RALEIGH, NC -- University of Delaware senior Sam MacKenzie led all Blue Hen finishers with a third place finish in the men’s 1,500 meters and senior Casey Bennett paced the UD women with a fifth place finish in the pole vault to highlight performances at the season-opening Raleigh Outdoor Track and Field Relays Friday and Saturday at North Carolina State’s Paul Derr Stadium.

MacKenzie (Newark, DE/Groton Central, NY HS), a graduate student and first-year transfer from Cornell, led all Blue Hen competitors at the two-day meet as he finished third overall in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:50.77, the second best time in school history.

Bennett (Shelton, CT/Shelton HS), last year’s Colonial Athletic Association pole vault champion, picked up where she left off last year as she placed fifth in the event with a leap of 11-3 3/4.

The Delaware men posted eight top 20 finishes as Brad Dodson was sixth in the 1,500 meters (3:52.72), Will Jurkowski was sixth in the 800 meters (1:53.73), Kyle Schmid was sixth in the 5,000 meters (15:05.52), Jared Wasser was 14th in the shot put (47-9 3/4) and also placed 25th in the hammer throw (133-8), the 4 x 200 meter relay was 14th (1:33.03), the sprint medley relay placed 19th (3:40.53), and the 4 x 100 meter relay was 20th (43.53).

On the women’s side, the Blue Hens registered eight top 20 finishes as Rachel Young was 13th in the shot put (42-8) and also 30th in the hammer (128-7), Alexi Capsouras was 14th in the 400 meter hurdles (1:04.62) and also 36th in the 110 meter hurdles (15.45), the 4 x 800 meter relay (9:52.12), sprint medley relay (4:20.63), and 4 x 100 meter relay (49.24) all placed 15th, the 4 x 1,500 meter relay placed 16th (20:51.97), and the 4 x 200 meter relay was 17th (1:45.13).

AGATE:

Raleigh Relays at North Carolina State

University of Delaware Men Competitors: 3rd - Sam MacKenzie, 1,500m
(3:50.77); 6th - Brad Dodson, 1,500m (3:52.72); Will Jurkowski, 800m
(1:53.73); Kyle Schmid, 5,000m seeded (15:05.52); 14th - Jared Wasser,
shot put (47-9 3/4), 4 x 200m relay (1:33.03); 19th - Sprint Medley
Relay (3:40.53); 20th - 4 x 100m relay (43.53); 25th - Jared Wasser,
hammer (133-8); 28th - Gregg Cantwell, 10,000m (31:59.12); 29th - Tyler
Mayforth, 10,000m (32:06.84); 41st - Charlie Williams, 400m (50.41);
43rd - Chris Dixon, 400m (50.56); 48th - Scott Vari, 100m (11.50).