Delaware

Inaugural Blue Hen Invitational: Personal Bests, Record-Breaking Performances, and Alumni Highlights.

leahgood

The Blue Hens traveled down the street to their home turf in Newark, DE, hosting the first-ever Blue Hen Invitational on April 20th. With a mix of current athletes, visiting alumni, and our fierce competition, the day was filled with remarkable performances and record-breaking achievements.

The day got started with the Women’s Distance Medley Relay, with the alumni team of Jenna Mlecko, Allison Einig, Haley Reid, and Emily Hansell securing victory in 14:22.9. Following closely, Delaware’s team of Aine Grubb, Lauren Pollock, Marleigh Ballard, and Kate Kershaw claimed second place in 15:17.2, which now sits as the second fastest time on the all-time list.

The sprinting events kicked off with the Men’s 4x100m relay, Kurt Krummenacker, Daniel Toms, Emmanuel Carreno, and Shane Isacson crossing the finish line first with a time of 48.82. The Women’s 4x100m relay witnessed a historic moment as Sam Radinsky, Rilee McMahan, Autumn Williams, and Amanda Desenchak set a new team record with a time of 53.51. The women’s B team, consisting of Julia Boyce, Gianna Dowling, Eli Manning, and Lianna Greenstein, followed closely, securing the third spot on the all-time list in 55.53.

In the Women’s Mile, Junior Delaney Oeth and Freshman Natalie Greger broke the 6-minute barrier for the first time, securing first and second place overall with times of 5:53.9 and 5:56.7, respectively. This marked a significant milestone for both athletes. Freshman Carly Curnutt followed just behind, also finishing under 6 minutes, running 5:57.6. In the Men’s 1600m, alumni Sasha Latina led the charge, finishing in 4:42.9, with freshman Liam Hutchenson following close behind in 4:49.1. Senior Matt Scarpelli and freshman Liam Trageser continue to work together, crossing the finish line just seconds apart at 4:52.4 and 4:56, respectively, with Trageser achieving a new personal best.

Graduate student Robin Collura showcased her talent in the Women’s 400m, advancing to fourth all-time with a time of 1:04.13. Junior Eli Manning and freshman Anna Callaghan finished just behind, placing third and fourth overall running 1:05.8 and 1:06.3 respectively. Freshman Devan Wasserman continued his success in the Men’s 400m, setting a season-best of 52.2 and moving up to 6th on the all-time list. Sophomore Spencer Wheeler had a breakout race, breaking the 54-minute barrier for the first time, and placing second overall running 53.84.

In the Women’s 100m, Freshman Autumn Williams continues her incredible season securing first place with a time of 12.75. Freshmen Amanda Desenchak and Ella Maletta rounded out the top three for Delaware, clocking in at 13.33 and 13.87 respectively. Desenchak set a new PR moving her up to third on the all-time list. Maletta also made her way to 8th on the performance list in her 100m debut. Sophomore Grace Wertheimer dominated the Women’s 100m hurdles, breaking the 19-second mark for the first time with a time of 18.53, promoting her to the 4th fastest time in team history.

In the Women’s 200m, Autumn Williams set a new season personal best of 26.58 maintaining her second-fastest time in team history. Freshman Amanda Desenchak and senior Sam Radisnky rounded the top 3 for Delaware running 28.23 and 29.5 respectively. Daren-James Seals led the men’s 200m running an impressive time of 22.78. This time sits as the third-fastest time in team history. Sophomore Kurt Krummenacker improves his 200m time advancing to the ninth spot on the performance list running 23.58. He battled it out to the line with freshman James Winston finishing just behind in 23.59 placing him 10th fastest all time.

Freshman Anna Callaghan led Delaware in the Women’s 800m, finishing second overall running 2:36.8. Freshman Samantha Paez finished next for Delaware running 2:49.7. Sophomore Evan Diefenback led the race in the Men’s 800m kicking hard at the end to 2:07. Followed by Alumni Sasha Latina in 2:10.2 and Spencer Wheeler making his 800m debut running 2:13.8.

