University of Delaware Athletics
The Comeback Kids: Sarah Daniels and Halima Scott’s Final Run
5/21/2024 7:00:00 PM | Track & Field
After all, it's been a long road for the University of Delaware track & field student-athletes Halima Scott and Sarah Daniels. Between repeated and nagging injuries, family heartbreak, and the consistent pressures of everyday life as student-athletes, Scott and Daniels could have walked away from their beloved sport for legitimate reasons after the 2022-23 school year.
They had both earned undergraduate degrees. They both had their accolades at the Division I level. They both put in the blood, sweat, and tears that would more than qualify for a well-earned invitation to call it a career.
Fortunately, Scott, the sprints runner from Camden, N.J., and Daniels, the distance runner from Burke, Va., were granted eligibility to compete as Blue Hens for one final season during the 2023-24 academic school year. Like much of life, it would not come easy.
Scott, who graduated from Delaware as an undergrad and is wrapping up a graduate degree in strategic communications, described her collegiate career in track & field as, "pretty lengthy, but a pretty good run for me." No pun intended.
She entered Delaware in 2018, so including her graduate year, Scott has been a part of the university for six years.
For Daniels, she had been on the move for her collegiate experience. Originally enrolled at Fordham, she experienced a tough injury during her first year and didn't think it was the right fit for her. She then transferred to Maryland, earning her undergraduate degree while balancing her life as a distance runner for the Terrapins. After obtaining her undergraduate degree at Maryland, she still had eligibility left due to injuries.
Daniels' decision to transfer to Delaware and eventually use all her college eligibility in Newark would prove to be a good one. And not just for the program that benefited from bringing in the strong, experienced runner, but also for herself. For Daniels, she just needed belief and encouragement.There was something missing my last semester at Maryland," Daniels said. "I did not know if I wanted to use my extra years of eligibility and was thinking about graduating early and not using it. I had a lot left, like three years of outdoor track and cross country indoor. So, I entered the portal to see what would happen.
The belief translated on the track brilliantly. Since transferring to Delaware during the 2022-23 season as a graduate student, Daniels has achieved many school records and honors, something that would not have been the case if she had given up her eligibility after graduating from Maryland.I did not feel like I had the level of belief that I do here," Daniels said. "I would always do well in workouts, but then get really nervous when it came to race day and competition, and ultimately never really fully execute what I had been doing in practice. Coach Ryan Waite and Coach Kenyetta Iyevbele were patient with me, and they were like, 'this is what you can do… so, see yourself doing it,' and I finally got out of my own head. I think that is what made it different here; the belief from the coaches.
Daniels would step outside of her comfort zone early on as a Blue Hen. The veteran was moved around. During her first year in 2022, she essentially competed in any event she was assigned. Even when she had been training for a different event all year, Daniels was assigned to race in the 10,000m and 5000m a week before the CAA Championships. Regardless of these being brand new events for her, Daniels earned good points for the team including capturing bronze medals in the 10,000m posting a time of 35:26.85, which sits fifth in school history.
Daniels would continue to build on that this season as her time of 10:24.15, which sits second in school history, in the 3000m Steeplechase helped her qualify for this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships First Rounds in Lexington, Ky. for the first time in her career. This is also the first time Delaware has had someone even qualify for the event. Additionally, this season Daniels ran a 5000m time of 16:51.06, which sits fourth in school history.It showed me I could kind of do whatever I put my mind to and showed that I could just change an event, do it, and do well in it," Daniels said.
All of this occurred because Daniels decided to come back and finish out her college career as a Blue Hen.
For Scott, her athletic career at Delaware had a lot of ups and downs. She would echo Daniels' comment about the commitment, focus, and motivation the coaches at Delaware brought to the athletes.
Support is everything for Scott and Delaware track and field alum Tyra Reid took her under her wing as an assistant coach last season. Her guidance would work wonders, so much so that Scott broke the school record for the 400m (outdoor) during the 2023 CAA Championships.
