Wendy McFarlane-Smith, a former standout sprinter at the University of Tulsa and assistant coach at both the University of Delaware and Frostburg State, was named the head coach of the Blue Hen women's indoor and outdoor track and field teams August 19, 2008. She completed her 13th season at the helm of the Blue Hens in 2020-21.

In addition to her duties as track & field head coach, McFarlane-Smith was named the women's cross country head coach in August, 2012, taking over for longtime head coach Jim Fischer who retired. She is just the fourth women's cross country coach in UD history and began her sixth season in 2017.

McFarlane-Smith, who served two different stints as an assistant on the UD staff working with the sprinters and hurdlers, became just the third head coach in Delaware women's track and field history. She also is the first female African-American to serve as head coach of a Blue Hen athletics team.

She has enjoyed great success during her tenure, leading the Blue Hens to the 2014 Colonial Athletic Association Outdoor Track & Field team title while earning league Coach of the Year honors. During her nine seasons, her teams have finished in the top four at the league meet five times, including a runner-up finish in 2013.

Her student-athletes have earned two CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, had 12 NCAA East Regional qualifiers (outdoors), 75 All-East performers (31 indoors and 44 outdoors), 19 CAA meet champions (outdoors), three ECAC Eastern champions (indoors), five CAA meet Outstanding Performers (outdoors), and one CAA Rookie of the Year (outdoors.

During her first season at the helm, UD student-athletes recorded 11 school records, including seven during the outdoor season, and pole vaulter Kelli McDonald advanced to the NCAA Outdoor East Regionals where she placed seventh, just missing a berth in the NCAA Championships.

McFarlane-Smith's second year was even more successful as Blue Hen athletes shattered 21 school records, 11 indoors and 10 outdoors. Jillian Seamon captured the CAA javelin title and advanced to the NCAA East Regionals along with sprinters Cristine Marquez and Vicky Caruso. Delaware's 20th place finish at the ECAC Outdoor Championships was the team's best since 1992.

During the 2010-11 season, her indoor squad tied or broke nine school records while the Blue Hen women's outdoor track & field team placed fifth at the Colonial Athletic Association championships as Seamon won her second conference javelin title and Caruso captured the 400 meters and teamed with Kayla Hennessy, Kristi Cox, and Nijah Dupiche to claim the 4 x 400 meter crown. The outdoor squad set 12 new school standards.

The 2011-12 season was also a successful one as the Blue Hens placed fifth at the CAA outdoor championships as Caruso captured the 200 meters and LaToya James placed second in the 100 meter hurdles and advanced to the NCAA East Regionals. Indoors, the Hen had four student-ahletes earn All-East honors. The Blue Hens set seven outdoor and 12 indoor school records.

McFarlane-Smith led her three squads to outstanding success during the 2012-13 campaign as her first cross country squad placed third at the CAA Championships, matching the team's best finish at the league meet since 2001. Indoors, the Hens went 4-1 in dual action and enjoyed an all-time best 14th place team finish at the ECAC meet led by runner-up finishes by Lindsay Prettyman in the 1,000 meters and Latoya James in the 60 meter hurdles.

Outdoors, the Hens finished as runner-up at the CAA Championships, the team's best showing in a league meet since winning the East Coast Conference title all the way back in 1991. Senior sprinter Vicki Caruso was named the CAA meet Outstanding Track Peformer while sophomore Amira Idris shared the Outstanding Field Performer Award. Delaware captured four titles at the meet led by Caruso in the 200 meters, Idris in the triple jump, James in the 100 meter hurdles, and the 4 x 400 meter relay team.

The Hens put it all together in 2014 when Delaware captured the CAA team title, winning its first outdoor league crown since 1991. Delaware captured six individual titles as Academic All-American Lindsay Prettyman won the 800 and 1,500 meters and was named the CAA Meet Outstanding Track Performer, Amira Idris won the long jump, Latoya James won the 100 meter hurdles, Alana Pantale claimed the discus title, and Paige Morris earned first place in the triple jump.

McFarlane-Smith previously served stints as an assistant coach at Delaware during the 2002-03 and 2007-08 seasons and also served in that capacity at Frostburg (Md.) State University,

A native of St. Mary, Jamaica, McFarlane attended G.C. Foster College in Jamaica for two years and received a diploma in teaching physical education. She competed for the track and field team and was a two-time team Most Valuable Player and also competed in volleyball and field hockey.

She moved on to the University of Tulsa where she was a two-year letterwinner in track and field, set school records in several relay events, and was a provisional qualifier to the NCAA Championships in the 400 meters and 4 x 400 meter relay.

She was a Dean's List student and earned Western Athletic Conference All-Academic honors. She earned her degree in exercise sports science from Tulsa in 2001 and her master's degree in science in human performance from Frostburg (Md.) State University in 2005.

She earned her Master's in Business Administration from Delaware in May of 2018 and is now in her third of service with the NCAA Championships Committee.

A USA Track and Field Level I and II certified coach, she began her coaching career at Delaware as a volunteer in 2002-03 and moved on to Frostburg State where she served as an assistant for both the men's and women's programs for two seasons.

She worked with the Delaware sprinters during the 2007-08 season and enjoyed outstanding success as an assistant to both Fischer and Sue McGrath-Powell. She played a big part in helping UD athletes set school records in the indoor 55 meter hurdles, 60 meter hurdles, 400 meters, 500 meters, and 4 x 400 meter relay.

During the outdoor season, Blue Hen athletes set school records in the 100 and 400 meter hurdles, the 400 meter dash, and the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, and 4 x 400 meter relays.

She previously worked full-time as an exercise physiologist with Delaware Back Pain and Sports Rehabilitation in Newark, Del. and also served as head track coach for McGlobal Elite Development Track Club

McFarlane-Smith has a daughter, Jayda.

Year	Cross Country	Indoor Track & Field	Outdoor Track & Field
2008-09	-	16th, ECAC	6th, CAA / 38th, ECAC
2009-10	-	22nd, ECAC	7th, CAA / 20th, ECAC
2010-11	-	36th, ECAC	5th, CAA / 28th, ECAC
2011-12	-	20th, ECAC	5th, CAA / 27th, ECAC
2012-13	0-0 / 3rd. CAA	14th, ECAC	2nd, CAA / 25th, ECAC
2013-14	4-1 / 3rd CAA	16th, ECAC	1st, CAA / 30th, ECAC
2014-15	2-1 / 5th CAA	8th, ECAC	4th, CAA / 31st, ECAC
2015-16	0-0 / 5th CAA	15th, ECAC	6th, CAA / 11th, ECAC
2016-17	0-0 / 6th, CAA	18th, ECAC	4th, CAA / 6th, ECAC
2017-18	0-0 / 4th, CAA	-
Totals	6-2 (.750) / Avg. Finish: 4th	Avg. Finish: 18th	Avg. Finish: 4th / 24th

Name	Title	Phone	Email Address
Wendy McFarlane	Head Coach	302-831-8738	wendym@udel.edu
Ryan Waite	Assistant Coach	302-831-3864	rwaite@udel.edu
Zach Haupt	Assistant Coach	302-831-3886	zhaupt@udel.edu
Larry Pratt	Volunteer Coach	302-831-8738	discoach@aol.com
Marlene McIlhenny	Volunteer Coach	302-831-8738	93168@udel.edu
Chris Watson	Volunteer Coach	302-831-8738

University of Delaware Athletics

2019-20 Track & Field Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff