2023-24 Delaware Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Year in Review
7/9/2024
Blue Hen Family:
We’ve reached the end of another incredible year for Delaware Athletics—one full of many firsts for our department. It continues to be an incredible privilege to lead this department as our Blue Hen student-athletes, coaches and support staff strive to achieve excellence every day.
Our Blue Hen student-athletes achieved remarkable feats this year–including eleven individual and two team conference champions, seven CAA Players of Year, one CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year, and one CAA Coach of the Year honor. We had three All-Americans, 102 student-athletes named to the all-conference list and our highest ever non-covid average G.P.A., with an astonishing 3.313.
The collective success of our programs afforded us the opportunity to accept an offer to elevate our football program to the FBS level, join Conference USA for 14 of our sports, and add a 22nd varsity sport, with Women's Ice Hockey for the 2025-26 season. While we still have a few teams to solidify conference affiliations for, we are excited for the future of all our teams and their ability to win championships.
I’m so proud of our student-athletes, staff and coaches for how they represent the University and the 302. I encourage you to read about the wonderful stories and accomplishments our Blue Hens achieved this year and share with family and friends.
As we look ahead to a new era for Delaware Athletics, we will continue to elevate to new heights. The college athletics landscape is evolving every day, with new opportunities for student-athletes to leverage their Name, Image, Likeness (NIL), to potentially share revenue through the NCAA v. House settlement, and to continue to have unparalleled experiences here in Newark. With all the change taking place, the constant will be our commitment to being a national model for student success; graduating inspired, conscientious, lifetime engaged Blue Hens who compete for championships and make the 302 proud.
Go Hens!
Chrissi Rawak
Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation
University of Delaware
A YEAR OF HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
2023-24 was a historic year for the Hens, with the announcement of becoming a full member of Conference USA and the addition of women’s ice hockey as a varsity sport – both effective July 1, 2025.
With the move to CUSA, football will be moving up to the FBS division, the highest level of collegiate football. Since the announcement to move up, the Blue & Gold have established games against Colorado, UConn, and Wake Forest in 2025 and contests versus Coastal Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Virginia in 2026.
In addition, a formal, first-of-its-kind partnership with the Philadelphia Flyers was announced. UD will be the only NCAA Division I women's ice hockey program in the country to have a partnership with an NHL team. The partnership will strategically align around growing the game of hockey, community engagement, and launching a world-class women's ice hockey program.
In addition to the move to Conference USA, a pair of other programs have announced joining new conferences as affiliate members, with others on the horizon.
Men’s soccer – The Summit League
Men’s lacrosse – Atlantic 10
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
With nearly 700 student-athletes in 21 sports and three spirit teams, the Hens hail from all over the world. There are Fightin’ Blue Hens representing 29 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico, and 69 international student-athletes from 31 countries. This includes 77 from right here in the 302.
Not only are they skilled in competition, the Blue Hens continued to show their excellence in the classroom. UD student-athletes posted their highest GPA ever with a 3.313 for the 2023-24 academic year. It marked the 10th-consecutive year and 21st-straight semester that the department has secured a GPA at 3.000 or higher.
In total, 214 Hens landed on the dean's list during spring 2024 for a total of 418 for the year. A record 72 student-athletes claimed a perfect 4.0 semester. In total, 19 programs secured a 3.0 or better this past spring and 18 went above 3.2 for the entire academic year.
ATHLETIC PROWESS AND NATIONAL RELEVANCE
In competition, both volleyball and women’s golf claimed CAA Championships, with Lilia Henkel taking the individual women’s golf championship and 10 individual swimming champions (Kaloyan Levterov -200 backstroke, 200 freestyle, Toni Sabev - 200 breaststroke, 200 medley relay (Gavin Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, Matvei Namakonov), 400 medley relay (Gavin Currie, Toni Sabev, Simeon Sabev, Matvei Namakonov), Lauren Hartel - 500 freestyle, Victoria Novinskiy - 200 butterfly, Mania Tasakou - 200 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay team (Nicole Chiappa, Erin Shema, Olivia Willemsen, Anthi Lyra), 800 freestyle relay team (Lauren Hartel, Anthi Lyra, Olivia Willemsen, Erin Shema).
Five student-athletes claimed All-American status after their respective seasons, seeing Jackson Taylor and Marcus Yarns from football, Madison Hranicka from women’s lacrosse, and Kevin Ellington and JP Ward from men’s lacrosse.
Volleyball, football, and women’s golf all competed in the NCAA Tournament, with football winning an FCS First Round game for a second year in a row.
Individually, men’s swimming’s Toni Sabev became the first ever Blue Hen swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Track & field’s Halima Scott and Sarah Daniels also competed in the NCAA Tournament East Regionals.
The spirit program took home another two national championships with the cheer team claiming its sixth-straight Small Coed Gameday UCA National Championship and dance winning its third-consecutive UDA Division I Hip Hop National Championship.
A number of programs were featured in their sport’s national rankings, highlighted by men’s tennis making its first-ever appearance in the ITA National Rankings. The Hens were ranked as high as 32nd in the nation, ahead of countless Power 5 programs.
