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The track and field scene in Delaware over the years has produced multiple Olympians and several others who have represented the United States in international competition.
With the United States nearing its 250th anniversary of gaining independence, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time.
At the root of that are the high school athletes who became familiar names in their schools, communities and the state of Delaware while making headlines with their athletic exploits.
The USA TODAY Network hopes to first spotlight those individuals.
Here in Delaware, we're compiling lists of the best players in several sports. We recently published a collection of the top Delaware football, field hockey, girls and boys basketball, baseball and softball players. Now, it's track and field's turn.
These are our choices for Delaware's 10 best female track and field athletes, considering achievements across all levels of the sport, listed alphabetically:
Bottorff was Delaware's top athlete in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field as a senior at Tatnall in 2008-09.
She anchored Tatnall's winning team in the 2009 Penn Relays high school girls Championship of America distance medley relay and helped lead the Hornets to their first three girls Division II titles in outdoor track and field starting in 2007.
At Duke, Bottorff won the 2011 NCAA championship in the 10,000 and was first team All-American six times across all three seasons. After college, she had six top 10 finishes at USA championship races.
The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Bottorff in 2022.
At Concord, Dendy was a six-time Division I champion and set the state record in the 400. She went on to George Mason where she became a six-time All-American and two-time national champion and set four school records in the sprints.
Dendy went to the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 as part of Team USA's women's 4x400 relay pool. She placed fourth in the 200 at the 1989 world indoor championships and won multiple medals at world championships as part of relay teams. The Delaware Sports Hall of Fame inducted Dendy in 2012.
Hayes graduated from Glasgow in 2006 as the winningest high school outdoor track and field athlete in state history. A four-win day in individual events at the state meet her senior year gave Hayes 14 career state-meet gold medals. She is the 300 hurdles state record holder and held the 100 hurdles state record until this year. Hayes twice won the William A. Thomson award as the state's female outdoor track and field most outstanding athlete.
At Seton Hall, Hayes was a two-time All-American and 400 hurdles school record holder. She won gold at the 2014 Indoor World Championships in the 4x400. The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Hayes in 2022.
Hillman won three Delaware high school state titles in both the shot put and discus while attending St. Thomas More. At the national level, she won Penn Relays, New Balance Nationals and USA Junior Olympics shot put titles.
Hillman finished second in shot put at the 2011 U-18 Junior Pan American Championships and fourth in the 2012 World Junior Championships.
At Iowa State, Hillman was a seven-time All-American, highlighted by her 2014 indoor and outdoor NCAA Division I championships in the shot put. The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Hillman in 2022.
Huber set state records in the 800 and 1,600 at Concord then starred at Villanova, winning one cross country and seven track and field titles between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Huber twice was named the outstanding collegiate woman at the Penn Relays (1987 and 1989). In 1995, she was inducted to the Penn Relays Wall of Fame.
She was a two-time Honda-Broderick Award winner as the NCAA’s top track and field performer. She qualified for two Olympics, placing sixth in the 3,000 at the 1988 games. The Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame inducted Huber in 2022.
At Delcastle, Jones won 13 individual outdoor track and field state titles, a Delaware record. She is the only athlete to win indoor track and field Athlete of the Year four times (she also won the outdoor MVP award twice). She held the girls 200 state record for 15 years.
Jones won nine individual Division III NCAA titles at Lincoln. With Jones, Lincoln won the Division III team title in 1999 and 2000. The Delaware Sports Hall of Fame inducted Jones in 2013.
From 1969-77, Kirchner was an 11-time Delaware Junior Olympic champion in the 55-, 220-, 440- and 880-yard races. She set national junior high school records in the 220 and 440 on the same day in 1974.
At Brandywine, Kirchner was a six-time individual state champion and set state records in the 100- and 220-yard races and the 400 and 800 meters.
She became the first girl to score varsity points as the fifth runner on Brandywine's team at the 1976 boys cross country state championship.
At Tennessee, Kirchner broke numerous records including the school's 880-yard and 800-meter records. The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Kirchner in 2021.
Lampkin graduated from Middletown in 2017 as the Delaware high school state record holder in the girls 100, 200 and 400. She won seven individual Division I state titles and was named the state MVP for the indoor and outdoor seasons in both her junior and senior years.
As a high school senior, Lampkin placed second in the 200 in a high school race at Oregon's prestigious Prefontaine Classic and at New Balance Nationals. The following year, she finished seventh in the 100 at the World U20 Championships in Finland.
At Alabama, Lampkin earned first or second team All-American honors seven times between the indoor and outdoor seasons. She concluded her collegiate career at Central Florida.
Before the University of Delaware even had varsity track and field, Thomson, a Newark High grad, was among the best in the nation.
Thomson won the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women 100 hurdles title in 1976, was on U.S. teams for a meet vs. the Soviet Union and other international events, won the U.S. Pan Am Games trials in the 100 hurdles, placed sixth in the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials and held U.S. and world records in the 60-yard hurdles.
Schilly was state female high School Athlete of the Year after graduating from Concord in 1977 and being first-team All-State in field hockey, basketball and track.
She then played for Delaware’s national power field hockey team before joining the fledgling UD track program and running 800 and 1,500 records that weren’t surpassed until 2014. She was then the 10,000 world runner-up in 1985, ran on the U.S. cross country world championship team in 1985 and 1987, won 1986 and 1987 U.S. and 1987 Pan American Games 3,000-meter gold medals and was U.S. masters marathon champ in 2001.
Who is Delaware's all-time best female track and field athlete?
Kevin Tresolini contributed.
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Who is Delaware's all-time best female track and field athlete? VOTE now
Continue reading...
With the United States nearing its 250th anniversary of gaining independence, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time.
