Delaware’s Winter Season Concludes at the Happy Valley Invitational

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The Delaware Club Track & Field team traveled to Penn State for the Happy Valley Invitational to close out their indoor season. Many performances landed a spot on the indoor performance list. With strong performances across sprints, field events, mid-distance, and distance events, the teams demonstrated their competitiveness and determination as they continued to strive for success throughout the season.

Starting the day was Delaware’s first mixed 4×4 relay. Our relay team, consisting of junior Eli Manning, and seniors Aine Grubb, Daniel Giron, and Ryan Lazev, put on an impressive performance, securing 9th place with a time of 4:23, placing them first on the indoor performance list. Following shortly after were the Women’s and Men’s distance medley relay teams. Junior Delaney Oeth, freshman Anna Callaghan, and sophomores Katie Burke and Meghan Tekelenburg worked together in the women’s DMR finishing with a time of 15:38 and securing 8th place on the indoor performance list. The men’s DMR team of sophomores Evan Diefenbeck, Josh Pawlik, Brady Sheaffer, and freshman Cole Donnelly, finished in 11th place with a time of 11 minutes and 45 seconds and secured 7th place on the indoor performance list.

There were notable performances across both the men’s and women’s teams in the sprints and field events. Freshman Autumn Williams impressed in the Women’s 60m Dash, placing 6th with a time of 8.27. Freshmen Amanda Desenchak followed closely behind, securing 14th place with a time of 8.77. In the Men’s 60m Dash, senior Daniel Toms led the way with a 28th-place finish at 7.68 seconds. Junior Jude Mazzola represented our hurdlers in the men’s 60m hurdles clocking in at 11.08. Both the men’s and women’s 4×2 relay teams showcased their speed, as the men’s team (Krummenacker, Toms, Lazev, Isacson) finishing 9th with a time of 1:44.75 and the women’s team (Radinsky, Lomax, Manning, Greenstein) finishing 6th with a time of 2:05.8.

Freshman Emmanuel Carreno represented the men’s team with a time of 26.1 in the 200m. Freshmen Autumn Williams (27.4) and Amanda Desenchak (28.5) dominated the women’s 200m placing 5th and 8th overall, and securing the second and fourth spots on the indoor performance list. Freshman Devan Wasserman represented the men’s team with a time of 55.1 in the 400m, while Callaghan led the women’s team with a time of 1:09.9, securing 8th place on the performance list. Continuing her successful season, sophomore Lianna Greenstein showcased her talents in the Women’s Long Jump, securing 4th place with a jump of 4.7 meters, setting a new indoor personal record, and solidifying her position at the top of the performance list. Additionally, in the triple jump, Greenstein continued her success, placing 4th with a jump of 10.16 meters.

The distance events saw strong performances from the men’s and women’s teams. Sean Simonini broke the 5-minute barrier for the first time in the men’s mile, clocking in at 4:58.5. Senior captain Daniel Giron also stayed under 5 minutes with a time of 4:58.9. Retruning from injury sophomore Evan Pawlik finished close behind in a respectable 5:02. Sophmore Josh Pawlik dominated the men’s 800m race set a new collegiate pr with his time of 2:04. In the Women’s Mile, Freshman Ella Maletta led the way with a time of 5:58, followed closely by sophomore Katie Burke at 6:07.

The men’s and womens 3k race did not disappoint. Sophomore Brady Sheaffer achieved a significant milestone in the Men’s 3k, breaking 9 minutes for the first time with a personal best of 8:59.5, earning him 8th place on the indoor performance list. Sophomore Evan Diefenbeck followed closely behind, securing 10th place with a time of 9:07.5. In the Women’s 3k, freshmen Natalie Greger and Kate Kershaw showcased their hard work, finishing with times of 12:21.6 and 12:27.4, respectively.

As the Happy Valley Invitational drew to a close, so did Delaware’s Indoor season. Our athletes showcased their talent and are ready to dominate the spring season. On February 24th Delaware will head to American University in Washington, DC to compete at Capital Relays!

Full results can be found here.

Delawares mixed 4×4 relay team.
Sheaffer racing to break 9 minutes in the 3k.
Desenchak starting her 200m race.

