The second annual Blue Hen Invitational, held on April 19th in Newark, Delaware, was a standout day for the University of Delaware Club Track and Field team. With increased team participation and strong support from alumni and current members, the home meet brought excitement, personal bests, and record-setting performances across a wide range of events.
The women’s 5k was a standout distance event, with senior Lauren Pollock running 18:56.24 to break 19 minutes for the first time, finish second, and move to fourth-fastest in club history. Sophomore Kate Kershaw followed with a personal best of 20:04.10, finishing sixth overall. Seniors Hannah Pash and Natalie Greger ran together and crossed the line hand in hand in 24:21.07. On the men’s side, junior Evan Diefenbeck ran an impressive 15:36.01 to grab tenth on the all-time list by just one second. Freshman Aiden Loy followed with a time of 17:49.03 to place 14th, while sophomore John Healy finished 15th in 18:06.83.
Delaware’s sprinters had a standout day in the relays, highlighted by the women’s 4x100m A team of Rilee McMahan, Amanda Desenchak, Grace Wertheimer, and Gianna Dowling, who sprinted to a 54.43 finish, tying for second-fastest in club history. On the men’s side, the 4x100m team of Kurt Krummenacker, Michael Obode, James Winston, and Parker Small put together a strong race to finish in 45.35, placing them fourth on the all-time performance list. The women’s distance 4x100m squad of Claire Merchant, Kate Kershaw, Lauren Pollock, and Gabriella Maletta also contributed with a 1:04.71 finish.
Sprinters continued their success with sophomore Amanda Desenchak, who placed second in the women’s 100m with a time of 13.6. In the men’s 100m, Michael Obode placed second in 11.70, tying for ninth in club history. Daren James Seals ran 11.94 for third, and Kurt Krummenacker followed in 11.99 to round out the top five.
In the 800m, freshman Zoe Morawski ran 2:31.56 to win the women’s race and earn the tenth spot on the performance list with a season best. Sophomore Ella Maletta placed fourth in the 800m with a time of 2:43.89, followed by seniors Leah Goodman and Aine Grubb in fifth and sixth. Both seniors closed out the race with season bests, as Goodman ran 2:45.50 and Grubb crossed the line in 2:57.87. On the men’s side, senior Michael Anderson also ran a season best of 2:01.61, ending his season on a high note. Junior Josh Pawlik followed in 2:05.03, with sophomore Devan Wasserman close behind in 2:06.09. Freshman Giovanni Palermo rounded out the top 15 with a 2:07.91.
In the 400m, Rasi-Tael Joshua broke the club record with a winning time of 1:01.60. Sophomore Anna Callaghan followed in 1:05.80, moving her to seventh on the performance list. For the men, freshman Parker Small led with a 54.69, followed by sophomore James Winston in 56.35 and junior Spencer Wheeler in 56.36.
Since most outdoor meets run the 1500m, the Blue Hen Invitational included the 1600m instead, contributing new performances to the club’s 1600m performance list. Sophomore Claire Merchant led the women with a personal best of 5:33.21, earning third place overall and setting the fastest time in club history. Lauren Pollock notched her second PR of the day, running 5:39.87 for sixth. Sophomore Kate Kershaw also finished under six minutes in 5:55.40. Seniors Amanda Ciaramella and Emily Sposato wrapped up their collegiate careers in 7:32.3 and 7:36.68, respectively. On the men’s side, junior Dave Kelly now sits atop the 1600m leaderboard with a time of 4:15.00. He was followed by junior Matthew Kwiatkowski in 4:31.11, Evan Pawlik in 4:47.20, and sophomore Cole Donnelly in 4:50.19.
In the women’s 200m, Rasi-Tael Joshua won in 27.58, tying her for third on the club’s performance list. Amanda Desenchak placed third in 28.42. In the women’s 4x400m, the A team of Morawski, Pollock, Maletta, and Callaghan ran 4:44.13 for second place, which moved them up to tenth all-time. The B team of Erika Danysh, Aine Grubb, Leah Goodman, and Grace Wertheimer finished in 5:06.78. On the men’s side, the A team of Wheeler, Wasserman, Small, and Pawlik clocked 3:49.71 for fifth place, while the B team of Lazev, Healy, Simonini, and Aks followed in 3:58.84.
In the field events, junior Gianna Dowling cleared 4-10 (1.47m) in the women’s high jump to take first place and move into second on the club’s all-time performance list. Lianna Greenstein placed fourth in the same event with a jump of 4-06 (1.37m), which also ranks fourth in club history. In the women’s long jump, Greenstien placed second with a jump of 4.62m, followed by Dowling in third at 4.13m. On the men’s side, senior Gavin Looram matched Greenstein’s mark with a 4.62m jump. Greenstein went on to win the women’s triple jump with a jump of 10.29m.
The day concluded with the signature 4x200m chocolate milk relay, a Delaware club classic. With more teams competing, the second Blue Hen Invitational was a huge success. The team now turns its focus to the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg University on Saturday, April 26, for the final meet of the season!
Full results can be found here.