At the root of that are the high school athletes who became familiar names in their schools, communities and the state of Delaware while making headlines with their athletic exploits.
The USA TODAY Network hopes to first spotlight those individuals.
Here in Delaware, we're compiling lists of the best players in several sports. We recently published a collection of the top Delaware football, field hockey, girls and boys basketball, baseball and softball players. Now, it's track and field's turn.
These are our choices for Delaware's 10 best female track and field athletes, considering achievements across all levels of the sport, listed alphabetically:
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Juliet Bottorff
Bottorff was Delaware's top athlete in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field as a senior at Tatnall in 2008-09.
She anchored Tatnall's winning team in the 2009 Penn Relays high school girls Championship of America distance medley relay and helped lead the Hornets to their first three girls Division II titles in outdoor track and field starting in 2007.
At Duke, Bottorff won the 2011 NCAA championship in the 10,000 and was first team All-American six times across all three seasons. After college, she had six top 10 finishes at USA championship races.
The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Bottorff in 2022.
You must be registered for see images attach
Terri Dendy
At Concord, Dendy was a six-time Division I champion and set the state record in the 400. She went on to George Mason where she became a six-time All-American and two-time national champion and set four school records in the sprints.
Dendy went to the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 as part of Team USA's women's 4x400 relay pool. She placed fourth in the 200 at the 1989 world indoor championships and won multiple medals at world championships as part of relay teams. The Delaware Sports Hall of Fame inducted Dendy in 2012.
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Jernail Hayes
Hayes graduated from Glasgow in 2006 as the winningest high school outdoor track and field athlete in state history. A four-win day in individual events at the state meet her senior year gave Hayes 14 career state-meet gold medals. She is the 300 hurdles state record holder and held the 100 hurdles state record until this year. Hayes twice won the William A. Thomson award as the state's female outdoor track and field most outstanding athlete.
At Seton Hall, Hayes was a two-time All-American and 400 hurdles school record holder. She won gold at the 2014 Indoor World Championships in the 4x400. The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Hayes in 2022.
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Christina Hillman
Hillman won three Delaware high school state titles in both the shot put and discus while attending St. Thomas More. At the national level, she won Penn Relays, New Balance Nationals and USA Junior Olympics shot put titles.
Hillman finished second in shot put at the 2011 U-18 Junior Pan American Championships and fourth in the 2012 World Junior Championships.
At Iowa State, Hillman was a seven-time All-American, highlighted by her 2014 indoor and outdoor NCAA Division I championships in the shot put. The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Hillman in 2022.
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Vicki Huber
Huber set state records in the 800 and 1,600 at Concord then starred at Villanova, winning one cross country and seven track and field titles between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Huber twice was named the outstanding collegiate woman at the Penn Relays (1987 and 1989). In 1995, she was inducted to the Penn Relays Wall of Fame.
She was a two-time Honda-Broderick Award winner as the NCAA’s top track and field performer. She qualified for two Olympics, placing sixth in the 3,000 at the 1988 games. The Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame inducted Huber in 2022.
You must be registered for see images attach
Rhondale Jones
At Delcastle, Jones won 13 individual outdoor track and field state titles, a Delaware record. She is the only athlete to win indoor track and field Athlete of the Year four times (she also won the outdoor MVP award twice). She held the girls 200 state record for 15 years.
Jones won nine individual Division III NCAA titles at Lincoln. With Jones, Lincoln won the Division III team title in 1999 and 2000. The Delaware Sports Hall of Fame inducted Jones in 2013.
Cathy Kirchner
From 1969-77, Kirchner was an 11-time Delaware Junior Olympic champion in the 55-, 220-, 440- and 880-yard races. She set national junior high school records in the 220 and 440 on the same day in 1974.
At Brandywine, Kirchner was a six-time individual state champion and set state records in the 100- and 220-yard races and the 400 and 800 meters.
She became the first girl to score varsity points as the fifth runner on Brandywine's team at the 1976 boys cross country state championship.
At Tennessee, Kirchner broke numerous records including the school's 880-yard and 800-meter records. The Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame inducted Kirchner in 2021.
You must be registered for see images attach
Daija Lampkin
Lampkin graduated from Middletown in 2017 as the Delaware high school state record holder in the girls 100, 200 and 400. She won seven individual Division I state titles and was named the state MVP for the indoor and outdoor seasons in both her junior and senior years.
As a high school senior, Lampkin placed second in the 200 in a high school race at Oregon's prestigious Prefontaine Classic and at New Balance Nationals. The following year, she finished seventh in the 100 at the World U20 Championships in Finland.
At Alabama, Lampkin earned first or second team All-American honors seven times between the indoor and outdoor seasons. She concluded her collegiate career at Central Florida.
Carol Thomson
Before the University of Delaware even had varsity track and field, Thomson, a Newark High grad, was among the best in the nation.
Thomson won the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women 100 hurdles title in 1976, was on U.S. teams for a meet vs. the Soviet Union and other international events, won the U.S. Pan Am Games trials in the 100 hurdles, placed sixth in the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials and held U.S. and world records in the 60-yard hurdles.
Mary Schilly
Schilly was state female high School Athlete of the Year after graduating from Concord in 1977 and being first-team All-State in field hockey, basketball and track.
She then played for Delaware’s national power field hockey team before joining the fledgling UD track program and running 800 and 1,500 records that weren’t surpassed until 2014. She was then the 10,000 world runner-up in 1985, ran on the U.S. cross country world championship team in 1985 and 1987, won 1986 and 1987 U.S. and 1987 Pan American Games 3,000-meter gold medals and was U.S. masters marathon champ in 2001.
Who is Delaware's all-time best female track and field athlete?
Kevin Tresolini contributed.
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Who is Delaware's all-time best female track and field athlete? VOTE now
Continue reading...