What makes that school record, 53.01 by the way, that Scott now owns special?
The record used to belong to Reid and Scott broke it in front of her.
The connection is rich and certainly a full-circle moment for Scott, Reid and the program. Even more, it shows the family nature at Delaware. Scott and Reid never overlapped as teammates and school records are personal accomplishments.
It would not matter to Reid.
That moment, it was almost like a weight being lifted off Scott. The 2023 season was an emotional year, a challenging one with a lot of moving parts. She was nursing injuries, rehabbing in-season. She wanted and needed to put up numbers she was expected to. That is why after the 2022-23 season, even with the additional year of eligibility to run this season, Scott was faced with a decision: graduate with a UD degree and enter the workforce, transfer, or remain at Delaware.She wasn't one to say, 'I don't want you to break my record,'" Scott said. "Every day at practice she would show up after her regular job for me. And I was able to put that into my training and appreciate her coming out when she didn't want to; when she did not have to. So, when I did have that breakthrough, it was very indicative of all the work and support that was poured into the entire season.
Iyevbele was named head coach before the 2022-23 season and was an assistant for a year before. She came to UD the same year Daniels did. She has seen the struggles and accomplishments that both Daniels and Scott have endorsed.
Loyalty and quality time are concepts that are meaningful to Scott; they are impactful principles for the runner who grew up just under an hour away from Newark. For her, Newark was a place that she loved because of the people she was surrounded by, which ultimately proved to be the most significant reason to return to Delaware for one more year.Both have dealt with a plethora of personal tribulations and challenges alongside being a student-athlete at the University of Delaware," Iyevbele said. "But they've both been so graceful in the way they have approached life.
The decision paid off for both parties.It was something about UD and something about Coach Kenyatta… life is short, so you might as well spend it around the people you enjoy and value me and appreciate me," Scott said.
Besides running well and being a team leader, Scott's performance this season allowed the Blue Hens to go to new heights. If she had not made the decision she did, the Delaware community would not have witnessed the 2024 CAA Bronze medalist in the 400m or seen her qualify for the upcoming NCAA First Rounds competing in the 400m for the second-straight year.
Of course, her final year accomplishments only add to her career's worth of highlights at Delaware. In 2023, Scott made her first appearance in NCAA First Rounds. That same season, she was the CAA Silver Medalist in the 400m (leading to her NCAA Qualifier). In 2022, Scott was the CAA Champion in 400m, and the CAA Silver Medalist in 200m, in addition to earning the CAA Bronze Medal in 4x400m. At the 2019 CAA Championships, Scott was the champion in 200m and 4x100m, a silver medalist in 400m and a CAA outdoor champion.
Quite the resume.
Daniels' return to competing for the Hens was a little different. After joking with coach Iyevbele about pursuing another year of eligibility, she realized in December 2022 that she did have another year left. For four months during her summer, she frantically gathered MRI results from Fordham to put together a packet for the NCAA to grant another year of college eligibility for track and field.
Eventually, Daniels would be permitted to compete during the spring season of 2024, allowing her to compete one last time for Delaware. During the fall and winter of 2023, she would train in preparation for the season. Daniels also had unfinished business from the previous season, providing one more reason to run it back one last time as a Blue Hen.
After over half a year of waiting to hear about Daniels' eligibility from the NCAA, it was a relief and thrill when coach Iyevbele found out she would get another year of her graduate distance runner. She helped Daniels through the process, especially when Daniels questioned the process, even noting that it could be a sign her college athletics career was over since it took so long. They both made that one more call, one more email, and eventually granted her one more chance, ultimately leading to her being a part of her first ever first round of NCAAs.I did not think I would want the eligibility back … a fifth year was enough," Daniels joked. However, "After people scratched out of regionals, I was the first person out of qualifying, so I wanted to give it another shot and come back again.
Scott and Daniels' return for 2024 was great news for coach Iyevbele, who knew the program would be much stronger with both being part of it. It also opened up opportunities for the graduate students to set individualized goals for the season.
While coach Iyevbele was thrilled with their final decision to lace up the spikes for the Blue Hens for one final season, it was not easy for the three of them to get there. Scott met with Iyevbele often in her office, where both would cry while trying to make a decision. Iyevbele's goal was to help Scott reach the best decision for Scott and her physical and mental health.
They took a day-by-day approach. And it worked. Days turned into weeks, and the final product turned into Scott and Daniels qualifying for regionals.
It is not always sunshine and rainbows when an athlete decides to return for a final year of competition. Yes, at the time it is greatly exciting. And then you have to go out to train and eventually compete. For Scott, like much of her undergraduate career, it would be another season of nursing and managing injuries."I definitely pushed, but I had to learn as a coach my place and understand what was necessary and where I needed to give her space," Iyevbele said. "It was hard to sometimes know that balance, but I'm glad we decided to push through one more day.
Even so, Scott's persistent determination to give back to the team and school that had provided her with so much allowed her to fight through the challenges and compete to the best of her abilities, while balancing the lingering injuries she saw in her final season.
Both Daniels and Scott would return for one last season and both would re-experience injuries during 2024. For Daniels, it was a similar tune: a rocky start during a season that was rapidly dwindling.This season has been very rocky; very rough. I was not able to compete indoor due to an injury, and I've had other health complications throughout the season," Scott said. "When I came off from my injury, I was a little discouraged because I was not performing like I normally would [due to having to catch up after missing the indoor season].
Without indoor eligibility, Daniels said that in order to train, of course she had to run a lot, but was running unattached. There was not much focus or meaning to her runs at first. Obstacles would catch up with Daniels, who would end up "really screwing up my knee." She was dealing with a potential meniscus tear, an injury that could have easily forced her to sit out the entire year and leave her college athletic career on the sidelines.
The fresh injury would put Daniels out for five to six weeks, long enough so that she questioned whether she would be healthy enough to compete outdoors for one last hoorah. She grew discouraged and had to catch up. She eventually and finally felt caught up outdoors during the conference championship.
Delaware trainers took her recovery slowly, and coach Iyevbele and her coaching staff modified some new races she would participate in initially to reduce the stress on her knee until she was fully healed. It would work, and Daniels would eventually build the strength and courage to compete in the events she had been doing her entire life.
When Daniels doubted herself the most, there was one group that never failed to provide encouragement: her coaches. She would keep getting better every race outdoors after her return for spring 2024. This was a prime reason why Daniels had returned for one last run -- the people. They showed out, becoming the main reason Daniels was able to get out of her rut and ultimately qualify for NCAA regionals.
In a way, it was similar to a moment Scott shared with Reid in 2023.I really did not know what was going to happen but the one thing that was really cool was the coaching staff really believed in me the whole time when I did not believe in me," Daniels said. "When it did all come together, I was like, 'wow, they were right.'
Scott did not only face adversity in her final year by competing with injuries. Throughout her time in college, she battled knee injuries, similar to the lingering injuries Daniels experienced during college. And when Scott would be healthy enough to return to competition, something else would often be nagging. If that was not enough to cope with, when Scott was fully healthy and able to run there were several times in which the race numbers just would not go her way.
Even this season with her meets before CAAs, Scott felt like she was not able to compete in the championships based on the times she was posting.From a performance perspective, going to meets and not seeing the time I expected just felt like a setback itself.
She had experienced such mental and physical hurdles since her freshman season in 2018. But as she has done every year, the sprinter has picked up the pieces and put the puzzle together, earning so many honors and accolades.
It was not just consistent injuries that proved to be challenging for Daniels to manage in college. For her, the immediate support and family-like atmosphere Delaware provided as a graduate transfer was essential. When she first moved to Newark, her father got sick and eventually passed away. It was an especially tough transition for the Maryland graduate because she did not know the team particularly well.
Nonetheless, the head coach at the time, Ryan Waite, put no pressure on Daniels, suggesting she could go home and be with family and not compete. While Daniels appreciated the support, she would not take Waite up on his offer.
Coach Iyevbele could also relate to the devastating situation that Daniels was going through, having herself lost a parent at a young age. This common experience allowed her to connect more deeply with Daniels.I did not come here not to compete," Daniels said. "My dad is the reason why I started doing track, so, it was really special to be able to keep going.
Coach Iyevbele has seen Scott and Daniel's struggles firsthand, even if for only a few brief years. For her, there is no denying the hardship they experienced in their college careers. But Coach Iyevbele is most proud that Scott and Daniels were able to conquer many of their challenges and make more suitable situations even in the face of things they could not control.We just relate on a level that is a little deeper, which has allowed us to have a really strong coaching to athlete relationship," Iyevbele said.
Between Scott and Daniels, they have precisely no eligibility left to compete. This is it. Their records, personal bests, and overall collegiate accomplishments will soon be memories. While their road is coming to an end, an appearance and opportunity to compete in NCAA regionals seems like a perfect ending to long, winding, but respectable and accomplished track & field careers for Scott and Daniels. To be at this point is certainly a feel-good moment, with a true storybook ending.
Daniels was able to put her experience at Delaware in perspective and reflect on how fortunate she was in deciding to use all her eligibility with the Blue Hens.Just having the opportunity…It's a great feeling, especially when you worked so hard and you had so many things go wrong," Scott said. "I feel like you take 10 steps forward and then five to 15 back… I feel like it happened on time for me, and I feel like those experiences were needed because it helped me become the person I am today.
As for regionals, both Scott and Daniels have been through the hurdles. They are ready to give it one last shot.It's the place I needed to be. When I first transferred here, I was going through a lot and was not even sure I was going to finish the first semester of grad school," Daniels said. "But I ended up finishing with a lot of support from my team.
Coach Iyevbele is fortunate to have been able to squeeze out every last bit of eligibility between Scott and Daniels. How couldn't she be? Both graduate students were models for the program, in the classroom, on the track, and around the community. Coach Iyevbele knows how impactful they were and hopes to use them as examples to continue to build what Delaware wants the program to look like.I am going to go into regionals and just shoot," Scott said.
Delaware's coaching staff preaches compartmentalizing and taking care of oneself first. Coach Iyevbele saw firsthand how Scott and Daniels took care of their issues head-on.
Scott and Daniels are better athletes and people after earning degrees at Delaware. The university is a better program both athletically and academically after Scott and Daniels' time at UD. Daniels knows the impact Delaware had on her; she lived through it every day and is now able to reflect on her decision to enroll and use all of her years at Newark in a positive, life-changing way.Those two are a perfect example of fighting and defying the odds," Iyevbele said. "They had every reason not to return… for Sarah, fighting to get her eligibility back and for Halima, having a series of health complications and a lot of personal things. Both of them being able to parallel each other and making it to the first round of NCAAs, it just exemplifies what it means to be a fighter and to never take no as an answer.
Their careers at Delaware were quite notable, and Scott and Daniels' role within the university will always be remembered in a positive way. According to Coach Iyevbele, they are the student-athletes the program strives to find and build through. They are the model to follow.I definitely grew so much as a person, just training alone in the fall and having this goal to come back to was really hard, and getting back here and facing the injuries, it just taught me to be way more resilient," Daniels said. "I'm thankful that it kind of sucked for a while because it makes the now feel so much better and I can do a lot more than I thought I could do.
If Scott and Daniels are certain about one thing, it is how grateful they are to their coaching staff at Delaware. They refer to the coaching staff as a significant reason they are where they are today, both as athletes and as people. After their season wraps up, whenever that may be, Scott and Daniels will enter the professional world.
Aside from their athletic abilities, their spirits and attitudes are contagious; they set the tone for recruiting," Iyevbele said. "Those are kids we want here at the University of Delaware; for our program, for our department, and for the entire university. Those are the type of kids that are going to help separate us in forming a family one wants to be a part of.
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