Delaware’s Karen Mandrachia Earns Spot on Capital One/CoSIDA District 2 All-Academic Track Team Karen Mandrachia capped an outstanding career on the cross country course, on the track, and in the classroom the last four years, has earned a spot on the Capital One/College Sports Information team.
Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell - Karen Mandrachia
Karen Mandrachia (at right), who capped an outstanding career on the cross country course, on the track, and in the classroom the last four years, has earned a spot on the Capital One/College Sports Information Directors of America District II Women’s Cross Country & Track & Field University Division All-Academic first team.
Mandrachia, who earned her degree in exercise science with a minor in biology from UD last week, was one of 10 student-athletes named to the first team. She is now eligible for Academic All-American honors. The team is scheduled to be announced later this month.
The University Division encompasses all NCAA Division I schools with District II covering all schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. To be eligible, student-athletes must have at least sophomore eligibility, be a starter or key reserve, and carry a 3.3 or better grade point average.
Mandrachia becomes the eighth University of Delaware student-athlete to earn CoSIDA District II All-Academic honors in 2010-11. She joins Pat Devlin (Football), Zach Reed (Football), Mark Mackey (Football), Jess Chason (Volleyball), Greta Gibboney (Volleyball), Elena Delle Donne (Women’s Basketball), and Megan Doran (Women’s Tennis).
Mandrachia (pronounced “man-drake-e-uh”), a native of Newark, Del. (Newark High School), earned 12 varsity letters and was a team captain for each sport during her career, competing in cross country for head coach Jim Fischer and in indoor track & field and outdoor track & field as a middle distance runner for head coach Wendy McFarlane.
A Dean’s List student and an eight-time member of the Colonial Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll, Mandrachia posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.84 for her academic career. She was one of just 13 students nationally who received a $6,000 NCAA Women’s Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics this past spring and will attend graduate school and pursue a master’s degree in physical therapy this fall.
She earned three letters in cross country, competing in 21 career meets and posting nine top 10 finishes. As a four-year standout in indoor track and field as a middle to long distance specialist, she captured 10 career meet titles and earned All-East honors in 2010 when she helped lead the Blue Hens to a fourth place finish in the distance medley relay. During the outdoor season, she earned four letters, won seven career meet titles, and placed 20th in the 4 x 800 meter relay in 2009.
Mandrachia set school outdoor track and field records in the distance medley relay (12:16.23) and 4 x 1,500 meter relay (19:02.19) and owns the second best 1,500 meter time in school history with a mark of 4:34.27. Indoors, she owns school standards in the 1,000 meters (2:52.71) and 4 x 800 medley relay (9:15.89) and ranks No. 3 in the 800 meters (2:16.49) and No. 6 in the mile run (5:00.30).
She also has served as a peer mentor with the H.E.N.S. (Helping Each Newcomer Succeed) program in athletics and earned