Winter Break Doesn’t Stop Our Blue Hens From Competing

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While our Delaware athletes enjoy their long winter break, some Blue Hens took the opportunity to compete in the Collegeville Invitational on Saturday, January 20th at Ursinus College, where they showcased and displayed their efforts from winter training. Despite being a small group comprised of our men’s distance team, our Blue Hens competed in three events at Ursinus College and worked together while racing the clock.

The day commenced with the men’s mile group where freshman Sean Simonini led the Delaware pack with a great race, finishing 21st with a time of 5:02 just shy of breaking the 5-minute barrier. Following close behind was fellow freshman Nik Anna clocking a respectable time of 5:06. Capping off our Delaware milers were Freshman Dylan Aks (5:16), Emmanuel Carreno (5:44), and Ethan Storm (5:48).

Our middle-distance runners had their chance in the 800-meter race, with sophomore Josh Pawlik leading the group and securing a top-20 finish in 19th place with a time of 2:08. Freshman Skylar Grey followed closely, finishing in 2:12, while freshman Nik Anna, having just raced the mile, claimed the third Delaware spot with a time of 2:19.

The day concluded with our 3k men’s group taking on this taxing indoor race. Graduate student Chris Calandra led the pack, finishing in 12th place with a time of 9:39.7, and achieving a new indoor personal best. Sophomore Jack Pelczar finished just behind securing 20th place with a time of 9:57.51 and consistently staying under the 10-minute mark. Junior Caden MacHenry, in his first indoor 3k, finished with a respectable time of 10:14. Freshman Sean Simonini continued his indoor collegiate career, completing the race in 10:27.

Delaware will travel to Penn State University on February 10th for their final meet of the winter track & field season.

Full meet results can be found here.

Calandra working through his 3k race.
The freshman starting their race off strong.

Multiple Blue Hens Claim Spots on the All-Time Indoor Performance List to Start the Winter Track Season.

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The weather getting colder means the indoor season is here. The UD Club XCTF team made its winter track debut on Saturday, December 9th at the Susquehanna Early Season Invite hosted by Susquehanna Univeristy.

The women’s long jump initiated the season and didn’t disappoint. Sophomore Lianna Greenstein extended her collegiate career, surpassing her indoor record on the performance list. She achieved a new personal best of 4.57m, securing 12th place overall and maintaining her position at the top of the indoor LJ performance list. Greenstein continued her remarkable success by breaking her previous triple jump record with each of her three jumps, securing fourth place against strong competition. Each jump set a new all-time best, raising her indoor performance to 10.66m, maintaining her top spot on the TJ performance list.

Our men’s jumpers began their season with senior Andy Spillane nearing his indoor personal best of 5.77m, securing a top-20 placement overall. Following his performance was senior Josiah Taylor (4.56) and junior Gavin Looram (4.28) making strong starts to their indoor seasons.

The track events began with our men’s and women’s spring medley relay. The men’s team, comprising sophomore Kurt Krummenacker (400m), senior Shane Isacson (200m), senior Andy Spillane (200m), and freshman Skylar Grey (800m), finished in 4:02.06, a thrilling start to the track races. The women’s SMR team, led by junior Eli Manning (400m), sophomore Grace Wertheimer (200m), senior Sam Radinsky (200m), and senior distance captain Aine Grubb (800m), finished in 5:19.9.

While some distance runners are recovering from the cross country season, notable performances were witnessed in both men’s and women’s mile events. Sophomore Evan Diefenbeck debuted on the track, securing 12th place overall with a 4:41 mile, setting the stage for a promising season. Freshman Ryan Healy made his collegiate debut, breaking the 5-minute barrier with a time of 4:59.7, securing a top-20 position. In the men’s 3k, Diefenbeck claimed 4th place with an impressive time of 9:17.6, while Jack Pelczar ran a 9:55.9, breaking the 10-minute mark for the first time. The men’s distance squad wrapped up with the 800m race, where Josh Pawlik (2:09.9) placed 9th and Evan Pawlik (2:13.26) followed closely, securing a top-15 spot .

