2025-26 Delaware Athletics & Campus Recreation Year in Review
7/9/2026
Fightin’ Blue Hens,
It’s time to turn the page on the 2025-26 academic year, and I am grateful for all that each of you do to join us as we elevate UD. Our department celebrated some incredible successes this past year, and we continue to develop champions in the classroom, in competition, and in our community. I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff for coming together to fight for Delaware as we successfully made our transition to FBS football, Conference USA, and our affiliate leagues.
Academically, our Fightin’ Blue Hens continued their tradition of excellence. Our student-athletes achieved their 25th-straight semester with an average grade point average (GPA) above 3.000. They tallied the department’s highest semester GPA ever during the spring 2026 term with an astounding 3.405. For the duration of the year, there were 513 Dean’s List selections and 134 perfect 4.0 semesters.
In competition, we celebrated many wins that brought national visibility to the University of Delaware. In the fall, our men’s tennis doubles team became the first-ever Blue Hens to qualify for NCAA’s, while our field hockey program took home the inaugural MPSF championship. Our football program advanced to and won its first-ever FBS bowl game - becoming the 68 Ventures Bowl champions - as just the second first-year FBS team to ever win a bowl game. The men’s soccer program led the country in scoring offense and points per game, while breaking 16 program records. During the winter, women’s swimming & diving captured the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, and both the men’s and women’s programs had NCAA qualifiers. This spring, our women’s lacrosse program won the Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship. Overall we captured three team conference titles and crowned 15 individual conference champions. The depth of talent on our teams was showcased with 164 All-Conference selections across our 22 teams.
In addition to their academic and athletic success, our Blue Hens made a difference in our community. They continued traditions such as the annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day clinics, Reps for Kids event to raise money for the B+ Foundation, and we held our fourth-annual 302 Tour, while also creating new traditions with the inaugural UD Day of Service, which engaged over 100 student-athletes and staff at eight different service projects. These opportunities allowed the department to strengthen partnerships with important causes and gave our student-athletes, coaches, and staff the chance to interact with the people who make our state so special.
We saw record numbers of TV viewership, packed stadiums, our highest student attendance in years across several of our programs and we have adapted to the changing landscape of college athletics with strong retention and an innovative NIL strategy to support our student-athletes.
As we head into next year, I am excited for what lies ahead and am confident that the best is yet to come. We can be both proud of our last year and hungry for far greater success. We will be launching a new series of monthly communications that will share current happenings in the department and a brand new podcast later this summer with student-athlete, coach and alumni guest appearances. Stay tuned for more details to follow and thanks for your continued support of our Fightin’ Blue Hens!
Go Hens,
Jordan Skolnick
Director of Athletics & Campus Recreation
THRIVING IN THE CLASSROOM
The 2025-26 school year proved to be one of the best for the Fightin’ Blue Hens. The department posted its best semester GPA ever during the spring with a 3.405. The term GPA puts the 2025-26 department-wide mark at 3.365 which solidifies the 12th-consecutive year and 25th-straight semester above a 3.000 for the Hens. Overall, 21 programs posted at least a 3.000 GPA this spring and for the 2025-26 academic year, along with the spirit program. Women's golf (3.835) and men's golf (3.712) led their respective genders with the top marks for the 2025-26 year as the women posted a department-high 3.820 and the men a 3.668.
For the duration of the year, there were 513 Dean’s List selections and 134 perfect 4.0 semesters. These grades helped Delaware lead Conference USA with 430 student-athletes on the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and second most in the league with 126 on the Commissioner’s Academic Medal List.
Football’s Nate Reed, men’s swimming & diving’s Matvei Namakonov, and women’s lacrosse’s Morgan Gore earned the nation’s highest academic honor being named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America, with Reed and Gore on the second team and Namakonov on the third. The organization also recognized 60 Blue Hens as Academic All-District honorees. In total, 65 UD student-athletes landed on a conference all-academic team.
In conjunction with the University of Delaware Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, the Athletic Department helped launch the Sport Performance Analytics major. Several UD students enrolled in the major, which included multiple courses taught by athletics staff members. There were over 100 applications in the inaugural class and the first program alum walked across the stage this past May.
