University of Delaware Track Teams Open Competition at Penn Relays; Blue Hens Set Women’s DMR Record
April 28, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
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• PHILADELPHIA -- Led by a record-breaking performance by the women’s distance medley relay team, the University of Delaware men’s and women’s track and field teams opened up competition at the 117th annual Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field Thursday.
The Blue Hen women posted a ninth place finish in the College Distance Medley Relay competition, a 20th place showing in the College 4 x 400 meter relay, and a 29th place finish in the College 4 x 100 meter relay.
On the men’s side, Delaware’s Andy Weaver (at right) placed 19th in the College 10,000 meters with a time of 30:50.42 while teammate Dan Feeney was 32nd in the event with a clocking of 32:13.86. Weaver’s time was a career-best and the seventh best in school history. Auburn’s Ben Cheruiyot won the race with a time of 29:18.58.
Delaware’s Distance Medley Relay team of Lindsay Prettyman, Kayla Hennessy, Emily Gispert, and Jessica Olsen ran a time of 12:00.06 to place ninth overall and establish a new school record. The old mark was set last season when the team of Karen Mandrachia, Yesenia Boynton, Samantha Jones, and Kellyn Wright recorded a time of 12:16.23. Purdue won Thursday’s race with a time of 11:41.33 followed by Maryland, Bucknell, Boston College, Rider, James Madison, Saint Joseph’s, College of New Jersey, and Delaware.
In the women’s 4 x 400 meter race, Delaware’s foursome of Vicky Caruso, Nijah Dupiche, Asia Hollis, and Kristi Cox sped to a time of 3:43.82 to win their heat by almost four seconds, besting North Carolina A&T, Temple, Villanova, Albany, Johnson C. Smith, Middle Tennessee, and Rutgers. The time, which was good for 20th overall, marked the third best in school history and qualified the Hens for Saturday’s College Final. Texas A&M had the best time among all the heats with a clocking of 3:34.57.
The same foursome of Caruso, Dupiche, Hollis, and Cox also competed in the 4 x 100 meter relay and placed fifth in its heat and 29th overall with a time of 47.05, the third best mark in UD history. Central Florida won the heat with a time of 43.79 followed by TCU, North Carolina Central, Middle Tennessee, and Delaware.
Action at the four-day event will continue on Friday and Saturday with Delaware student-athletes competing in 13 events.
AGATE:
Delaware Men’s Finishers: 19th Place - Andy Weaver, College Men’s 10,000m (30:50.42); 32nd Place - Dan Feeney, College Men’s 10,000m (32:13.86).
