Will Delaney continues to make his mark as a runner for the men’s cross country team. Prior to this week’s meet, Delaney held the fastest 5K time in St. Bonaventure history. This past weekend, Delaney set his personal record and moved up in the record books to become the second fastest runner in the 8K in St. Bonaventure history.
As a junior in 2018, Delaney broke the 5K record at St. Bonaventure with a time of 15:53. This past weekend, Delaney set his personal record with a time of 26:23 in the 8K, surpassing his time of 26:37 from last year. Delaney sits just 13.6 seconds behind Nick Masiello, who set the record in 2013, for the all-time leader at St. Bonaventure.
“It’s definitely a good feeling to hit the time I hit,” Delaney said. “Of course, I still want more from this season, I’m not done we still have two months left. I am going to keep trying to move up, but this is definitely a good thing.”
MacFarlane believes Delaney could have a shot to hold the 8K record saying, “If the progression keeps going, he stays healthy, and he follows the system, it could happen.”
“I was happy. We expect that,” head coach Bob MacFarlane said on Delaney’s performance.
More impressively, Delaney said that before the race began, he wasn’t feeling 100 percent. After dealing with a few technological issues with both his phone and computer breaking the week prior, Delaney wasn’t fully ready to start.
“I was rather unprepared I’d say,” Delaney said. “My coach and a few friends were asking me how I was feeling for the race and I just told them ‘This is probably the most unprepared I’ve ever been for a race in my entire life.’ I just got to the line and I just felt cool, calm and collected.”
As a senior captain, Delaney is looking forward for his final year. Prior to this past weekend’s meet, Delaney reminded his team to “have faith in their training and believe in what you do.”
Delaney said he told the freshmen that this is “the first [8K race], but for everyone else, it’s one of few instead of one of many. I’m now a senior, and I remember my freshman season, and it’s gone by in a blink.”
Delaney gave credit to both MacFarlane and coach Sarah Lonzi in him becoming the runner he is today. Delaney also said that his parents, coach, his teachers and advisors helped him realize that academics were first and helped him throughout the entire process.
For the men’s cross country team as a whole, they have participated in two meets so far: the Little Three Championship and the Stampede Invitational.
MacFarlane is happy with how his team has started off the season, pointing out junior Nate Prisella as someone who has impressed him so far. MarFarlane said Prisella’s “workouts this summer were off the charts,” and he expects him to be one of the teams lead runners. MacFarlane also pointed out sophomore Logan Caruso as another runner who could be in the mix for the Bonnies.
The freshman were also of note for MacFarlane, who said that this group is “collectively, this is probably the best recruiting class we’ve got.”
On Saturday, the Bonnies will head to Rochester, New York to participate in the Anderson Invitational hosted by Roberts Wesleyan.
By Tom Seipp, Contributing Writer
seipptw19@bonaventure.edu
