NIRCA

Delaware Shines at Club Penn Relays with Record-Breaking Performances and Relay Wins

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Delaware Club Track and Field competed at the 2025 Club Penn Relays on April 13th, returning to the iconic Franklin Field in Philadelphia to race across seven relays. With standout performances across both men’s and women’s teams, including a new club record and multiple wins, Delaware made a strong mark in one of the most exciting meets of the season.

For the first time ever, Delaware competed in a mixed 4×800-meter relay. With six teams in total, everyone earned a spot on the performance list. Delaware C set the bar high, finishing in first place in a new club record of 9:21.89. The team of Michael Anderson, Zoe Morawski, Claire Merchant, and Dave Kelly posted a time that would have ranked tenth all-time among men’s 4×800 squads. Delaware A also put together a strong showing, earning fourth place with a time of 10:08.59 behind solid legs from Devan Wasserman, Leah Goodman, Giovanni Palermo, and Lauren Pollock.

In the sprint medley relay, the women’s team of Grace Wertheimer, Lianna Greenstein, Ava Lomax, and Anna Callaghan placed second with a time of 6:14, securing a spot on the miscellaneous performance list. On the men’s side, Gavin Looram, Michael Obode, Parker Small, and Spencer Wheeler finished fourth overall in 4:23.3, also a notable addition to the performance list.

The 4×1600 meter was another highlight for our distance crew. The women took first place with an impressive performance of 24:47.15, led by Lauren Pollock, Kate Kershaw, Izzy Kehoe-Huck, and Katie Burke. On the men’s side, Delaware A placed second in 19:45.04, as Sebastiano Vandoni, Giovanni Palermo, Evan Pawlik, and Ryan Healy all raced well. Delaware C followed close behind, taking third in 20:33.20 with efforts from John Healy, Nik Anna, Cole Donnelly, and Sean Simonini.

In the 4×200 meter relay, the women clocked a time of 2:17.16, which included a team of Anna Callaghan, Amanda Desenchek, Lauren Pollock, and Ava Lomax. The men’s team had a close finish, with the team of James Winston, Devan Wasserman, Dave Kelly, and Kurt Krummenacker narrowly securing first place in 1:35.14. A second Delaware squad of Michael Obode, Parker Small, Spencer Wheeler, and Gavin Looram finished in 1:49.11.

Three Blue Hen teams swept the women’s DMR. Delaware A, comprising Claire Merchant, Emily Sposato, Leah Goodman, and Lauren Pollock, won the event in 14:55.32, marking the second-fastest time in club history. Delaware B followed just behind in 15:26.97 with Kate Kershaw, Ava Lomax, Izzy Kehoe-Huck, and Katie Burke, while Delaware C rounded out the sweep with a time of 16:36.27 from Natalie Greger, Aine Grubb, Zoe Morawski, and Hannah Pash. On the men’s side, Delaware A also secured the win in 11:22.5, good for fifth all time, thanks to Evan Pawlik, Josh Pawlik, Michael Anderson, and Sebastiano Vandoni. Delaware B, featuring Aidan Loy, Dylan Aks, Jack Pelczar, and Michael Colavito, ran a solid 12:06.75.

In the 4×100 meter relays, the women’s team of Rilee McCmahan, Aine Grubb, Grace Wertheimer, and Amanda Desenchek finished in 58.34. The men’s team, consisting of James Winston, Michael Obode, Parker Small, and Kurt Krummenacker, put on an impressive performance, winning their heat with a time of 46.60, which placed them tenth on the all-time list.

The day concluded with the fun and creative’ Anything but a Baton’ 4×400 meter relay. Delaware’s women’s squad of Erika Danysh, Aine Grubb, Grace Wertheimer, and Lauren Pollock took the win in 4:38.31, and won the Best Baton Award with blue hen Dave Kelly being passed on each leg. The men’s team of Kurt Krummenacker, Aravind Arunachalam, Sean Simonini, and Ryan Healy took second in 4:01.92.

The team enjoyed another chance to compete at the historic Franklin Field and is now excited to carry that momentum into their next meet. Delaware will return to its home track for the Blue Hen Invitational on April 19th in Newark, Delaware.

Full results can be found here.

Mixed 4x800m winners.
Men’s 4x200m relay.
Women’s 4x100m relay.
Mixed 4x400m relay!