Delaware Athletics & Campus Recreation (DACR) also played an integral role in the educational and professional landscape for several UD students. DACR welcomed 32 full-time capstone interns over the course of the year who completed a full-time work week within the department as part of their academic courseload. An additional 374 UD students also worked in a student worker capacity to help DACR complete its mission through the year.
ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
Seven Fightin’ Blue Hens made an appearance on the national stage with a bid to the NCAA Tournament:
• Tobey Lock & Euan Mackenzie - Men’s Tennis Doubles
• Matvei Namakonov - Men’s Swimming & Diving
• Kade Snyder - Men’s Swimming & Diving
• Victoria Novinskiy - Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Olamide Ayeni - Track & Field
• Nubia Evans-Shields - Track & Field
Delaware football made its presence felt by becoming the second first-year FBS team ever to win a bowl game with the 20-13 defeat of Louisiana in the 68 Ventures Bowl. The team played on national tv six times with over seven million viewers combined.
A pair of Fightin’ Blue Hens garnered athletic All-American status with men’s swimming & diving’s Matvei Namakonov becoming the program’s first-ever NCAA First Team All-American. Football’s KT Seay also earned national recognition as a Hero Sports Group of 5 Third Team All-American.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS AND AWARD WINNERS
A trio of Blue Hen programs claimed conference championships over the 2025-26 year. Field hockey took the inaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship with a 2-1 victory over UC Davis in California.
Women’s swimming & diving made a splash in its first season in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) as it claimed a conference title for the first time since taking the 1997 America East crown.
Women’s lacrosse also made its name known in its first season of ASUN competition with an undefeated regular season to claim the ASUN Regular Season Championship and top overall seed in the league tournament.
Fifteen individual conference titles were also won by Fightin’ Blue Hens in 2025-26.
• Kade Snyder - Men’s Swimming & Diving (100-fly)
• Kade Snyder - Men’s Swimming & Diving (100-back)
• Matvei Namakonov - Men’s Swimming & Diving (100-breast)
• Cody Lonsberry - Men’s Swimming & Diving (1650-free)
• Alex Pastris - Women’s Swimming & Diving (1-meter dive)
• Victoria Novinskiy - Women’s Swimming & Diving (100-fly)
• Victoria Novinskiy - Women’s Swimming & Diving (200-fly)
• Angelica Ragazzoni - Women’s Swimming & Diving (200-free)
• Angelica Ragazzoni - Women’s Swimming & Diving (200-back)
• Angelica Ragazzoni, Bri Cottingham, Victoria Novinskiy, Judy Liu - Women’s Swimming & Diving (400-medley relay)
• Piper Price - Women’s Swimming & Diving (400-IM)
• Bri Cottingham - Women’s Swimming & Diving (100-breast)
• Lauren Hartel - Women’s Swimming & Diving (1650-free)
• Olamide Ayeni - Track & Field (discus)
• Lauren Leath - Track & Field (400 hurdles)
Ten Fightin’ Blue Hens claimed major conference awards this past year with 11 overall selections.
• Iris Bekker - MPSF Defensive Player of the Year (FH)
• Rich Monath - Summit League Midfielder of the Year (MSOC)
• Kaitlin Finnegan - AHA Individual Sportsmanship Award (IH)
• Christian Bliss - CUSA Freshman of the Year (MBB)
• Ella Rishko - ASUN Offensive Player of the Year (WLAX)
• Morgan Gore - ASUN Midfielder of the Year & Scholar Athlete of the Year (WLAX)
• Kennedy Radziul - ASUN Defensive Player of the Year (WLAX)
• Amelia Gorman - CUSA Newcomer of the Year (WTEN)
• Pablo Marmolejo - ASUN Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year
• Amy Altig - ASUN Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year
Another 164 Hens added end of year conference laurels by earning All-Conference selections.
SPORT HIGHLIGHTS
It was a busy year in Newark seeing several programs post impressive campaigns.
