NEWARK, DE -- Kristi Cox, a senior at nearby A.I. duPont High School and one of the state’s top sprinters, and Yesenia (pronounced Je
Sen Ya) Boynton, a standout sprinter from Dayton, NJ, have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Delaware on track scholarships and compete for the Blue Hens during the 2007-08 season.

Cox, a resident of Wilmington, DE, has been a consistent top 10 finisher in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and relay events at the state meet and is the reigning state girl’s Division I outdoor 400 meter champion heading into her senior year. Boynton, who currently attends South Brunswick High School, also specializes in the 400 meters and earned all-county honors last spring.

“We are really looking forward to both Kristi and and Yesenia joining our squad in 2007-08,” said Delaware head coach Sue McGrath-Powell. “Both will make immediate impacts and will greatly enhance our sprints in both depth and quality.”

A standout since her freshman year at A.I. duPont, Cox has recorded three consecutive top 10 finishes at the state championships in the outdoor 400 meters. She placed seventh in the event as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore, and first last spring when she recorded a time of 57.02. Her season-best time of 57.01 was the fastest time in the state during the 2006 outdoor season.

In addition to winning the state 400 meter title outdoors in 2006, she also placed second in the 4 x 200 meter relay, fourth in the 4 x 400 meter relay, and sixth in the 4 x 100 meter relay to lead A.I. duPont to an eighth place team finish. During the 2006 indoor state championships, she placed third in the 400 meters in a time of 1:00.74 while also placing third in the 4 x 400 meter relay and sixth in the 4 x 200 meter relay to lead the team to an 11th place finish. As a sophomore in 2005, she placed fourth in the 400 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay, and 4 x 400 meter relay, and was fifth in the 200 meters during the outdoor state meet and was third in the 400 meters, sixth in the 4 x 400 meter relay, and ninth in the 200 meters at the state indoor championships.

Boynton, who owns a career-best time of 55.94 in the 400 meters, captured the Greater Middlesex Conference outdoor 400 meter title last spring and went on to earn All-Middlesex County honors, finish sixth in the state Group IV championships, and place sixth in the State Meet of Champions. She also earned all-county honors as part of the 4 x 400 meter relay team that placed 19th in the state Meet of Champions.

She led her team to the Greater Middlesex Conference team title, a fourth place team finish at the Group IV championships, and a seventh place showing at the Meet of Champions. She also competed in soccer at South Brunswick.