Track & Field Have Strong Showing at MLK Day Invitational

Monday, January 17

Staten Island, N.Y.

10:00 AM

University of Delaware

MLK Day Invitational

Track & Field Have Strong Showing at MLK Day Invitational

1/17/2022 7:46:00 PM | Track & Field

Results

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The University of Delaware track and field team opened the 2022 calendar year in dominant fashion at the MLK Day Invitational hosted by St. John's University inside Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y. The Blue Hens put together nine first-place finishes, headlined by outstanding performances by Chioma Njoku, Tina Capparell and Kosie Nkwonta.

"The coaching staff felt good about how today went. For the vast majority of the team, this was their first indoor meet of the season and for some, it was their first indoor meet in two years. Where we are in the context of the season and in our training, this was a good start," said head coach Ryan Waite.

To capture a first-place finish, Njoku shattered her own school record in the weight throw with a toss of 18.73m (61' 5.5"). She beat her previous mark of 18.35m (60' 2.5") set on Feb. 27, 2021.

Waite stated, "Chioma's school record in the weight throw was definitely the highlight. It was especially great because the rest of the team had completed competition when the weight was taking place, so we were all there to see it and cheer for her."

In the mile run event, Capparell became the ninth-fastest performer in school history after earning first place with a personal-best time of 4:58.64. Nkwonta's fourth-place finish in the shot put (13.09m (42' 11.5")) placed her name in the record books earning the ninth slot.

NOTABLE BLUE HEN PERFORMANCES
Track Events
60 meter dash
Trinity Tapper (7.83, fourth place-prelim Q), Shylehn Ebuenga-Smith (8.02, fifth place-prelim Q), Kamylin Padgham (8.07, sixth place-prelim Q), Roshelle Leakes (8.30, seventh place, prelim Q), Joana Opong-Duah (8.45, 15th place) and Ava Scheibe (8.51, 16th place)
60 meter hurdles
Destiny DeBlock (personal-best 9.87, second place)
3000 meter run
Kate Rathman (career debut, 10:49.86, first place), Katie Hally (10:56.12, second place), Samantha Side (11:04.42, third place) and Alicia Lenoir (11:24.41, fourth place)
500 meter dash
Alyssa Armor (1:21.95, third place)
300 meter dash
Alicia Lehman (42.52, fifth place) and Mayson Light (45.69, ninth place)
Mile run
Capparell (personal-best 4:58.64, first place), Susanna Weir (5:01.49, second place), Roxanne Ramirez (5:01.95, third place), Julien Webster (5:06.00, fifth place), Jessica Pidgeon (5:19.99, 10th place), Jessica Harding (5:20.20, 11th place), Danielle Eshelman (5:32.33, 12th place) and Sarah Kimak (5:37.10, 13th place)
400 meter dash
Marie-Frederique Poulin (collegiate debut with personal-best time 57.90, first place), Jalynn Sharp (1:00.77, third place) and Melady Brown (1:03.50, fourth place)
200 meter dash
Halima Scott (24.89, second place), Tapper (25.68, sixth place), Ebuenga-Smith (26.38, seventh place), Padgham (27.31, ninth place), Brown (27.80, 12th place), Scheibe (28.59, 16th place), Opong-Duah (28.76, 17th place) and Makiyah Cannon-Price (28.91, 18th place)
4000 medley relay
Delaware A - Capparell, Harding, Ramirez, Weir (12:10.02, first place)
Delaware B - Eshelman, Aja Davis, Carolyn Coletti, Marissa Dailey (13:02.29, second place)
4x400 meter relay
Delaware A - Scott, Poulin, Armor, Sharp (4:01.03, first place)

Field Events
Shot put
Myrissa McFolling-Young (13.22m, third place), Nkwonta (13.09m, fourth place) and Njoku (12.79m, sixth place)
Weight Throw
Njoku (personal-best 18.73m, first place), Bethany Clement (15.52m, fifth place), Gabrielle Holliday (15.45m, sixth place), Nkwonta (15.01m, ninth place) and Mackenzie Stephens (12.78m 11th place)
Long Jump
Lehman (5.43m, third place) and Leaks (5.04m, sixth place)
Triple Jump
Ruby Mullen (11.10m, first place) and Biola Adeleye (10.48m, fourth place)
Pole Vault
Meredith Krieger (3.30m, first place), Cierra Crane (3.30m, second place), Mayson Light (3.15m fourth place) and Sarah Megivern (3.00m, fifth place)
High Jump
DeBlock (1.50m, first place)

Waite commented, "Overall this was a good rust buster for us. We'll be back at Ocean Breeze next Friday for a bigger meet and I believe we'll see some big improvements from now to then."

WHAT'S NEXT
The Blue Hens will return to action next Friday, Jan. 28 at the Great Dane Invitational hosted by UAlbany starting at 10:30 a.m. inside Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, N.Y.

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