Men’s soccer’s 100th season in program history and first in The Summit League was record breaking. The Fightin’ Blue Hens broke 16 total program records including the best start in program history (9-0-1), while leading the NCAA in scoring offense (2.82 goals per game) and points per game (8.53), and being second in the nation in goal differential (+37). UD also led The Summit League in 17 team categories and 15 individual categories and were ranked #24 in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 25 Weekly Poll (Oct. 6). Delaware’s remarkable season ended with Rich Monath being named the 2025 Summit League Midfielder of The Year and seven all-conference honorees.
Their counterparts on the women’s side also adjusted well to a new league, posting their best start to a season in program history at 6-0-2. The Hens made the CUSA Tournament in the first season in the league and posted an impressive 10-2-6 record to mark the first 10+ win campaign since 2019.
Field hockey captured its 17th conference title, and second straight in 2025 in its first year under head coach Tara Zollinger. This was the program’s first season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). Six were named to the league’s all-conference team, with Iris Bekker earning MPSF Defensive Player of the Year. After the clinch of the conference championship, Sarah Rigual was named to the USA U-21 Women’s National Team.
Cross country placed fourth at the CUSA Championship and saw Marie-Theres Gruber finish second overall to earn First Team All-CUSA laurels.
Football had a successful transition to the FBS and won the 68 Ventures Bowl in Delaware's first-FBS season to become just the second first-year FBS program to win a bowl game. The Hens’ first season at the FBS level saw incredible offensive success, finishing first in Conference USA in passing offense and seventh in the country (292.5), first in total offense (411.6), and second in scoring offense (29.0). The season was also highlighted by a pair of exciting finishes at Delaware Stadium against UConn and LA Tech that were featured as the lead game on ESPN’s CFB Final.
In 2025-26, women’s swimming & diving won its sixth conference championship in program history and first since the 1997 America East Championship. Victoria Novinskiy became the first female swimmer in program history to qualify and compete at the NCAA Championships, and first overall since 2002. The New Hampshire native qualified in the 100-fly and 200-fly at the event. Head coach Pablo Marmolejo was awarded ASUN Women's Swimming Coach of the Year and senior Angelica Ragazzoni received the Most Outstanding Women's Swimmer of the Meet at the ASUN Championships after six total podium finishes. The women’s squad won 21 medals at the ASUN Championships, including nine gold medals. The team won its 19th-straight home dual meet, marking its fifth-straight season undefeated at Rawstrom Natatorium.
In men’s swimming & diving’s first season in the Atlantic Sun, it achieved a third-place finish in the conference championships and sent two swimmers to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history. Matvei Namakonov capped off a historic career for the Fightin’ Blue Hens, becoming the first athletic All-American in program history, placing seventh in the 100-breast at 50.49 at the NCAA Championships, the 18th-fastest time in the 100-yard breast in history. Namakonov also received his second-consecutive CSC Academic All-America Third Team nod. Kade Snyder became the first underclassman to qualify and compete in the NCAA Championships as a sophomore, where he raced in the 100-back. At the ASUN Championships, the team received 17 medals, including Namakonov and Snyder’s NCAA qualifying wins. Snyder also won the 100-fly, while freshman Cody Lonsberry won the 1650-free to both win individual conference titles.
The ice hockey program launched its inaugural season in 2025-26, becoming the 45th division I women’s ice hockey program. Freshman Francesca Barresi, the program’s first committed recruit, scored Delaware’s first-ever goal in the third period of the season-opener against LIU. The Fightin’ Blue Hens picked up their first win on October 5, 2025 with a 2-1 victory over Holy Cross behind goals by Katelynn Charlton and Meera Smith and 49 saves from Charlotte Payne. Graduate student and team captain Kaitlin Finnegan was the recipient of the AHA Individual Sportsmanship Award.
The women’s basketball showed tremendous fight in its inaugural season in Conference USA. The Fightin’ Blue Hens clinched a spot in the 2026 Air National Guard CUSA Basketball Championship, securing the No. 8 seed, and earned a first round victory over No. 9 Kennesaw State.