Blue Hens Secure All-Time List Marks and All-American Honors at NIRCA Nationals

leahgood

The Blue Hens traveled to Richmond, VA, for the 2025 NIRCA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, competing over two days filled with personal bests, historic performances, and All-American honors.

Day One Highlights

On Day one, sophomore Matthew Kwiatkowski kicked off the meet in the half marathon, finishing 4th place in 1:11.49, earning an all-American to start the weekend off strong. In the sprints, sophomore Amanda Desenchak ran 13.55 in the 100m to place 16th overall, and returned for the 200m with a 28.76 finish. Sophomores Michael Obode, James Winston, and junior Kurt Krummenacker recorded times of 11.87, 11.94, and 12.12 in the men’s 100-meter dash, respectively. Obode also ran 24.73 in the 200, joined by junior Spencer Wheeler at 26.00, senior Gavin Looram at 30.82, and senior Joseph Raziano at 37.73. Junior Grace Wertheimer and senior Joseph Raziano took on the 400-meter hurdles, running 1:23.58 and 1:53.43.

Delaware relay squads did not disappoint throughout the weekend. In the women’s 4x800m, the A team of sophomore Claire Merchant, sophomore Anna Callaghan, senior Aine Grubb, and freshman Zoe Morawski clocked in at 10:57.37, finishing 11th overall and marking the fourth-fastest time in club history. On the men’s side, the A team of freshman Sebastiano Vandoni, senior Michael Anderson, junior Josh Pawlik, and junior Dave Kelly earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in 8:06.99, now second on the club’s all-time list. The B team of junior Alejandro Lobo, sophomore Devan Wasserman, sophomore Cole Donnelly, and junior Spencer Wheeler ran 9:06.86, making their way to eighth on the performance list.

Open distance events started off strong in the women’s 1500m, led by Claire Merchant. Merchant ran a personal best at her NIRCA nationals debut of 5:17.57 to lead the Delaware women and place 33rd overall. She was followed by senior Lauren Pollock, who ran an impressive 5:19.24. Not far behind, sophomore Kate Kershaw and freshman Izzy Kehoe-Huck finished with times of 5:49.06 and 5:49.68, respectively. Senior Leah Goodman crossed in 5:56.61, and sophomore Ava Lomax closed out the lineup in 7:15.10. The men followed with a solid group performance of their own. Junior Evan Pawlik led with a time of 4:26.02, followed by freshman Michael Colavito at 4:31.64 and freshman Giovanni Palermo at 4:37.35. Senior Aravind Arunachalam ran 4:39.48, just ahead of sophomore Cole Donnelly in 4:40.96. Sophomore Sean Simonini was close behind, running a new personal best of 4:42.22.

In the 400 meters, freshman Zoe Morawski ran 1:06.14 to earn the sixth-fastest time in club history. Sophomore Anna Callaghan followed with a 1:07.93, climbing up to tenth on the all-time list, while sophomore Erika Danysh finished in 1:11.55. On the men’s side, junior Dave Kelly continued his success and led the team with a 51.41, which placed him 15th overall and now the fourth-fastest time in club history. Sophomore Devan Wasserman followed with 53.71, alongside senior Michael Anderson at 54.51 and sophomore Ryan Healy at 57.50. Junior Grace Wertheimer and senior Joseph Raziano took on the 400-meter hurdles, running 1:23.58 and 1:53.43.

The women’s 5k kicked off the final distance race for day one, senior Lauren Pollock led the way with a strong 19:57 finish, continuing her season of consistent performances. Freshman Izzy Kehoe-Huck followed in 23:11, showing solid effort in her second race of the meet. Senior Hannah Pash closed out the event in 23:52, for a strong race to round out the trio.

Day one officially concluded with our sprint relays starting with the women’s 4x100m relay. The 4x100m team of Desenchak, Greenstein, McMahan, and Wertheimer ran an impressive 55.25, the third-fastest time on the performance list. On the men’s side, Krummenacker, Winston, Obode, and Healy clocked a 48.79, closing out the first day of competition on a strong note.

Day Two Highlights

Day 2 kicked off bright and early with the men’s 5k, where freshman Sebastiano Vandoni led the team with a solid 16:30.70. Freshman Michael Colavito and sophomore Ryan Healy ran just tenths of a second apart, finishing in 17:39.53 and 17:39.75, respectively. Senior Aravind Arunachalam followed with a time of 17:57.36, while junior John Healy made a strong finish, breaking the 18-minute mark for the first time with a 17:58.50.

