Mary Dell, the graduate assistant in the office of Academic Support for Student-Athletes, joins the coaching staff as a volunteer specialist with the mid-distance runners. Dell is one of the most accomplished athletes in SU history and will offer her expertise to members of the team this season.
Dell completed her collegiate track and field career as a three-time outdoor All-American and a three-time indoor All-American. She was an All-American in three different events on the outdoor national stage (4x400-meter relay, 1,500 meters, 3K steeplechase) and received an All-PSAC designation 24 times, including seven PSAC individual championships.
At the 2010 Division II Outdoor National Championships, Dell finished second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:20.37 that broke the previous meet record and established a new all-time mark in PSAC history.
In cross country, Dell was a three-time NCAA All-American, a three-time NCAA All-Region performer and a four-time All-PSAC finisher. At the national meet, Dell finished 33rd in 2008, 21st in 2009 and 25th in 2010.
Dell’s collegiate career concluded this fall as a graduate student with the cross country team. She finished her tenure as an SU athlete with a streak of nine consecutive championship seasons as an All-American, a stretch that dated back to her seventh-place finish with the indoor DMR unit in 2008.
Overall, Dell was a 29-time PSAC placewinner in track and a 24-time All-PSAC award winner. She won seven conference titles as either an individual or on a relay and set conference records with the team’s indoor and outdoor 4x800-meter relay squad.
Dell graduated from Shippensburg in May 2010 with a degree in biology and a focus on secondary education. She is the only athlete in school history to achieve Capital One Academic All-America First Team honors on multiple occasions and was a four-time PSAC Top 10 award winner.