A total of 102 Hens claimed All-CAA honors in 2023-24 with eight Blue Hens taking home CAA major awards.
Patty Post - CAA Coach of the Year
Christian Ray - CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year
Richard Monath - CAA Rookie of the Year
Keira Allison - CAA Rookie Diver of the year
Lucas Madariaga - CAA Rookie Diver of the Year
Julz Garber - CAA Defensive Player of the Year
Madison Hranicka - CAA Defensive Player of the Year
Kevin Ellington - CAA Defensive Player of the Year
A trio of Blue Hens – field hockey’s Kiki Oudshoorn, men’s basketball’s Jalun Trent, and women’s lacrosse’s Madison Hranicka – all earned a national player of the week honor throughout the year.
On the pitch, both women’s and men’s soccer picked up Power 5 wins. The women’s over Syracuse to begin the campaign was the first ever in program history and first career win for head coach Kelly Lawrence. The men defeated defending B1G champions Rutgers – the Scarlet Knights were also receiving votes in the national poll.
On top of its CAA Championship, volleyball’s 24 wins is the most in a season since 26 in 2005. The Hens tallied a record 15-consecutive wins and a record 11 road wins.
Football wrapped up the 2023 season with a 9-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in CAA play, advancing to the second round of the FCS Championship for the second-straight season. The nine wins were the most since the 2010 season and it is the first time UD has had consecutive eight-win campaigns since 2003-04. Delaware's offense scored at least 40 points in five games this year and surpassed 500 total yards on four occasions.
Men’s tennis posted a record year, earning the number two seed in the CAA Championship Tournament – its highest ever – with a 16-4 record. The Hens picked up wins over Penn State and Navy as part of a 13-0 start to the season.
The women’s tennis team reached new heights as well, tallying a 20-7 record for the second-most wins in a season in program history. UD was the number one seed in the CAA Championship Tournament and reached its first-ever championship match. The Blue & Gold went undefeated in CAA competition with a 5-0 record.
On the diamonds, baseball and softball put together impressive campaigns. Baseball picked up a series win over conference newcomer Campbell. The Camels were ranked 21st in the country at the time.
Softball finished its season with a record of 39-14 and 21-6 in CAA play. The Hens set program records for most wins and conference wins in a season, tied their longest winning streak at 13 and longest conference winning streak at 10, had their second-best winning percentage at .736, and set a program record for doubles (87).
Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak also received national accolades as one of the NACDA Athletic Directors of the Year.
NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS (NIL)
In the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, Delaware has been proUD to be at the forefront of the different ways to benefit its student-athletes. During the 2023-24 year, there were 200 reported NIL deals for the Hens, allowing nearly every program to maximize its potential. A total of 14 teams were represented across deals that saw 98 unique student-athletes partner with regional and national brands, including Insomnia Cookies, Grotto Pizza, Roots, Fanatics, and Celsius, to name a few.
Several Blue Hen student-athletes partnered with Athlete Threads to offer replica and custom UD gear sporting their likeness. These deals were some of the 135 apparel contracts signed by Delaware student-athletes.
The department also announced the addition of the 302 Collective – a group by Hens for Hens, led by UD men’s swimming alum Chris Dohl and two-time UD grad JP Gulli.
For all things NIL at the University of Delaware or to partner with a student-athlete, visit www.bluehens.com/NIL.
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— Delaware Blue Hens (@UDBlueHens) July 8, 2024
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
In addition to their commitment to excellence in competition and in the classroom, the Hens also dedicated time and effort into expanding their leadership, volunteering in the community, and preparing for their future careers outside of sport. Director of Athletics, Community & Campus Recreation, Chrissi Rawak, hosted the inaugural Seasonal Captains Dinners with the AD for student-athlete leaders to spend time to discuss their experiences as role models on their respective teams.
Students and staff alike participated in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Training and Sexual Assault Awareness traning. Blue Hens put their training to practice, with our Recreation Services team applying for and receiving a Unidel Grant to obtain Adaptive Exercise Equipment for Students and Staff to make our facilities more accessible. Additionally, all varsity teams hosted a combined 41 DEIB themed games, including Pride nights, military appreciation, cancer awareness, and Latin American Heritage, to name a few.
Several teams also matched with children through Team IMPACT, a national non-profit organization that developed a unique multi-year program that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience. Blue Hens baseball, volleyball, dance, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball teams have forged strong bonds with their signees.
The University of Delaware Department of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation (DACCR) doubled down on its commitment to youth in sport by hosting two separate events for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The Blue Hens hosted Governor John Carney and the Office of Women's Advancement & Advocacy to honor Delaware female high school athletes on Friday, February 9 inside Whitney Athletic Center. The celebration featured a proclamation ceremony, an engaging panel discussion titled "Taking the Next Step as a Student-Athlete," and special recognition during the women's basketball home game against William & Mary.
Additionally, Delaware held its annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day Clinic for girls aged 5-12, prior to the women’s basketball game vs. Drexel. This event allowed hundreds of young girls the opportunity to try different sports and learn from current UD student-athletes.