The spirit program had an impressive Division I-A debut at the 2026 Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and Universal Dance Association (UDA) Nationals with a trio of top-six finishes in the program's first season at the DIA level. With the university's move to Conference USA and the FBS level, it also propelled the spirit program to the highest level of competition. Cheer small coed gameday placed fifth, all-girl cheer took fifth, and dance’s hip hop claimed sixth. Cheer's partner stunt group of Tamara Harmon, Jordan Herbert, Rylee Rhinehart, and Demi Schlotter placed third – marking the second-consecutive year a UD partner stunt team placed third in the category.
Women’s golf had a successful first season as a member of Conference USA, finishing runner-up at the CUSA Championship in April. The Fightin’ Blue Hens had seven top-five finishes in their 11 tournaments, including winning two team titles for the second-straight season. Delaware defended its crown at its home tournament, winning the Lady Blue Hen Invitational to close out the fall before winning The Nashville Invitational in March. Mary Grace Dunigan and Rhianna Gooneratne claimed All-CUSA Third Team honors, while Kate Roberts was named to the CUSA Women’s Golf All-Academic First Team and Dunigan was selected to the second team.
Men’s golf battled hard in its first season in Conference USA. The Fightin’ Blue Hens won the inaugural Blue Hen Intercollegiate in September by 29 strokes with junior Arsit Areephun claiming medalist honors for his first individual title and Delaware’s first individual win in five years. Areephun earned All-CUSA Second Team honors.
Women’s lacrosse had a historic season in its first season in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Fightin’ Blue Hens finished 13-5, winning the most games since 1999, and went undefeated in ASUN play to win its first conference regular season title since 1999. The squad had a program-record 12-game winning streak, and the defense held its opponents to single digits 11 times. The Blue Hens set a team record with 262 draw controls on the season and Ella Rishko set the individual single-season record with 99 draw controls. Delaware took home a lot of hardware at the end of the regular season as Rishko was named the ASUN Offensive Player of the Year, Morgan Gore was the ASUN Midfielder of the Year, Kennedy Radziul was the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and Amy Altig was the ASUN Coach of the Year. Gore was also named the ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Rishko and Radziul both earned all-region selections.
Men’s tennis made its mark during its first year in Conference USA, finishing its eighth full season in a row winning at least 14 matches and having the first doubles team in program history reach the NCAA Tournament. The Fightin’ Blue Hens went 8-0 at home, the squad’s second undefeated home slate in a row, en route to a 14-10 record and a win in the CUSA Tournament over Kennesaw State under Interim Head Coach Nathan Perrone. Euan Mackenzie and Tobey Lock won six-straight matches at the ITA Northeast Regional, sweeping the competition to qualify for the NCAA Doubles Tournament. They received a ranking of No. 35 in the country from the ITA after their close battle against TCU in the tournament. Federico Garbero and Itamar Tapiro also became nationally ranked at No. 62 after a 7-0 fall season. In the spring, the team got out to a 9-1 record in its first 10 contests. The Blue Hens battled against No. 4 Kennesaw State in the first round of the CUSA Tournament as the No. 5 seed, winning 4-2 for their first Conference USA win in program history. After the season, Tobey Lock earned CUSA First Team Singles and First Team Doubles, the latter coming with Euan Mackenzie, while Luke Tollenaar was named second team singles.
