Track & Field Dominate at Delaware Invitational on Senior Day

Friday, April 28

Newark, Del.

10:45 AM

University of Delaware

Delaware Invitational

Photo by: Gavin Bethell

Track & Field Dominate at Delaware Invitational on Senior Day

4/28/2023 8:00:00 PM | Track & Field

NEWARK, Del. – It has been four years since the University of Delaware track & field team was on hosting duties and the team did not disappoint on this rainy Friday (Apr. 28). As part of its regular season finale, the Blue Hens managed to set 15 personal-best times/marks, 10 season-best times/marks all while breaking two facility records and setting a new school record.

Prior to the opening field event, the Blue Hen senior class of 27 was honored with the annual Senior Day Ceremony for their dedication to the University of Delaware track and field program.

The javelin opened the meet as Megan Albamonti was joined by her multi teammates Mayson Light and Destiny DeBlock. Entering Friday's meet was a 19-year old facility record of 46.25 set by Stockton's Tiffany Mashur and Albamonti launched her first attempt to set the new facility record at 48.00m. The Westerly, R.I. native wasn't through yet as her second attempt flew threw the air for 50.55m to set a new facility record and capture the victory. Light followed with a third place finish after throwing for a PR mark of 26.93m and DeBlock threw her javelin for a season-best mark of 24.80m (seventh place). Light also saw action in the long jump where she captured first place after leaping for a season-best mark of 4.85m and DeBlock also set season-best times/marks in the 100m hurdles (16.08, second place) and high jump (1.57m, 1st place) to round out her day.

The anticipated 4x100 relay team of Kamylin Padgham, Taylor Johnson, Shylehn Ebuenga-Smith and Halima Scott was positioned to set a new facility record in the downpour. The squad ran a season-best time of 46.33 to wipe out the 2019 time set by a team Scott ran with four years ago (Andriene Rose, Isis Pinkney, Rochelle Leaks).

Johnson's day on the track wasn't done as the rookie ran a personal-best time of 12.12 in the 100m to win the event and earned the 10th overall spot in the program's record books. Johnson also crossed the 200m finish line first with a time of 25.28. Padgham (12.55), Ebuenga-Smith (12.60), Melady Brown (SB-13.01) and Amber Cray (PR-13.21) rounded out the 100m top five finishers, respectively. Makiyah Cannon-Price claimed second place in the 400m hurdles with a PR time of 1:09.12.

Nina Sgambelluri ran the 800m for the first time in her career and posted a first-place time of 2:16.54 while Hannah Smalley followed right behind with a PR time of 2:17.64. Marissa Dailey captured third place with a PR time of 2:20.74 while Jessica Stratton finished in sixth place with a PR time of 2:29.14 and Jenna Scandale followed right behind her posting a PR time of 2:30.20 (seventh place).

In the 3000m steeplechase, Katie Hally finished in second place with a season-best time of 11:39.33 while Carolyn Colletti saw action in the race for the first time in her collegiate career and finished in 12:10.14 (third place). Alicia Lenoir ran a season-best time of 13:13.65 (seventh place). In the 1500m, Danielle Eshelman won the race with a season-best time of 4:51.55 while Stratton (4:56.92, third place) and Stephanie Herrera (5:08.66, fifth place) set new personal-best times. Anna Cleary was the lone athlete running the 5000m and posted a season-best time of 18:28.26.

Madison Shaffery set a new PR in the high jump after leaping over the 1.57m bar, which was good enough for a second place finish. Kosie Nkwonta threw the shot put for a PR mark of 14.03, which was good enough for a second place finish and move her name up the UD history books to sit third overall.

Ready to dominate in the hammer throw was Chioma Njoku as she was chasing her school record mark she set at Raleigh Relays (58.38m) earlier this season. Njoku's third throw of 58.24 earned her three additional throws and then the magic happened for her final throw. The Newark, Del. native saw her hammer fly through the air for a new school record mark of 59.45m to win the event and close out the rainy Friday evening.

WHATS NEXT
The Blue Hens will return to the track to open the postseason schedule as the 2023 CAA Track & Field Outdoor Championship, hosted by William & Mary is slated to start May 5-6 in Williamsburg, Va.

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