Current Delaware men's cross country and track and field head coach Jim Fischer has been given additional responsibilities as director of running programs and has also assumed head coaching duties for the Blue Hen women's cross country squad while Wendy McFarlane, an assistant coach with the UD track and field programs for two seasons, has been named head coach of women's track and field.
Fischer, who will begin his 27th season as a head coach at Delaware this fall, will oversee the administrative responsibilities of both the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs in his new position and will assist McFarlane with the women's distance runners. For the first time in school history, the men's and women's cross country teams will be coached by the same person.
McFarlane, 31, who served stints as an assistant coach at Delaware during the 2002-03 and 2007-08 seasons and also served in that capacity at Frostburg (Md.) State University, assumes her first collegiate head coaching position. She also becomes the first female African-American head coach in Blue Hen athletics history.
“We are excited to announce that Jim and Wendy will continue to be involved with our running programs within our athletics program,” said Delaware Director of Athletics Edgar N. Johnson. “Jim's vast experience and expertise in distance running makes him uniquely qualified to oversee both the men's and women's cross country programs here at Delaware. We were impressed with Wendy and her coaching abilities and we know she will do an exceptional job in leading our women's track and field teams to future success.”
Fischer, 59, has enjoyed outstanding success for the UD men since taking over the head coaching position for both cross country and track and field in 1982-83. His squads have been perennial high finishers at conference championship competition and his squads have captured five conference titles during his tenure.
His cross country teams have finished fourth or higher at the league meet 22 times in his 26 seasons, including second place finishes in 1984 and 1998 while his indoor teams captured league titles in 1993 and 1999 and his outdoor teams were league champions in 1993, 1994, and 2000. His track and field teams have finished fourth or higher 35 times in 45 competitions.
A five-time league coach of the year, Fischer has coached 50 indoor and 64 outdoor conference championships during his tenure. He is a veteran marathon runner and has been a world traveler, conducting clinics in Honduras, North Yemen, Egypt, and China. In 1988, he presented a paper to the Seoul Olympic Scientific Congress. He has served as president of the NCAA Division I Cross Country Coaches Association, president of the IC4A Coaches Association in 2007-08, is active with USA Track and Field, served as East track and field coach at the 1991 Olympic Festival in Los Angeles, and is the founder and president of the Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame and an advisor to the Delaware Special Olympics.
In addition, Fischer serves on the board of directors for Girls on the Run, is an advisor to The Leukemia Society, has coordinated an adult training group for the last 24 years, and holds a USA Track and Field Level III certification in endurance training.
“I truly look forward to working with the women athletes in our program,” said Fischer. “I have worked with male and female distance runners for almost 40 years, most recently with post-collegiate women. Early in my coaching career, I initiated a high school girls cross country and track and field program. I look forward to the attitude, energy, and enthusiasm that women bring to the sport. My basic philosophy involves development and constantly working toward potential through systematically improving mind, body, and soul.”
She moved on to the University of Tulsa where she was a two-year letter winner in track and field, set school records in several relay events, and was a provisional qualifier to the NCAA championships in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay. She was a Dean's List student and earned Western Athletic Conference All-Academic honors. She earned her degree in exercise sports science from Tulsa in 2001 and her master's degree in science in human performance from Frostburg (Md.) State University in 2005.
A USA Track and Field Level I and II certified coach, she began her coaching career at Delaware as a volunteer in 2002-03 and moved on to Frostburg State where she served as an assistant for both the men's and women's programs for two seasons.
She worked with the Delaware sprinters during the 2007-08 season and enjoyed outstanding success as an assistant to both Fischer and McGrath-Powell. She played a big part in helping UD athletes set school records in the indoor 55-meter hurdles, 60-meter hurdles, 400 meters, 500 meters, and 4x400-meter relay. During the outdoor season, UD athletes set school records in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles, the 400-meter dash, and the 4x100-, 4x200- and 4x400-meter relays.
McFarlane has a daughter, Jayda. She previously worked full-time as an exercise physiologist with Delaware Back Pain and Sports Rehabilitation in Newark, Del., and also served as head track coach for McGlobal Elite Development Track Club.
"I am greatly honored to join the Blue Hen staff,” said McFarlane, who will also coach the sprinters and hurdlers on the UD men's track and field teams. “This position means a lot to me as I have been preparing for this opportunity for a very long time. I can promise that I will work hard to make a positive impact on the University of Delaware and improve its athletic legacy. I am confident that I can lead a successful program and eager and fully prepared to overcome any obstacle or hardship in creating a winning team. It is my intent to ensure that our student-athletes be the best that they can be not just on the field but in the classroom as well. I am anxious to contribute to a memorable experience for our athletes, continue to encourage the unity of team in order to create a positive environment for our athletic community, and encourage sportsmanship and bring a winning attitude to the program.”
The Delaware women placed sixth at the Colonial Athletic Association cross country championships and seventh at the CAA Outdoor Track and Field meet this past season. Long jumper and sprinter Asha Quant competed at the NCAA East Regionals during the outdoor season. The UD women have not finished higher than third at the CAA cross country meet since 2001 while the outdoor track and field team has never finished higher than fifth at the CAA meet since joining the league in 2001-02. The indoor track and field competes as an independent as the CAA does not sponsor that sport.
The Blue Hen men's and women's cross country teams will open the season Sept. 13 at the Old Nassau Run at Princeton University.
For more information on UD athletics, see [www.udel.edu/sportsinfo].