The women’s distance team showcased star performances that secured spots on the all-time indoor performance list. Freshman Ella Malletta impressed with a 5:36.8 mile, claiming 8th place overall and 6th on the indoor performance list in her collegiate indoor debut. Graduate student Robin Collura (5:55.4) finished under the 6-minute mark and started her season strongly. Maletta and Collura continued to dominate in the 800-meter race as well. In the 800 meter race Maletta’s 2:29.5 landed her third on the indoor performance list, and an 8th place overall finish. Collura claimed the 20th spot overall with her time of 2:40.7 and added another impressive race to her collegiate career.

Our sprinters were eager for their first chance to compete this season and did not disappoint. Sophomores Rilee McMahon (8.84) and Kurt Krummenacker (7.54) secured top-40 positions in the men’s and women’s 60-meter races. Freshman Layla Rushing claimed 8th place on the indoor performance list with a 400-meter time of 1:11.6 in her collegiate debut. Rushing also competed in the 60-meter hurdle dash, securing a time of 11.45, which placed her third on the indoor performance list. Senior Sam Radinsky maintained her 7th place on the performance list, enhancing her time to 30.58 in the 200m race. On the men’s side, freshman James Jeffers placed top 30 in both the 200m and 400m races with times of 24.42 and 54.96, respectively.

The meet concluded with our men’s and women’s 4×400 meter relays. Delaware’s men, featuring Spencer Wheeler, Cole Donnelly, Sean Simonini, and anchored by Ian Levine, finished in 4:12.15. The women’s squad, comprising Robin Collura, Eli Manning, Grace Wertheimer, and Aine Grubb, finished in 4:53.7 claiming the 5th spot on the performance list and capping off an exciting season opener.

With an exciting first meet of the Indoor season, Delaware is gearing up for the next meet on January 20th, at the Collegeville Invitational hosted by Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA.

Sam Radinsky working hard at the end of her race.
Our men’s SMR relay ready to kick off the indoor season.

Full results can be found here.

Delaware Exceeds Expectations at NIRCA Nationals

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The Delaware Club Cross Country team traveled to Shelbyville, Indiana to cap off their season at NIRCA Nationals on Saturday, November 11th. Despite the courses for both men and women being ~200 meters long, our runners showcased their skills, achieving personal records across all races.

The day began with the upperclassman women’s 6k race. Despite the long course, junior Leah Goodman worked her way up to finish 26th overall and achieving a new personal best of 26:54. Not far behind was Junior Margaret Fogarty with a time of 27:37 also earning a new personal best in her debut cross-country season. Senior Natalie Pinto concluded her cross-country career by coming in at 28:17 leaving a lasting impact on the girl’s team. Senior and girls captain Aine Grubb crossed the line with a time of 32:01 and capped off the women’s upperclassman squad.

In the upperclassmen men’s 8k race, all three Delaware runners concluded their cross-country careers on a high note, setting new personal bests. Graduate student Anthony Stohr crossed the line with a new personal best of 29:46. Senior Matt Scarpelli had an impressive performance with a respectable time of 30:10. Despite a setback of a torn ACL in March, senior Ryan Lazev completed his goal of running in NIRCA Regionals and Nationals for the first time and finishing with a new personal best of 35:22.

The Delaware men’s team met the requirements to earn a championship race at NIRCA Nationals. The seven runners representing the Blue Hens were Evan Diefenbeck, Matthew Kwiatkowski, John Papadopoulos, Chris Calandra, Brady Sheaffer, Alejandro Lobo, and Daniel Giron. All five finishers set new personal records on this flat and fast course. Sophomore Evan Diefenbeck leads the pack once again with a respectable time of 26:42. Sophomore Matthew Kwiatkowski finished close behind with an impressive time of 26:48. Graduate student John Papadopoulos’s (27:53) hard work paid off with his impressive performance. Fellow grad student Chris Calandra (27:57) also ended his XC career on a high note. Sophomore Brady Sheaffer ended his sophomore season finishing 5th for the Delaware men and a time of 28:09. Unfortunately senior Daniel Giron and sophomore Alejandro Lobo were battling injuries and had to cut their race short, but still fought hard and had a successful season.