Student-Athletes took advantage of their first full year with a dedicated Student-Athlete Career Readiness Office, with 13 unique pairings participating in the newly re-designed Student-Athlete Mentoring Program this fall. Additionally, student-athletes attended over 450 individual career coaching appointments since January 2023, marking a 800% year over year increase.
The Student-Athlete Career Readiness Office successfully launched a winter internship program designed to fit the needs of Student-Athletes who are unable to complete a traditional summer internship program, with one student-athlete being offered a full time position post-graduation in the spring.
Engaging with the University community, DACCR had over 100 student interns in various offices through the department, including sports analytics, marketing, communications, multimedia, and several sports teams.
302 TOUR AND BEYOND
The second annual 302 Tour was a major success, with student-athletes, coaches, and staff spending a day in each county of Delaware: New Castle on Thursday, Kent on Friday and finishing off with Sussex on Saturday.
The 302 Tour was an excellent opportunity for student-athletes across different sport programs to come together to learn about the rich history of the State of Delaware, to engage with the larger Delaware community, and to support local businesses in the state.
In a partnership with the state, the University announced a significant renovation of the Delaware Softball Diamond, which will impact the entire state’s softball community. With the new renovations and addition of concessions and restrooms, the University will be able to support more external events, including hosting the Conference USA Softball Championship Tournament, bringing an increased revenue and tourism impact to the state. Currently, DACCR drives a $33M economic impact in the state annually from athletics hosted events. That impact is expected to increase after the renovations with events and other youth tournaments taking place in Newark.
Our Blue Hens have also traveled around the state for various other competitions, practices, clinics and speaking events including tennis matches around the state, a women’s lacrosse clinic, football at the joint finance committee hearing, and women’s golf hosting a tournament in Rehoboth Beach, among others.
Continuing to raise the pride of the 302, the department launched co-branded merchandise with The Starboard and through a partnership with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles custom Delaware Athletics license plates are now available.
CAMPUS RECREATION AND COMMUNITY
This year proved to be another successful year for Campus Recreation, Ice Arenas, and the Outdoor Pool.
The club figure skating team won its seventh national championship and first since 2016. The team was one of 13 club programs to compete at nationals for the Blue Hens. Club teams also hosted over 140 games and tournaments on campus this season.
The intramural sports program experienced a 21-percent increase in total participation from last year, with a seven-percent increase in teams and a six-percent increase in games. Intramurals also experienced a five-percent increase in total unique participants from last year.
Overall, 1,758 Blue Hens on campus took part in a fitness class, up 17-percent from last year. Campus Recreation also created and established the Health and Transformation Challenge (HATCH), providing UD community members with their own personalized health and wellness plan. The aquatics department offered adult swim lessons to the UD community for the first time ever and also partnered with the City of Newark to provide free swim lessons to underprivileged youth in the area.
In addition to its national championship, club figure skating hosted the Blue Hen Ice Classic on campus, which saw UD alum Joel Savary ‘11 help Howard Figure Skating make history, becoming the first HBCU to compete in a figure skating competition. The Delaware Ice Arenas saw over 2,800 people attend holiday public skating with many sold out programs including the winter Learn to Skate and Play Hockey programs and spring 3v3 Hockey League.
Finally, the Delaware Outdoor Pool had over 750 members and over 30,000 visits last summer. This summer the pool also received a new water filtration system, featuring a state-of-the-art pump, UV system, and filter making the pool one of the safest and cleanest pools in the state of Delaware.
Congratulations to Joel Savary ‘11 and the Howard University Figure Skating team for making history on our campus this weekend!
— UD Campus Recreation (@UDLilBob) February 27, 2024
Check out the full story here?? https://t.co/iCQuc2GDxA pic.twitter.com/fpeq5MhfdU
ICYMI @UDFigureSkating won their first National Championship since 2016 this year!??
— UD Campus Recreation (@UDLilBob) June 13, 2024
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HENS IN THE PROS
From Newark to the professional ranks, a number of Blue Hens from various programs made their professional debuts, continuing to highlight the spirit for the Blue & Gold.
In the NFL, Joe Flacco earned the league’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after an outstanding run with the Cleveland Browns.
For the second year in a row, the Chiefs were led by general manager and Blue Hen alum Brett Veach. The squads’ offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, and quarterback coach, Joe Bleymaier, also graduated from UD, both playing quarterback for the Hens.
Baseball alum John Schneider continued his career as the manager of the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays.
Good luck to John Schneider and the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB playoffs ??
— Delaware Baseball (@DelawareBASE) October 1, 2023
PC: @BlueJays pic.twitter.com/rYJcMSTiL9
An ?????????? comeback from Delaware’s finest ?? pic.twitter.com/mRKxSNG1ls
— Delaware Football (@Delaware_FB) February 9, 2024
Blue. Hen. Built. ???? pic.twitter.com/9gtv1frUI1
— Delaware Football (@Delaware_FB) February 12, 2024
Hard work and smiles from PLL training camp this week! ????
— Delaware Men’s Lacrosse (@DelawareMLAX) May 31, 2024
Good luck to our guys this weekend in their season openers on June 1! pic.twitter.com/zvGSIxqtM7
