DATE: April 18, 2002

RICHMOND, VA -- The University of Delaware men's and women's outdoor track and field teams and the men's golf team will all be competing this weekend as part of the the Colonial Athletic Association Spring Sports Festival sponsored by Pioneer.

It will be the first-ever competition for the Blue Hens, who are first-year members of the CAA.

The CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will get underway Friday, April 19 at 12 noon at the Richmond Sports Backers Stadium and will continue Saturday at 8 a.m.

The CAA Men's Golf Championships will begin Friday, April 19 at 7:20 a.m. at the Crossings Golf Club in Glen Allen, VA. The three-day tournament will continue with 18 holes Saturday beginning at 7:20 a.m. and the final round Sunday at 7:20 a.m.

In the men's outdoor track and field meet, UNC Wilmington will be shooting for its sixth straight team title while on the women's side, William & Mary has won two of the last three titles, including last years championship. In golf, Virginia Commonwealth has won each of the last six team titles.

The Delaware men's outdoor track and field team will be looking to post its 19th straight top five finish at the conference meet and is coming off a fourth place finish last year at the America East championships. The Hens top hopes are record-setting pole vaulter Jon DiNozzi, distance runner Pat Riley, middle distance standout Pat Boettcher, hurdler Brandon Nesbitt, and an outstanding group of throws led by Mike Goodhart (hammer), Mike Yost (discus), Isaac Wolkowicz (shot put), Ben Thuma (discus), and Fred DePalma (javelin). DiNozzi won the America East outdoor pole vault title a year ago while Nesbitt was second in the 400 hurdles, Thuma was second in the discus, Riley was second in the 10,000 meters, and Boettcher was third in the 800 meters.

The Delaware women placed sixth in each of the last three seasons and won its last conference outdoor title in 1991 in the East Coast Conference. Leading the Blue Hens are senior distance runners Aimee Alexander and Monica Marchetta, throwers Melissa Calvanico, Jess Urbonas, and Christine Kowalchuk, and Jennie Chiller, and pole vaulter Lisa Steward.

Kowalchuk was last year's America East runner-up in the javelin while Calvanico was third in the shot put and Marchetta was third in the 5,000 meters. Alexander has posted four meet titles this year in races ranging from the 800 meters to the 3,000 meters and was second in the 5,000 meters at the 2000 America East outdoor championships.

The Delaware golf team, led by first-year head coach Mike Keogh, has posted 36 straight top five conference championships finishes, including winning the 1998 America East title and placing third last year. The Hens are led by sophomore Mike Hoffman, who placed a team-best ninth at last year's America East championships and currently has posted a 78.40 stroke average.