Phantoms Track and Field Lined Up for 2025
Delaware and Chester Counties, PA—On their marks, the Delaware County Community College Men's and Women's Track & Field teams are set for a successful 2025 outdoor season. In her second season at the helm, Head Coach Cara Fordenbacher is hungry for another record-breaking run. This year the Phantoms welcome the addition of Assistant Coach Elisa Ford, a DCCC alum and an experienced track-and-field coach and athlete. Ford is slated to compete in the National Senior Games this July.
Athletes set several school records in 2024 with Joseph Faye '24 posting a time of 2:30.64 in the 800m to break his own record, and William MacIntosh '24 setting a new javelin mark of 22.69 meters (74 feet, 5 inches). Ramadan Amm, Joseph Faye, Aidan Heppard, Dennis Omane-Nketia, Jadon Thomas, Bintu Sheriff, and Coach Cara traveled to the 2024 NJCAA Division III Men's and Women's Track & Field Championships for both individual and relay events.
At Nationals, Sheriff competed in the women's 100m and Heppard in the men's 100m, while Omane-Nketia, Faye, Thomas, and Heppard represented the Phantoms in the men's 4x100m relay with a school-record time of 45.82 seconds. Launched in 2023, the men's program has boasted national-meet qualifiers in each of its first two seasons.
Sophomores Heppard, Omane-Nketia, Donovan Hughes, and (Tre) Fred McCray will provide an anchor of experience in 2025. McCray was a two-time EPAC Athlete of the Week and a Nationals competitor in 2023, running personal-best and school-record times of 11.06 (12th overall) in the 100m and 22.49 (9th overall) in the 200m. All previous qualifiers are on a mission to return to the national stage.
"My number one goal is to get back to Nationals and finish business there," said McCray. "I would like to come back with hardware. I'm hoping to lower school records, run personal bests, and stay healthy all season." He is eager for relays and partnering with this skilled group of sprinters. "It will be interesting to see what we can do," he said.
Coach Cara is equally anticipatory. "We look to continue our sprinting success, with high hopes for our 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay group," Fordenbacher said. "And we are excited to keep building upon our repertoire, introducing a new event group of hurdlers in Daniel McLaughlin, Daishon Billops, and Diyor Hakberdiyev." She is thrilled to expand the women's team, which will include Fatu Kaba as the lone field athlete competing in the long and triple jump.
"We have very solid returners who bring a wealth of talent and leadership, and first-year athletes who raise the bar for the Phantoms," said Fordenbacher. "We are setting our sights on another season setting program records and ending with another Nationals appearance!" McCray and Heppard are captains for the 2025 season, with McLaughlin named first-year co-captain.
McCray lauds his overall experience as a Phantom. "This is nice group of people who genuinely care about one another on and off the track," he said. "We want each other to succeed and we hold each other accountable. We're a family."
DCCC opens the outdoor season on Saturday, March 22, at the Purple and Gold Open at West Chester University starting at 10:00 AM. Go, Phantoms!