Headlined by Olympian Quincy Wilson and breakout sophomore sprinter Roman Spikes on the men’s side, Maryland track and field continues to attract premier talent; the Terps signed UMBC transfer Lily Bandy and Kentucky transfer Jayla Atkinson.
Bandy arrives in College Park after an exceptional freshman year with the Retrievers. The sprinter
won gold in both the indoor and outdoor America East championships in the 4×400-meter relay. A local product from Woodsboro, Maryland, Bandy looks to make a splash in her first year in the Big Ten.
Atkinson, on the other hand, is no stranger to racing in a competitive conference. The rising junior from Munroe Falls, Ohio, comes to Maryland after two productive years with the Wildcats. Her personal bests in the 5K and 6K sit at 17:58.2 and 21:24.3, respectively, while finishing second in the 800-meter dash in the 2026 Wake Forest Invitational.
With the Terps’ track and field program lagging behind the rest of the Big Ten in recent years, these transfers serve as the team’s latest effort to catch up to the pack. But with the transfer portal heating up, Maryland may opt to lean on its younger talent to carry it through its most anticipated season to date.
In other news
Maryland women’s basketball guard Oluchi Okananwa begins training camp for the Nigerian women’s national team Wednesday.
Maryland football quarterback Malik Washington enters 2026 with high expectations.
Maryland men’s basketball will take on South Carolina at CFG Bank Arena Dec. 19.
