The Blue Hens made the long trek out to Richmond, VA to compete in the 2024 NIRCA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Competing against teams from all around the country, Delaware athletes did not fall short of notable performances.
Saturday’s running events were off to an exciting start in the Women’s 100m preliminaries. Freshman Autumn Williams showcased her talent, securing 6th place with an impressive time of 12.64. Advancing to the finals, she earned one of three All-American awards. Notably, Williams’s remarkable performance now stands as the fastest 100m time in team history. Freshman Amanda Desenchak showed improvement in the 100m, finishing 32nd, clocking in at 13.73. Freshman James Winston led Delaware in the Men’s 100m, finishing 36th overall, and securing the 7th fastest time in team history with a time of 11.69. Sophomore Grace Wertheimer and junior Jude Mazzola showcased their skills in the 400mH, with times of 1:22.5 and 1:11.9, respectively.
The Women’s 4x800m of Pollock, Grubb, Callaghan, and Burke secured a spot on the all-time list with their time of 11:39.5. The Men’s 4x800m teams also made their mark, with Group A (Pawlik, Sheaffer, Lobo, Kelly) securing fourth spot on the performance list with a time of 8:34.9 and Group B (Hutchinson, Donnely, Christie, Lazev) sneaking into the 10th spot securing it with a time of 9:20.0. The Women’s 1500m showcased a series of impressive performances. Freshman Carly Curnutt placed within the top 50 and set a fast pace, clocking an impressive time of 5:39.5 to lead the Blue Hens. Sophomore Katie Burke closely followed, finishing in a respectable 5:40.8. Freshman Kate Kershaw clocked in at 5:52.5, comfortably below the 6-minute barrier. Senior and captain Daniel Giron led the pack and finished strong in the Men’s 1500m with a time of 4:34.9. Giron set a new personal best and placed 110th out of 247 competitors. Sophmore Evan Diefenbeck followed behind Giron finishing in 4:36.3. Senior Matt Scarpelli and sophomore Liam Trageser both achieved new personal records while battling at the line for the third Delaware spot. Scarpelli finished with a time of 4:38.3, closely followed by Trageser at 4:38.4, with just a tenth of a second separating them.
In the Women’s 4x100m relay, Delawares “A” team of Samantha Radinsky, Autumn Williams, Rilee McMahan, and Amanda Desenchak, showcased an impressive performance, clocking in at 54.43. Their outstanding effort secured them 7th place overall, earning an All-American award and solidifying the fastest 4x100m time in team history. The Men’s 4x100m relay team, consisting of Kurt Krummenacker, Dan Toms, Emmanuel Carreno, and Shane Isacson finished with a time of 48.17, placing 15th overall. Autumn Williams continued to shine in the Women’s 200m, qualifying for the finals with a time of 26.74 by securing 4th place in the prelims. Her impressive performance places her as the second fastest time on the team outdoor records list. In the finals, she finished 8th with a time of 26.78, successfully earning her third All-American award, becoming our most decorated athlete of the meet. Following Williams was freshman Amanda Desenchak placing 26th overall with a time of 28.75, and junior Eli Manning also placing within the top 30 crossing the finish line in 29:03. Senior Dan Toms and sophomore Kurt Krummenacker represented Delaware in the Men’s 200m both securing positions in the top 60 overall. Toms finished with a time of 24.12 with Krummenacker closely following at 24.18.
In the Women’s 400m, Ella Maletta maintained her fifth spot on the performance list finishing 24th overall with a time of 1:05.44, followed by junior Eli Manning finishing just behind placing 28th in 1:06.2. Freshman Devan Wasserman led the Men’s 400m with an impressive time of 54.68, followed closely by senior Ryan Lazev at 55.59, both placing in the top 50. Day one concluded with the the women’s 5k, but did not fall short of outstanding performances. Freshmen Natalie Greger and Kate Kershaw both set new personal records in the 5k, with Greger finishing in 20:41.3 and Kershaw in 21:11.3.
Sophomore Lianna Greenstein excelled in field events, securing 5th place overall in the triple jump and setting a new personal record with a mark of 36ft (10.9m). Her impressive performance earned Greenstein an All-American award for the triple jump, and still sits at the top of the all-time list.
Kicking off day two was sophomore Matthew Kwiatkowski’s men’s 5k time of 15:37.3, overtaking the 10th spot on the all-time list and setting a new personal record. Grace Wertheimer maintained her fifth spot on the performance list in the Women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 19.27. Ella Maletta and Anna Callaghan shined for Delaware in the Women’s 800m, with Maletta taking 11th overall finishing in 2:29.5 and Callaghan placing 28th in 2:36.2. Dave Kelly led the charge for the Men’s 800m also placing 11th overall with a respectable time of 1:58.9. Freshman Ryan Healy and sophomore Evan Pawlik rounded out the top three for Delaware finishing in 2:10.0 and 2:11.5 respectively. Sophmore Katie Burke showcased her skills in the Women’s 3k steeple, placing 9th overall with a time of 12:43.9, which improves her previous time and moves her up to third all-time on the team in the event.
In the 4×4 relays, both the Delaware Men’s and Women’s teams delivered solid performances, In the Women’s 4x400m relay, the Delaware “A” team of Eli Manning, Grace Wertheimer, Aine Grubb, and Anna Callaghan finished in the top 20 with a time of 4:43.5, and now holds seventh fastest 4x4oom time in team history. In the Men’s 4x400m relay, the Delaware “A” team composed of Ryan Lazev, Devan Wasserman, Josh Pawlik, and Spencer Wheeler finished in 3:39.7, placing them ninth on the performance list.
Delaware showcased their skill and dedication, earning multiple All-American awards and achieving new personal records. The Blue Hens will continue working hard to prepare for our inaugural Blue Hen Invitational on April 20th, located on our home turf in Newark, DE.
Full results can be found here.
