Olympic Hopeful “Hey There” Delilah PRs Again!

Delilah DiCrescenzo, the steeplechaser and muse of the Grammy Award winning song “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s, ran under the Olympic Games “A” standard for the second time this season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Rio IAAF Wat Meet. She also ran a personal record of 9:43.57.

Keep your eyes peeled. If DiCrescenzo continues to drop her times, she will contend for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Delilah is currently the third ranked American at this point in the season, and her time in Rio also gave her the #9 all-time spot for U.S runners.

By Jay Hicks.

Real Life Delilah Runs Strong!

Track and field needs a feel good story, a figure to elevate the sport beyond the current scandals and bad news. Delilah DiCrescenzo, the young Olympic hopeful who inspired the Plain White T's Grammy award-winning "Hey There Delilah," may very well be that person. She is furthering her bid to make the Olympic team.

Over the weekend, Delilah took third in the steeplechase in 9:51.49 at the Mt. Sac Relays. She hit the Olympic Trials A standard and Olympic Games B Standard with her last performance. If she continues to lower her time, the dream of making the Olympic team may been well within her reach.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.

Olympic Hopeful Inspires Grammy Nominated Song

Olympic hopeful Delilah DiCrescenzo has been made popular by a song that has become a part of pop culture. The song, Hey There Delilah, was inspired by DiCrescenzo, a Columbia University graduate and assistant track coach at Pennsylvania’s Bryn Mawr College.

Delilah is a nationally ranked 3,000 meter steeplechase runner training for the 2008 Olympic trials. In 2006, she placed 3rd at outdoor championships in the event, earning an alternate spot on Team USA for the World Championships.

Despite the lyrics, White T’s singer, Tom Higgenson, and Delilah have not previously dated, however the couple have a date to attend the Grammy’s next month in Los Angeles. Higgenson was inspired to write a song about Delilah soon after they were introduced by a mutual friend. The 2005 NCAA All-American had the following to say about her new found fame.

“What I really hope through all of this is that it spotlights track and field, and it gives the sport a face, which is really important to us athletes in an Olympic year,” the muse of the two-time Grammy nominated song told TODAY co-hosts Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer on Wednesday.

The song, written five years ago, struck a chord with fans and became a summer smash. It topped the charts in late July and is still enjoying heavy air play. The song also turned Delilah DiCrescenzo into a nation wide star.

By Jay Hicks, a.k.a. Track Evangelist.