Women’s tennis reached the finals of the conference tournament for the second time in three years during a historic season for the program as it entered Conference USA. The team played to a 21-5 record under Pablo Montana, tying the most wins in a season in program history. During the fall, the team found strong singles success, going 55-20, with Hanna Vinahradava leading the way with 10 wins, becoming the first student-athlete since 2016 to win 10-or-more matches during the tournament season. Maryia Hrynashka and Paulina Jurkowska were selected to represent CUSA at the ITA Conference Masters tournament where they picked up a win against Sacramento State. In the spring, the team won 12 of its first 15 matches, including the highest ranked win in program history over No. 45 Penn. After that win, the team tied its highest national ranking in team history, being ranked at No. 62 for two weeks. The Hens entered the Conference USA Tournament as the No. 4 seed, defeating Jax State and No. 1 (No. 70) LA Tech to reach the finals. This was the first season in program history with multiple wins over ITA nationally-ranked opponents and the team’s 151 singles wins were a program record. Over the final 21 matches of the season the Fightin’ Blue Hens went 18-3, including both an eight-match and nine-match win streak. Hrynashka became the second-most winningest player in program history with 175 total wins. Amelia Gorman won CUSA Newcomer of the Year, as well as first team singles. Hrynashka and Navya Vadlamudi also earned first team singles, while Paulina Jurkowska and Hanna Vinahradava were named second team singles. Hrynashka and Jurkowska were elected to first team doubles, while Gorman and Vadlamudi received a second-team plaudit. The Blue & Gold's five all-conference singles student-athletes lead the league and are the most in program history in a single season.
Rowing captured its highest finish in a sponsored conference championship in program history with a runner-up finish in its first year as a member of the MAC. At the championships, Amari Randall, Meaghan Leahy, and Ava Tine earned First Team All-MAC, while Kat Higgins was named Second-Team All-MAC Coxswain. In the Fightin’ Blue Hens meet against Cornell, the 1V4 became the first MAC crew of the 2026 season to defeat an Ivy League NCAA open weight crew.
Softball finished in fourth place in the league standings and earned a bye in the conference tournament by going 17-10 and 31-24 overall. UD has recorded 30 wins in three-consecutive seasons for the first time in program history and had a 10-game win streak during the season for the fourth time in three seasons. In the postseason awards, Delaware led CUSA in honorees with five all-conference selections and three all-rookie selections. The five all-conference picks were second most. Sydney Shaffer and Josie Crossman were also all-region selections. Maddie Diamond set the freshman program record for home runs in a season with 17, and Allie Nankivell set the freshman record for runs scored (39), average (.400), and on-base percentage (.476). On Feb. 20, Delaware defeated Maryland, 5-2, and Ohio State, 2-0, the second time in program history Delaware has won multiple games against a Big Ten opponent in the same season and the third time it has recorded multiple wins over a power conference opponent in one season.
The track & field program had 39 new top 10 all-time marks, including three program records during the indoor season. At the indoor & outdoor Conference USA Championships, the program had five podium finishes, two of which were first-place finishes by throws athlete Olamide Ayeni in the discus throw and sprints athlete Lauren Leath 400-meter hurdles. Ayeni and Nubia Evans-Shields went on to represent the Fightin' Blue Hens at the NCAA East First Round in the discus throw.
COMMUNITY SUCCESS
The Fightin’ Blue Hens were stewards for the Newark community with student-athletes participating in over 2,000 hours of community service across 20 different organizations and 38 different events.
DACR hosted its first-annual Day of Service this past June. Over 100 student-athletes, coaches, and staff participated in eight different community service projects throughout New Castle County.
The department hosted the 2026 Conference USA Softball Tournament, which brought seven additional teams and their fans to Newark for the four-day event. The tournament’s championship game was broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network, bringing increased national visibility to Newark and the University of Delaware.
UD also hosted the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Quarterfinals, which saw four teams come to Newark and play in front of 6,807 fans inside Delaware Stadium. Both of those games were broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
This fall, the Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championship will be coming to Newark, along with the CUSA Outdoor Track & Field Championship in spring of 2027.
With a continued focus on the 302 and our statewide strategy, the Hens participated in a number of events centered around unifying and giving back to the state. UD held its fourth-annual 302 Tour in June, seeing several student-athletes, coaches, and staff spend three days participating in service, education, and fun around the 302. A number of athletic teams have also held clinics and competitions up and down the Delaware coast to further give back and promote the broader collective.
CAMPUS RECREATION
Delaware Athletics & Campus Recreation continued to enhance opportunities for recreation, wellness, and community engagement across campus while expanding the impact of both Campus Recreation and the Fred Rust Ice Arena.
