Track & Field Show Out at Virginia Challenge

Friday, April 19

Charlottesville, Va.

2:30 PM

University of Delaware

Virginia Challenge

Photo by: NIC TERRY PRODUCTIONS

4/20/2024 7:15:00 PM | Track & Field

Results Photo Gallery

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The University of Delaware track & field team headed South to compete at the two-day Virginia Challenge, hosted by the University of Virginia April 19-20 from Lannigan Field in Charlottesville, Va. The Blue Hens continued to trend upward as the flock set eight personal-best marks/times and five season-best marks/times headlined by Jahnia Hodge, Mackenzie Stephens and Kadence Dumas dominating performances in the triple jump, hammer throw and 800m, respectively.

HEN HIGHLIGHTS
Friday

Bridget Joyce opened day 1 of competition for the Blue Hens and finished her outing in VA by leaping over the 3.44m bar in the pole vault.
Determined to dominate the triple jump, Hodge flew through the air for a personal-best mark of 12.15m in her third attempt. Hodge's mark remains fourth in school history.
The Blue Hen 100m trio, Taylor Johnson (12.41), Jacquelyn Rolle (12.51) and Victoria Henry (12.56) finished the race in 40th, 45th and 48th respectively.
Leah Clear (4:35.73, 22nd place, sixth in her heat) and Marissa Dailey (4:39.77, 36th place, seventh in her heat) both set new personal-best times in the 1,500m race.
Halima Scott ran a season-best time of 55.06 in the 400m, which was good enough for her to finish second in her heat and fifth overall in the race.
Opening the nightcap with the last field event for the Bue Hens were Rachel Schmitt and Alicia Lehman-Woodyard headlining the javelin. Schmitt (41.05m) and Lehman-Woodyard (27.48m) captured seventh and 21st place finishes, respectively.
In everyone's favorite race, 3,000m Steeplechase, we saw Sarah Daniels lead the charge for the Blue Hens and the Burke, Va. native posted a season-best time of 10:36.11 to place ninth against steep competition.
Molly Lashley closed out the Blue Hens day at the track racing in the 5,000m. Lashley clocked a personal-best time of 17:13.17 to finish 17th among a field of 36 runners.

Saturday

Kosie Nkwonta and Stephens opened up day two competing in the hammer throw. Nkwonta launched her second throw for 55.02m to finish the event in 10th place while Stephens saw her third throw fly through the air for a personal-best mark of 51.45m, good enough to finish 17th overall. Stephens' new mark now sits fifth in school history.
Lehman-Woodyard and Brooke Duke led the way in the high jump, both setting personal-best marks. Lehman-Woodyard leaped over the 1.64m bar, which tied her personal-best, to finish fifth in the event. The rookie in Duke made a strong collegiate debut by jumping over the 1.59m bar to place eighth overall.
Lehman-Woodyard closed out her outing in the long jump and Henry joined her. Lehman-Woodyard flew through the air for a season-best 5.85m to place 11th overall in the event while Henry set a new personal-best mark of 5.46m, which was good enough to finish in 25th place.
Nkwonta concluded her day by putting together a season-best throw of 13.67m (20th overall) in the shot put.
The 4x100m relay squad, Henry, Johnson, Hodge and Rolle, opened the track for the Blue Hens and clocked a season-best time of 47.20 (10th overall).
The bright spot came in the 800m, where the freshman in Dumas etched her name in the school record books. Dumas posted a personal-best time of 2:10.45 (sixth overall) which now sits eighth in school history.
Also in the 800m was Lauren Leath (2:16.71) and Hannah Smalley (2:24.62), both finishing 35th and 48th overall, respectively.
The Blue Hen closed out the day racing in the 4x400m. Team A consisting of Scott, Johnson, Leath and Dumas, clocked a time of 3:53.53 (ninth place) while team B consisting of Smalley, Rolle, Henry and Hodge posted a time of 4:07.87 (11th place).

GAME NOTES

This is the first meet that the rookie Brooke Duke is competing in to open her collegiate career.
12 Blue Hens competed at Virginia Challenge for the first time in their careers, seven being freshmen.

UP NEXT
The Blue Hens return to action to compete at Penn Relays hosted by University of Pennsylvania starting Thursday, Apr. 25 through Saturday, Apr. 27. Nkwonta opens up the competition for the Blue Hens competing in the hammer throw on Thursday at 12 pm.

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