universities
After successful and exciting days with our friendly host at the University of Pennsylvania, the journey continued to Cornell University, where the team had to experience a solar eclipse, embracing the time to recover and train in world-class facilities voted one of the top in the US.
Arriving at Harvard, the athletes were greeted by their fellows. Having a full day in Boston, the team toured the impressive campus before visiting the famous Fenway Park for an evening at the Red Sox baseball game – a truly cultural experience.
Arriving at Yale University for the final stage of their journey, the team enjoyed a leisurely four days in New Haven, focusing on recovery, training and sightseeing, including a campus tour, Cherry Blossom Festival, beach visit and more.
Sharing his experience, Luke Gunn – UoB Sport Head of Performance – said:
“I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of you at the University who assisted in making this event happen be it through fundraising, assistance with logistics or just shared passion for this amazing exchange. We are so proud of this wonderful relationship we have with all 4 universities as it anchors us in connections with counterparts across the pond with similar passions, problems and ambitions.”
The University of Birmingham will be hosting the next exchange in 2026, where we will see the best athletes from Penn and Cornell competing on campus! The Ivy League exchange has been taking place since the 1960s and, based on the enthusiasm from all parties, it’s easy to see this continuing through to the 2060s and beyond.