In the Women’s 5k, junior Delaney Oeth continues to smash personal records setting a new personal best of 20:55 and taking the win. Freshman Ella Maletta finished second running 21:23 showing her broad range of talent after placing in the 100m earlier in the day. Freshman Marleigh Ballard made her collegiate debut running 21:41 followed by junior Lauren Pollock setting a new personal best in the 5k with her time of 21:46. In the Men’s 5k, Sophomore Matthew Kwiatkowski continues to lead the Delaware pack running just under 16 minutes in 15:59. Close behind was sophomore Evan Diefenbeck and freshman Dave Kelly both running respectable times of 15:05 and 16:30 taking 3rd and 4th overall.

The running events concluded with the 4x400m relays and the Women’s A team set out for success to break the team record. The team of Eli Manning, Anna Callaghan, Robin Collura, and Ella Maletta successfully set a new club record running an impressive 4:24.5. The underclassman shined in the men’s 4×400 anything but a baton race which consisted of Wheeler, Wasserman, Carreno, and Winston running 3:56.4.

Sophomore Maggie Morris kicked off the throwing events with an impressive performance in the shot put, showcasing her talent with a throw of 8.72m. In the men’s shot put event, John Diossi also made his mark with a throw of 12.44m, securing the 7th spot in team history. Sophomore Lianna Greenstein continues to dominate the jumping events winning the long jump with a mark of 4.57m. Sophomore Gianna Dowling, placed just behind with her jump of 4.35m earning her the 5th spot on the all-time list. Freshman Maya Morefield earned her place on the performance list with a jump of 4.0m, securing the 9th spot overall. Greenstein and Morefield continued to shine in the triple jump, achieving distances of 10.05m and 9.44m, respectively. Gianna Dowling excelled in the high jump, jumping a height of 1.2m. In the men’s long jump, Jack Sowinski reached an impressive distance of 5.07m, while John Shaw dominated the triple jump with a remarkable leap of 10.6m.

It wouldn’t be a Delaware meet without the classic chocolate milk 4x200m relay which was the official last event.

After a successful Blue Hen Invitational, Delaware will travel to Shippensburg PA this Saturday 4/26 for their final meet of the season!

Full results can be found here.

Women’s 4x100m record holders!
Women’s 4x400m record holders!
Delaware representing in the Men’s 5k.

Both Men and Women Take Third at the Lloyd Sigler Spring Meet

leahgood

Delaware headed to Salisbury University to compete at the Lloyd Sigler Spring Meet. Despite a smaller-than-usual team due to the weather, both the men’s and women’s teams secured third place overall showcasing impressive performances.

The day commenced with field events as our jumpers and throwers got a head start on the day. Sophomore Lianna Greenstein placed 4th in long jump with her best mark being 4.40m. Greenstein continued her success securing 2nd place in triple jump with a distance of 10.09m. Freshman Anna Callaghan impressed in women’s discus, earning a notable spot on the outdoor performance list with a throw of 18.76m. Freshman Anastasia Burns displayed her talent in javelin throwing for 27.19m, placing second overall, and claiming the second spot on the performance list. On the men’s side, senior Josiah Taylor placed 7th in the long jump with a jump of 4.31m and Andrew Dubois with a javelin throw of 28.04m. 

Spring track means that the 3k steeplechase race is upon us. The rain made the water jump pit deeper than usual, regardless, Senior Natalie Pinto represented the Delaware women with a time of 15:04. Freshman Nik Anna Led the men’s Delaware crew 3rd with a time of 11:35.3. This time places Anna 8th on the performance list. Fellow freshman Cole Donnelly makes his way onto the performance list with a time of 11:45.5. Junior Sean Bernado followed close behind with a time of 12:08.02. 