Our underclassman women’s 6k were up next and did not fall short of excellence. Ella Maletta and Camila Montes placed 9th and 14th respectively overall and earned their way onto the stage for awards. Freshman Ella Maletta led the underclassman girls and crossed the line in an impressive 25:18. Sophmore Camila Montes continues to improve each race finishing second for Delaware in 25:31. Fellow sophomore Hannah Heredia (26:01) followed just a few spots behind finishing 20th overall. Freshman Ariana DeNicola (27:05) and Natalie Greger (27:25) rounded the top five underclassmen for Delaware all putting up respectable performances. Freshmen Kate Kershaw (27:30) Anna Callaghan (27:53) Carly Curnutt (28:47) and Kaeley Jucewicz (29:33) all had notable performances as they made their nationals debut.

Delaware’s underclassman 8k capped the long yet exciting day of racing. Sophomore Jack Pelczar had a breakout day leading the pack with an impressive time and PR of 28:30. Sophomores Evan Pawlik (29:07) and Josh Pawlik (29:55) worked together to claim the next two spots and both achieved personal bests. Freshman Dylan Aks (31:36) was next to cross the line for Delaware earning a new best time as well. Freshman Cole Donnelly (32:09), John Healy (32:26), and Ethan Storm (33:11) rounded up the top seven each establishing new pr’s and finishing their first national level collegiate race. Notable mention for sophomore Liam Trageser (33:35) as he displayed his improvement with a big personal best.

Although Delaware’s cross-country season has come to an end, the winter and spring track seasons are just around the corner. Delaware track and field is set to kick off its season on December 9th at the Susquehanna Early Season Invite!

All official times are a result of a 200-meter-long course for both men and women and should be adjusted accordingly for all 8k and 6k splits.

Full results can be found here.

Delaware’s XC Nationals team
Jack Pelczar finishing his race.
John Papadopolous closing out his XC career.
Leah Goodman eyeing the finish line.
Camila Montes and Ella Maletta with their awards.

Men Place 5th, Women Place 10th at NIRCA Mid-Atlantic Regionals.

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Club cross country began their championship season at the NIRCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Race, hosted by Lehigh University. This fast course led to multiple personal bests and notable performances for our Delaware athletes.

The women’s 6k began the day with an impressive 10th-place team finish. In addition, out of the top seven girls, four of them set new personal bests. Junior Delaney Oeth led our girls’ team with a respectable time of 25:26. Oeth set a 45-second personal record as well as earned a top 50 spot overall. Freshman Ella Maletta also improved by 30 seconds with her time of 25:39.1. Sophomores Jade Barrett (26:07), Camila Montes (26:13, over a minute PR), and Hannah Heredia (26:19.4) claimed the next three Delaware spots respectively. Junior Margaret Fogarty ran this fast course for the first time and set over a minute personal best of 27:37. The Delaware top seven was rounded out by freshman Ariana DeNicola who finished in 27:51. Following close behind were noteworthy performances, Hannah Pash (27:55) breaking 28 minutes for the first time, senior Natalie Pinto’s racing at NIRCA Regionals for the last time, and junior Leah Goodman (27:57) following close behind setting a small personal best.

The men’s 5th-place finish in the 8k race resulted in impressive individual performances. They also qualified for the championship race as a team at NIRCA Nationals. The top five Delaware athletes had a remarkable average time of 27:39 setting them up for success in the upcoming championship race. Leading the Delaware men was sophomore Matthew Kwiatkowski finishing 23rd overall in 27:13. Kwiatkowski also earned the eighth spot on the Lehigh course club performance list. Close behind was sophomore Evan Diefenbeck finishing in 27:22.1 and barely claiming the ninth spot on the performance list. Setting a new personal best and taking the third spot for Delaware was sophomore Brady Sheaffer with a respectable time of 27:33. Sophmore Alejandro Lobo (27:51) finished fourth for our team going below 28 minutes. Graduate student John Papadopoulos (28:18), and senior Daniel Giron (28:48) took the fifth and sixth scoring spots. Finishing one second later and rounding out the top seven was graduate student Chris Calandra (28:49). An honorable mention for the following five Delaware finishers (Brett Balthis, Dave Kelly, Jack Pelczar, Evan Pawlik, and Anthony Stohr) all setting personal bests and breaking the 30-minute barrier for the first time.

Delaware club cross country will finish their seasons strong and head to Shelbyville, Indiana on November 11th to compete at the NIRCA Cross Country National Championships.

Full results can be found here.

Matthew Kwiatkowski leading Delaware to a fifth place team finish
NIRCA Regionals 2023