DCCC in Bloom at Ursinus Springfest Meet
Collegeville, PA—Phantoms Track and Field had a high-caliber showing at the Ursinus Springfest at Ursinus College on Saturday. Eight Delaware County Community College student-athletes spanned throws, jumps, hurdles, and track events to deliver a plethora of personal and school records while adding qualifying marks for NJCAA DIII National Championship competition in discus, long jump, and 110m HH.
In men's field events, Mason Falk made his Phantoms debut in the shot put. His 14th place finish with a throw of 11.31m sets a new school record, surpassing Brandon McMaster's 10.97m mark in 2023. Falk followed up with a strong showing in the discus, throwing 36.72m for a 12th place finish. His discus performance set another school record (McMaster, 31.79m, 2023), secured his ticket to the NJCAA DIII National Meet as the first Phantoms qualifier in that event, and positioned him 10th in the NJCAA DIII national rankings.
"I am thrilled with Mason's performance this weekend: He came out and performed exactly how I thought he would, securing new school records and a Nationals bid," said Head Coach Cara Fordenbacher. "He continues to prove the strength of DCCC throwing events this season." Falk described his efforts as "a good start to a great season."
Sophomore Jimmy Love set a higher standard for himself in the 100m dash and the long jump. He started the day with a huge long-jump performance, placing first in his flight and 15th overall with a mark of 6.13m, overtaking the DCCC record set last year by current sophomore Daishon Billops (6.00m). Love continued his solid day with another personal best performance in the 100m dash (11.30 seconds, 19th place).
"I have loved seeing Jimmy set a new bar each week," Fordenbacher said. "Adding new events and continuing to evolve his skill set each week is so great to see! This is certainly Jimmy's time."
Kheimon Speach Jr. also continues to step up his performances each week, setting the tone for men's mid-distance events. First-year Speach set a new personal best and school record in both of his events this weekend, placing 33rd in the 800m (2:08.73) and 32nd in the 1500m (4:36.18). Fellow freshman Noah Gallagher delivered notable performances in the shot put (9.60m, 26th place in his debut) and javelin (41.41m, 19th).
Sophomore Daniel McLaughlin hit the national qualifying mark in the 110m HH and is currently ranked 16th in the nation on NJCAA DIII performance list. He also raced in the 400m IH with a 57.70 time to place eighth, the highest finish of the day among Phantoms men. McLaughlin will compete for the second time in both hurdle events at Nationals.
Natalie Torres earned performance-of-the-day honors, setting a new personal best and building on her school record in the javelin throw. Her throw of 18.06m placed her 18th overall. Torres also set a new personal record in the 100m dash, placing 48th with a time of 15.36. "It was fun and felt good to PR in my events," said Torres.
Coach Cara was enthusiastic for Torres. "As a former javelin thrower, I know how good it feels to break out of a throwing rut to hit a huge personal record in the event," Fordenbacher said. "This weekend was a huge confidence booster for her, and I can't wait to see her growth!"
Fatumata Kaba rounded out Phantom performers for the day, securing her third national qualifying mark this weekend with a 4.98m mark and 10th place finish in the long jump. She is currently ranked second in the nation for NJCAA DIII. In addition, Kaba's fourth-place finish in the triple jump (10.90m) was the highest overall placement for the team at the meet. The sophomore student-athlete is now qualified to compete in the long jump, triple jump, and 100m dash for the second consecutive year at Nationals.
"The Phantoms came out strong this weekend. We were mentally focused and still had a lot of fun competing," said Fordenbacher, lauding the range of athletic accomplishment. "The Phantom Track program has become well rounded this season and it is so exciting to watch!
DCCC next competes in the 2026 Delaware Invitational on Thursday, April 9, and Friday, April 10.