The distance events continued with the 1500m race. Freshman Carly Curnutt placed 7th overall running a respectable time of 5:45, while junior Lauren Pollock also stayed under 6 minutes at 5:54.4. Pollock was also the only Delaware runner to run the 5k finishing in an impressive 22:13. Senior Aine Grubb closed out the women’s 1500m Delaware pack finishing in 6:32. Sophomores Evan Diefenbeck and Matthew Kwiatkowski displayed impressive performances placing 4th and 6th with times of 4:21.5 and 4:23.4 respectively. Senior Daniel Giron and Matthew Scarpelli finished strong in 4:37.3 and 4:39.7 placing 9th and 10th overall. In the 800m race, freshman Anna Callaghan stood out with her impressive performance securing second place in 2:32.16. This time solidified yet another spot on the performance list, ranking 8th. Sophomore Josh Pawlik led the Delaware pack placing in the top 5 with a time of 2:08.5. Sophmores Evan Diefenbeck and Even Pawlik followed close behind in 2:11 and 2:15 respectively. 

The sprinting events had equally as impressive performances starting with the 4x100m relay. Our women’s team A squad of McMahan, Greenstein, Manning, and Desenchak took the victory in 54.37. The men’s relay team of Winston, Toms, Spillane, and Krummenacker closed strong for second place with an impressive time of 46.84. Sophomore Grace Wertheimer represented Delaware with solo performances in the 100mH and 400mH running 19.9 and 1:21.9. This time improved her 400mH second-place spot on the performance list by a second. Freshman Ryan Healy was also our only blue hen in the 400mH running a 1:11.6. In the open 100m race freshman Amanda Desenchak took second place overall in 13.78 claiming the 5th spot on the performance list. Freshman James Winston finished with a time of 12.05, while senior Daniel Toms closely followed with a time of 12.12, securing positions within the top 10 overall. Toms continued his successful day in the 200m race leading the Delaware crew with a time of 24.75. Amanda Desenchak and senior Sam Radinsky scored points in the women’s 200m event, clocking respective times of 29.08 and 30.86. Although there was no 4x400m relay, we still had Blue Hens compete in the open 400m race. Junior Eli Manning takes 4th and displays improvement with her time of 1:08.8. Senior Ryan Lazev and sophomore Spencer Wheeler battled together to place in the top 15 with times of 54.37 and 55.13 respectively. 

Despite Salisbury’s rain, our Blue Hens displayed impressive performances. Delaware will kick off their spring break on March 23rd in West Chester, PA, at the Purple and Gold Invitational!

Full results can be found here. 

Pollock finishing her 1500m.
The men’s 4x100m final handoff.
Delaware’s 3k steeplechase crew.

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.

leahgood

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

Blue Hens Impress Competition Despite a Late Start to the Season

leahgood

Although the Delaware club cross country team had a later than anticipated start to the season, they competed in the DC Invitational on Saturday, September 30th. The team returned to DC for the second consecutive year but tackled a new hilly course at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield VA. This NIRCA sanctioned race was hosted by George Washington University.

The weather was clear and the women’s 6k led the meet off at 10 am. Freshman Gabriella Maletta continued to lead the Delaware women placing 13th overall with a time of 26:09. Making her cross country debut and finishing second for the team was junior Delaney Oeth coming in at 26:11 and placing 14th overall. Setting up a good start to their sophomore seasons were Jade Barrett (26:14), and Hannah Heredia (26:15) placing 15th and 16th respectively. Freshman Ariana DeNicola (26:42) finished her first collegiate race claiming the 5th spot on the team and 21st overall. Rounding out the Delaware top seven were graduate student Robin Collura (27:19) and freshman Kate Kershaw (27:27) both making their Delaware debuts.

The men’s 8k kicked off shortly behind and they pulled away with a clear team victory. Although the race distance was a bit short, sophomores Brady Sheaffer and Evan Diefenbeck worked together to come in first and second with a standout time of 26:02.3 and 26:02.5 respectively. Graduate student John Papadopoulos’s hard work showed with his third-place team finish and taking the fifth overall spot coming in at 26:43. Fellow grad student Chris Calandra (27:26) and sophomore Michael Toy (27:56) continued Delaware’s success placing within the top ten spots. Our scoring group was capped off by junior Brett Balthis (28:16) and grad student Anthony Stohr (29:06.98) to wrap up the Delaware top seven for the men’s ~8k.

Delaware will be preparing to compete on their home turf at the Delaware Invitational, on Friday, October 13th!

Full meet results can be found here.

Sheaffer and Diefenbeck working the final hill.
DeNicola racing hard
All our wonderful athletes who competed