Blue Hens year in review: 23 University of Delaware sports highlights from a newsy 2023
The school year might differ from the calendar year. But flipping the calendar after another January-to-December run inspires a look back.
The year 2023 brought plenty of individual and team accomplishments at the University of Delaware, including NCAA tourney qualification by three teams. There was the usual array of standout performances, breakthroughs, surprises and disappointments that make following college sports so appealing.
But the biggest Blue Hen news of all didn't take place on a court or field, as this review listing 23 highlights from 2023 reveals:
News of the year
Many Delaware fans have long clamored for a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision. They got their wish when Delaware announced Nov. 28 it would go to Conference USA in 2025, though many others certainly lamented the fact Delaware will no longer be a national title contender in the Football Championship Subdivision. UD officials decided that, while an expensive move, the potential financial benefits made it a smart future investment especially with the Coastal Athletic Association having become a less appealing and far less lucrative home.
Team of the year (men)
Led by All-Americans Owen Grant and Tye Kurtz, Delaware won its second straight CAA men’s lacrosse title and had top-seeded Duke on the ropes before falling 12-11 in the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Team of the year (women)
Delaware upset top-seeded Towson on the Tigers’ home court behind tourney MVP Lani Mason to win the CAA Volleyball Tournament and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time but first since 2011.
Athlete of the year (men)
Owen Grant, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound lacrosse long-stick defender from Canada became the first player in UD history to force 100 career turnovers, was CAA Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight year and an Inside Lacrosse first-team All-American.
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Athlete of the year (women)
Three-time CAA champion Megan Albamonti placed ninth in the javelin throw at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a 54.46-meter heave.
Game of the year (home)
As a tropical storm laced Delaware Stadium with rain and heavy wind, the Blue Hens fell behind 18-0 against New Hampshire before rallying for a 29-25 football win in a battle of Top 25 FCS teams that keyed a 9-4 season – Delaware’s winningest in 13 years – and return to the NCAA playoffs.
Game of the year (road)
Delaware beats a Big East team in men's basketball for the first time, winning at 87-80 on Dec. 5 at Xavier.
Coach of the year (men)
Tommy McMenemy took over the Delaware men’s soccer program in 2022 and the Blue Hens won four games that fall. Apparently, he just needed a little more time. Delaware finished fourth in the CAA in 2023, highlighted by a 2-1 home win over then-18th-ranked and eventual CAA champ Hofstra, while going 9-4-6 and reaching the CAA semifinals.
Coach of the year (women)
Jen Steele guided the Blue Hens to their second straight CAA regular-season title in softball.
Development of the year
The creation of the Blue Hen Collective to enable Name/Image/Likeness opportunities for UD athletes and coordinate with potential sponsors has allowed Delaware to outperform many of its peers in a very critical part of modern-day college sports.
Disappointment of the year
Losing to Villanova, again, in football.
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Freshman of the year (men)
Soccer midfielder Richard Monath was CAA Rookie of the Year after his four goals and six assists helped key Delaware’s success. Honorable mention to teammate T.J. Hastings, the central defender out of Appoquinimink who was also a CAA All-Rookie pick and has a bright future.
Freshman of the year (women)
Katie Scheivert started all 49 games for Delaware’s softball team in left field and batted .313 with four CAA Rookie of the Week wins. Honorable mention to Tatnall grad Rachael Whitehead, who had two goals and three assists as a field hockey starter.
Was-it-worth-it? of the year
Delaware received just $400,000 and a 63-7 shellacking for its Sept. 9 football trip to Penn State, But it was still an unforgettable day as the Blue Hens played in one of college football's hallowed environments in front of 108,575, the largest crowd to ever see any UD team play. One of the added benefits of the move up to FBS is that, when Delaware pays visits to such Power Four schools, it will likely earn about $1 million, another reason why FBS is a more rewarding venture economically.
Duo of the year
The doubles team of Adel-Byanu Abidullina and Eliza Askarova became the first UD women’s tennis players to qualify for the NCAA Tournament
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Comeback of the year
Carlos Fernandez scored 87th- and 89th-minute goals to give Delaware a 3-2 soccer win over William & Mary Sept. 9 at Stuart Stadium that helped launch the Hens in a breakthrough season.
Ripoff of the year
Joey Loynd led the CAA in batting (.392), hits (98), doubles (27), total bases (173) and RBI (80) while also smacking 14 home runs and somehow was not voted CAA Player of the Year by league coaches.
Sweep of the year
The Delaware baseball team, under first-year coach Greg Mamula, won 10-2, 18-2 and 4-3 over vaunted Charleston March 31-April 2 at Hannah Stadium.
Splash of the year
Mira Selling, from Germany, was named Outstanding Swimmer at the 2023 CAA Championships in which she won the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley and also sparked Delaware to 400 and 800 freestyle relay wins. She set school records in the 100 and 200 freestyles, 200 IM and 400 IM as well as in four relays.
Rebuild of the year
The transfer portal rules nowadays and no other sport is affected more than basketball due to its small roster sizes. Delaware men's basketball coach Martin Ingelsby addressed several key needs in a hurry by adding six transfers, with the improvements already apparent, and women's counterpart Sarah Jenkins did the same.
Surprise of the year
After winning nine of the last 10 CAA titles whole also capturing the 2016 NCAA title, Delaware didn’t even make the league tournament in field hockey.
Quirk of the year
That Delaware will add women's ice hockey, a sport with 44 NCAA Division I teams and no high school teams in the state, as a varsity sport in 2025 to maintain Title IX gender-equity standards after the move to Conference USA. When the NHL's Flyers are providing financial support and the school has two ice arenas, it was the logical choice.
Painful truth of the year
That because of Title IX, men's track and field, a sport that Delaware dropped in 2011 but has some of the largest participation statewide at the high school level, remains an outcast.
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Blue Hens year in review reveals Delaware sports 2023 highlights