Junior Grace Wertheimer continued her success in the hurdling events, clocking a time of 19.68 in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Freshman Aiden Loy took on the 3k steeplechase, finishing in 11:27.12 and placing seventh on the club’s all-time list. He was joined by sophomore Nik Anna at 12:04.02 and sophomore Ryan Healy at 12:32.02.

The mid-distance events continued with the 800-meter race. Freshman Zoe Morawski led the team with a time of 2:35.28. Right behind were sophomores Claire Merchant in 2:36.58 and Anna Callaghan in 2:41.65. Senior Leah Goodman closed in 2:52.30, followed by senior Aine Grubb in 2:59.91, breaking the three-minute barrier. On the men’s side, junior Dave Kelly delivered a standout race, earning All-American honors with a third-place finish in 1:53.88. His time now ranks as the third-fastest in club history and marked one of the weekend’s top individual highlights. Senior Michael Anderson followed with a solid 2:03.43, and junior Josh Pawlik continued to build on a strong spring season with a 2:08.45. Sophomore Evan Pawlik closed out the top group in 2:11.75, adding depth to a competitive 800-meter squad.

As always, the day wrapped up on the track with the 4x400m relay. In the women’s 4x400m, the A team of Merchant, Callaghan, Wertheimer, and Morawski finished in 4:39.01, putting them fourth on the club’s all-time list. The B team of Danysh, Pollock, Grubb, and Lomax closed strong and ran 5:08.98. The men’s 4x400m B team of Winston, Arunachalam, Simonini, and Krummenacker finished in 3:50.27. To end a successful weekend on the track, the A team of Wheeler, Anderson, Wasserman, and Kelly finished in 3:38.05, marking the seventh-fastest time in club history.

In the field events, junior Lianna Greenstein earned All-American honors in the triple jump with a mark of 34 feet, 4.5 inches, and placed 11th in the long jump with a distance of 4.68 meters. She also contributed to the 4×100 relay team. Sophomore Anna Callaghan threw 21.93 meters in the discus, improving her spot on the club’s all-time list. In the men’s long jump, senior Gavin Looram recorded a distance of 15 feet, 2.5 inches.

Overall, it was a successful weekend at NIRCA Nationals, with numerous personal bests and All-American honors across both the men’s and women’s teams. With this momentum behind us, we’re excited to take on the final meets of the season, beginning with the Club Penn Relays in Philadelphia, PA, on Sunday, April 13th.

Full results can be found here.

Women’s 4x800m Relay.
Krummenacker in the men’s 100m.
Handoff of the 4x400m relay.
Dave Kelly closing out the men’s 4x400m.
NIRCA Nationals team photo!

Outdoor Season Opener at Capital Relays

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The Delaware club track team opened its 2025 outdoor season with a strong showing at Capital Relays on February 23rd, hosted by American University in Washington, D.C. The Blue Hens delivered standout performances across multiple events, with the women’s team placing second with 67 points and the men’s team finishing third with 79 points. Although the meet was hand-timed, several athletes made their way onto the club’s all-time performance list.

In the sprints, sophomore Amanda Desenchak ran 13.12 in the 100m, placing third overall and moving up two-tenths on the club’s all-time list. On the men’s side, sophomore Michael Obode clocked an impressive 11.47 to finish fourth, while junior Kurt Krummenacker ran 11.62, claiming the fifth-fastest performance on record. Krummenacker delivered a strong performance in the 200m, placing second overall with a time of 24.00. Obode also competed in the event, clocking 24.81 to finish just behind the top contenders. On the women’s side, Desenchak posted a solid 27.81, demonstrating her speed across multiple sprint events. Junior Lianna Greenstein rounded out the performance with a 29.97, securing the ninth-fastest time in club history and adding another personal milestone to the team’s successful outing.

Blue Hens performed well in the distance events at their outdoor debut. In the men’s 5K, Brady Sheaffer led for Delaware with a time of 15:46 for a third overall finish, while Evan Diefenbeck (16:30) and Aravind Arunachalam (18:27) followed close behind. On the women’s side, Lauren Pollock ran 19:54 for second overall, setting a new personal record and placing 10th on the club’s all-time list, followed by Kate Kershaw with a personal best of 20:25 and Hannah Pash in 23:41. Continuing to the 1600m junior Evan Pawlik led the group by breaking the five-minute barrier for the first time with a time of 4:56. Sophomore Ryan Healy followed closely behind in 4:58, with sophomore Cole Donnelly finishing in 5:03 and freshman Aiden Loy crossing in 5:05. In the women’s race, sophomore Claire Merchant finished top 15 finishers with a time of 5:55. Katie Burke had another successful race finishing in 6:05. Junior Natalie Greger completed the event in 6:41, rounding out a solid showing for Delaware’s distance squad.

