Charlotte Blasi ’26
Staff Writer
Caroline DelVecchio ’23 has been running track since she was five years old and has a heap of accomplishments to show for it.
In college alone, she has qualified for Nationals in 2022 and placed sixth in the nation for the 400 meter hurdles race, making her an All-American. In addition to this, she won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2022, where she broke the CMS 400 meter hurdles record.
“The first time I broke it I barely broke it by a hair, so I didn’t really feel like it counted,” said DelVecchio. “Since then, I’ve been chipping away at it slowly. We’ll see if it sticks.”
DelVecchio continued her winning streak at the CMS Outdoor Indoor Distances Meet, where she placed first in the 60 meter hurdles and second in the long jump. She also recently attended the Whitworth Invitational where she competed in a heptathlon (five events) and placed seventh.
Track runs in DelVeccio’s family. Her parents met at a track race in college and have since passed on their love for the sport to their whole family. DelVecchio reported that her dad held the high jump record at his college with a height of 6’10” and that her mom was a talented runner in college as well.
After inspiring DelVecchio to start track, her parents played an active role in her track career. They were her coaches for most of her life, beginning with the youth track league that she joined at five years old and coaching her through high school. “I probably look up to my parents the most just because they’re the ones that instilled the love for track in me,” said DelVecchio.
In addition to her parents, DelVecchio is also in awe of her little brother, Ellis DelVecchio CMC ’26, a fellow CMS track athlete. “I’m impressed by him,” said DelVecchio. “I definitely admire how hard he pushes himself and it has definitely inspired me to run harder.”
While DelVecchio has been called the “Swiss army knife of the track team” by her coach, she enjoys hurdle races the most. She began hurdling around age 11, teaching herself from YouTube, which she acknowledges may not have been the most effective method. She attributes her improvement in the event to her CMS coach, Glenn Stewart, who helped her refine her technique.
She also enjoys the 4×400 meters, a relay race that is typically the last event of the day. “Everyone is just screaming at you and the energy is so high,” said DelVecchio. “You actually feel like you’re a superhuman.”
Beyond the pure love for the sport, DelVecchio keeps running because she loves the track community at CMS. She described her team as a “strong, supportive net” and feels like she has really found her people. “If I wasn’t on the track team, I definitely would not have as wide of a circle of friends as I do,” said DelVecchio.
Some of DelVecchio’s favorite memories include when athletes are the only students on campus, for instance when they return early from breaks. “There’s just a different energy to it,” said DelVecchio. “You just get so close to everybody.”
She loves how invested the whole team is in each other’s success, regardless of how well they know each other. “It feels so nice to put so much effort into something and have people recognize that and support you and push you,” said DelVecchio.
While she occasionally feels overworked because she is a versatile athlete who competes in multiple events, she has no complaints overall. “I get exercise, I hang out with my friends, I do something I love – I don’t really have many issues with it,” said DelVecchio.
Post graduation, DelVecchio is confident that running is in her future. At a minimum, she hopes to participate in a marathon. DelVecchio encourages those interested to try out for track to join the incredible community and develop their own passion for the sport.
Image Source: Ellen Hu ’24