Campus Recreation introduced wheelchair basketball programming, creating new opportunities for adaptive recreation, reinforcing the department's commitment to providing inclusive experiences for all participants. The department also hosted the Mid-Atlantic Region Basketball Officials Clinic, welcoming basketball officials and industry professionals from 17 different colleges and universities for a weekend of education, training, and professional development. The clinic further highlighted the continued growth of UD's intramural officials development program, which provides students with leadership, communication, and professional development opportunities while preparing many to officiate at the regional and national levels.
At the Fred Rust Ice Arena, eight local schools participated in the STEM Field Trip Program, providing more than 750 students with an engaging educational experience that combined science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with the sport of ice skating. The arena also successfully launched the inaugural season of Delaware's varsity women's ice hockey program, marking a historic milestone for the University. Community programming continued to thrive as both Winter I and Winter II Learn to Skate sessions sold out, serving more than 450 participants and demonstrating continued demand for youth and family programming.
BRAND DEVELOPMENT AND VISIBILITY
This past year gave the Fightin’ Blue Hens a number of opportunities to develop the University of Delaware brand and garner national attention.
The Dynasty Challenge became a breakout fan engagement campaign, sparking a viral social media launch that generated more than five million impressions and 150,000 fan engagements. The campaign earned national recognition through coverage by Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, and Front Office Sports, while attracting submissions from 45 states and four countries. The initiative culminated with Peter Westlund of Iowa being recognized as the challenge winner during Delaware football's final home game of the season, further reinforcing the program's ability to connect with fans on a national scale.
Delaware football also established a strong national presence through the release of EA College Football 2026, emerging as the most-played Conference USA team in the game. The Blue Hens were featured in 5.2 million games, ranking 53rd among all 136 FBS programs and outperforming 17 Power Four institutions, demonstrating the program's growing brand recognition and popularity among college football fans nationwide.
The athletic department expanded its brand identity through the launch of the Midnight Collection, introducing the first-ever exclusive all-black helmet and uniform combination for Delaware football. Supported by a collaboration with the Barnes & Noble UD Bookstore, the retail campaign created excitement around the new look while providing fans with exclusive merchandise that strengthened the program's visual identity and generated additional engagement.
Delaware Athletics significantly increased its national exposure throughout the year, with seven nationally televised football games and three nationally televised men's basketball games. Three football contests ranked among ESPN's Top 100 college football games of the year, contributing to a combined audience of more than seven million viewers across the nationally televised slate.
The department also achieved record-setting success in licensing and merchandise, finishing as a Top 100 institution in the Collegiate Licensing Company rankings and placing Top 40 nationally in NIL merchandise royalties. These accomplishments contributed to the most successful year in program history for CLC-generated royalties, reflecting the continued growth and strength of the Delaware Athletics brand.
NIL OPPORTUNITY GROWTH & EDUCATION
Delaware Athletics continued to expand meaningful Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities by growing its portfolio of local and national business partnerships that connected Blue Hen student-athletes with third-party endorsement deals. Partnerships with organizations such as Athlete's Thread, Starboard, Delaware State Parks, Chick-fil-A, TGI Fridays, Helen's Sausage House, and many others provided student-athletes with valuable branding and compensation opportunities while strengthening connections between Delaware Athletics and the business community.
These efforts created NIL opportunities for student-athletes across all 22 varsity sports as well as the spirit program, ensuring broad access to brand partnerships and professional development experiences. By expanding opportunities across every program, Delaware Athletics demonstrated its commitment to supporting the success of all student-athletes in the evolving NIL landscape.
A key driver of this success was the expanded NIL merchandise partnership with Athlete's Thread, which featured year-round strategic promotion of officially licensed student-athlete merchandise. The enhanced collaboration resulted in Delaware finishing among the Top 25 schools in annual merchandise sales across Athlete's Thread's network of more than 400 licensed partners, underscoring the strength of the Blue Hen brand and the marketability of its student-athletes.
The department also hosted several education sessions for student-athletes around personal brand development, filing taxes, and NIL agents. One of these sessions, the NIL Summit, brought local businesses to campus to engage with over 100 student-athletes.
