The Delaware club track team had a strong showing at the Lloyd Sigler Spring Classic on March 8 in Salisbury, Maryland, with athletes setting personal bests and moving up the club’s all-time lists. The men’s team finished third overall, while the women placed fourth. Despite challenging windy conditions, the team performed well and continues to build momentum for the rest of the season.

In the sprints, sophomore James Winston ran 11.59 in the 100m, finishing 12th overall and reaching fifth on the club’s all-time list. Junior Kurt Krummenacker ran an 11.96 to place in the top 15, while sophomore Michael Obode followed with a 12.37. Sophomore Amanda Desenchak finished eighth in the women’s 100m in 13.34, just 0.1 seconds shy of her personal record. In the 200m Winston clocked 24.52 as freshman Parker Small crossed the line in 25.45 and sophomore Obode finished close behind in 25.79. Desenchak returned to run 28.63 in the 200m for a sixth-place finish. Freshman Parker Small continued in the 400m, finishing in 56.20, with junior Spencer Wheeler rounding out the event at 1:00.0. On the women’s side, senior Eli Manning led for Delaware, running a 1:12.8.

Our hurdlers had their opportunity, with sophomore Ryan Healy recording 1:12.03 in the 400m hurdles while junior Grace Wertheimer improved her previous mark by over a second, finishing in 1:20.6. Wertheimer also led the 100m hurdles for Delaware with a time of 19.26.

Blue Hens showed their depth in the middle-distance events. In the 800m, junior Dave Kelly won in 1:56.91, solidifying his fifth spot on the club’s all-time list, while junior Josh Pawlik and sophomore Dylan Aks finished in 2:11 and 2:12, respectively, both finishing within the top ten. On the women’s side, sophomore Claire Merchant placed sixth in 2:42.8 as freshman Zoe Morawski followed in 2:49.1, and Katie Burke secured a top 15 finish in 2:54.4.

Brady Sheaffer put up a strong performance in the 1500m, securing fifth place with a time of 4:23.86. Not far behind, Evan Pawlik crossed the line in 4:41.01, contributing to a solid showing for the blue hens. Senior Aravind Arunachalam at 4:41.12, and junior Alejandro Lobo made a spring debut in 4:44.40 to secure a top-ten finish. Senior Lauren Pollock set a personal record of 5:37.49 to finish fifth on the women’s side, followed by freshman Zoe Morawski in 5:37.97 and sophomore Kate Kershaw in 5:42.09, also earning a personal best.

Brady Sheaffer also delivered a strong performance in the 5K, finishing in fourth place with a time of 16:03.3. Freshman Michael Colavito secured a top-ten finish in 16:52.2, while Ryan Healy wrapped up the top three for Delaware in 18:24.9. On the women’s side Pollock finished third overall in 19:35.26, bumping her up to ninth on the club’s performance list with Kate Kershaw finishing fourth in 20:40.59. Freshman Izzy Kehoe Huck made her track debut with a sixth place finish in 21:25.31 and sophomore Natalie Greger closing for the hens in 21:50.4. Junior Katie Burke clocked 13:09.8 in the 3K steeplechase, while on the men’s side, sophomore Cole Donnelly ran an improved time of 11:42.40. Freshman Patch Lant followed at 11:46, with Aiden Loy finishing in 11:50.11 and sophomore Nik Anna rounding out the group in 11:59.62.

Relay events were a highlight for the Blue Hens, with the men’s 4×100m team of Krummenacker, Obode, Small, and Winston running 45.91, the fifth-fastest time in club history. The 4×400m squad of Kelly, Wheeler, Small, and Healy also put together a solid race, finishing in 3:50.49.

In the field events, senior Gavin Looram advanced the team’s mark in the long jump with a leap of 4.5 meters. Junior Lianna Greenstein not only recorded a long jump of 4.60 meters but also showcased her versatility by finishing second in the triple jump with her mark of 10.68 meters.

The team is now shifting focus to the NIRCA Nationals, which are set for April 5-6 in Richmond, VA!

Full results can be found here.

Kate Kershaw during her 5k.