The 800m showcased the team’s depth, with junior Dave Kelly leading the way, taking first place in 1:56, the fifth-fastest time in club history. Senior Michael Anderson, returning from injury, delivered a strong performance with a 2:06 finish, followed by junior Josh Pawlik at 2:09. Evan Pawlik, Dylan Aks, and Giovanni Palermo all clocked times under 2:15, demonstrating the team’s depth in the middle-distance events. On the women’s side, sophomore Anna Callaghan and freshman Zoe Morawski both ran 2:37, with junior Katie Burke following in 2:47.

Relay events were a highlight for the Blue Hens. The men’s distance medley relay team, consisting of Josh Pawlik, Parker Small, Michael Anderson, and Dave Kelly, took first place with a time of 11:04, marking the fourth-fastest performance in club history. The women’s DMR team, made up of Kate Kershaw, Grace Wertheimer, Natalie Greger, and Aine Grubb, finished in 16:07. The men’s 4×100 relay team, including Brady Sheaffer, Michael Obode, Parker Small, and Kurt Krummenacker, clocked in at 49.06, while the women’s 4×100 team, featuring Amanda Desenchak, Ava Lomax, Gianna Dowling, and Grace Wertheimer, finished at 59.18. The men’s sprint medley relay, with Spencer Wheeler, Kurt Krummenacker, Parker Small, and Sean Simonini, completed their race in 4:21. Lastly, a mixed 4×400 relay, which featured a unique baton exchange with chocolate milk, finished with a time of 6:05.

In a special club debut event, the Jeans Mile delivered impressive performances. In the men’s mile, freshman Sebastiano Vandoni recorded an impressive 4:55 for fourth overall, with freshman Michael Colavito running 5:11 and senior Aravind Arunachalam clocking 5:17. On the women’s side, Claire Merchant and Lauren Pollock crossed the line side by side in a time of 6:41.

The Capital Relays performances displayed a promising start to the outdoor season, as multiple athletes set personal bests and moved up on the club’s all-time performance lists. Delaware looks to carry this momentum at the Lloyd Sigler Spring Classic on March 8th in Salisbury, MD!

Full results can be found here.

Dave Kelly and Michael Anderson leading the 800m.

Lauren Pollock and Claire Merchant during their jeans mile!

Michael Obode in his 100m.

Delaware Ends Season Strong at NIRCA Nationals

leahgood

The Delaware Club Cross Country team concluded their season at the 2024 NIRCA Nationals on Saturday, November 9th, at the hilly Hershey Parkview XC Course in Hershey, PA. Despite the difficult course, Delaware athletes embraced the lively atmosphere, capping off their season with strong performances and emotional finishes.

The day began with the Women’s Junior/Senior 6k, where senior Hannah Pash led the Blue Hens, crossing the finish line in 29:30. Pash celebrated a strong ending to her cross-country career. Senior Leah Goodman, battling back from illness, finished her last race in 32:27. Senior Aine Grubb wrapped up her cross-country journey in 33:27, marking an emotional end to her season. Seniors Emily Sposato (34:50) and Amanda Ciaramella (35:10) worked together throughout the race, pushing each other to finish their final collegiate races on a high note.

In the Men’s Junior/Senior 8k, senior Caden MacHenry led Delaware with a time of 34:32, closing out his senior season. Junior Liam Trageser followed with a strong effort of 36:54, while senior Joe Raziano wrapped up his cross-country career with a time of 39:40. Junior Ian Levine also had a strong finish, completing the race in 45:03.

Delaware’s men’s and women’s teams both earned spots in the championship races after impressive performances at Regionals. The Women’s Championship 6k was led by senior Lauren Pollock, who ended her incredible season with a standout time of 25:57 on the tough Hershey course. Sophomore Claire Merchant followed with a strong performance, finishing in 27:02, highlighting her success this season. Junior Jade Barrett crossed the line in 27:23, concluding another consistent season. Freshman Zoe Morawski (27:56) and sophomore Kate Kershaw (28:07) crossed the line back to back with respectable times. Sophomores Marleigh Ballard (28:32) and Natalie Greger (28:45) rounded out Delaware’s top seven with notable performances to conclude their sophomore seasons.

In the Men’s Championship 8k, junior Brady Sheaffer led for Delaware with an impressive time of 27:09, concluding his dominant season. Junior Evan Diefenbeck followed closely with a strong finish in 28:08. Freshmen Sebastiano Vandoni (28:41) and Michael Colavito (28:57) closed their standout debut seasons with impressive times, showcasing their potential and promising future. Junior Dave Kelly (29:14) broke 30 minutes on the difficult course, while junior Josh Pawlik rounded out the team, finishing a successful season in 30:55.

Delaware’s underclassman women’s 6k delivered more notable performances on the challenging course. Sophomore Alli Hartman led the Blue Hens, crossing the line in 28:38. Sophomore Erika Danysh followed, breaking the 30-minute mark with a time of 29:51, while Greta Bretz was close behind at 30:00. Sophomore Anna Callaghan ended her sophomore season with a time of 31:13, and freshman Caroline O’Neill rounded out Delaware’s top five with a solid finish of 31:58.

In the underclassman men’s 8k, sophomore Sean Simonini had a breakout race, leading Delaware with a time of 31:44. Sophomore Dylan Aks showed his hard work paying off, finishing next at 31:53. Freshman Aiden Loy was not far behind, crossing the line in 31:56, while freshman Max Gillen impressed with his time of 32:26. Sophomore Cole Donnelly rounded out Delaware’s top five underclassman men with a strong finish of 32:41.

A notable mention for Coach Mark Keese and junior Jack Pelczar, who ran the open 6k and crossed the line together in 33:03 creating a core memory for both of them and the team!

Although Delaware’s cross-country season has come to an end, the team is already looking ahead to the winter and spring track seasons!

Full results can be found here.

Senior Aine Grubb during her race.
Senior Caden MacHenry during his race.
Our 2024 NIRCA Nationals team!

Delaware Men and Women Earn Top 10 Finish with Individual Highlights

leahgood

On October 19, 2024, the Delaware Club Cross Country team competed at the NIRCA Mid-Atlantic Regionals, at Lehigh University. Both the men’s and women’s teams placed 8th, with the men averaging 27:27 for the 8k, and the women 25:34 for the 6k. This achievement qualifies both teams for the varsity championship races at NIRCA Nationals in Hershey, PA, on November 8th and 9th.

Junior Brady Sheaffer and Senior Lauren Pollock continue to lead, each earning individual qualifying spots for Nationals. Brady Sheaffer placed 21st in the men’s race with a personal best of 26:28, which now ranks him 4th on Lehigh’s all-time performance list. Lauren Pollock secured 17th place in the women’s race with a huge personal best of 24:02, making her the third-fastest runner on the Lehigh course for Club XCTF and the fifth-fastest 6K performer in club history.

In the women’s 6k the Blue Hens were led by Lauren Pollock and her impressive performance, followed by Sophomore Claire Merchant, who clocked a personal best of 25:00. Freshman Zoe Morawski followed and ran a new personal best of 26:08. Junior Jade Barrett was next for Delaware finishing in 26:18.70. Sophomores Kate Kershaw and Marleigh Ballard broke the 27-minute barrier with their times of 26:22.9 and 26:32.2 respectively. Sophomore Natalie Greger completed the top 7 for the Blue Hens, setting a personal best of 26:35.7.

Brady Sheaffer led Delaware in the men’s 8k team, while junior Dave Kelly ran a personal best of 27:25.4 to finish second for Delaware. Junior Evan Diefenbeck was right behind in 27:28, followed by Freshman Sebastiano Vandoni, who impressed with a time of 27:50.7. Freshman Michael Colavito ran a solid 28:06, while Juniors Josh and Evan Pawlik finished together with times of 29:35.2 and 29:36.5, respectively, both breaking the 30-minute mark. Sophomore Ryan Healy also broke the 30-minute barrier with a personal best of 29:46.5.

Delaware demonstrated the results of their training throughout the season, with many runners achieving personal bests. As they prepare for NIRCA Nationals in Hershey, PA, on November 8th and 9th, the team is excited to finish their fall season strong!

Full results can be found here.

Brady Sheaffer leading the Blue Hens.
Jade Barrett finishing strong.
Women’s team pre-race.
Team photo at Regionals!