Veteran Dukes Look to Keep JMU on Right Track Heading Into Postseason

"It takes no talent to give your best effort" is a mantra Delethea Quarles not only lives by but also strives to instill in her team.

And since joining the program in August 2022 as James Madison's director of track and field, Quarles said she's learned numerous lessons from her squad — specifically from this year's graduating class.

Graduate pole vaulter Erica Moolman and senior hurdler Jordyn Henderson have spent their entire careers with JMU. During their time with the Dukes, Quarles noted that their seasons might've not been the easiest at some points, but the adversity and strength they displayed speak to their characters.

Resilience Through Adversity
Moolman — who came to college in the States after growing up in Paarl, South Africa — said she hadn't picked up a vaulting pole until 2016 when her coach recommended it to her, suggesting she may be good at the event because of her speed.

"One day I went out and the coach just put a pole in my hand and [said] 'Just jump and see where it takes you,'" Moolman said. "So then I did, and I loved it. That's how I'm here now."

When it came time to apply to college, Moolman said she reached out to almost every Division I track and field program in the U.S. She said she came across JMU, discovered they had an architectural design program and, from there, realized she wanted to call Harrisonburg home for the next five years.

"In a way, it kind of chose me, and it worked out perfectly," she said. "I don't think I would have wanted to go any other way."

Since arriving at JMU in fall 2020, Moloman has endured the back-end repercussions of COVID-19 and coaching changes. But she said while navigating the challenges, she's adapted and found them to be beneficial to both her training and mindset.

"I've definitely experienced a lot of adversity and challenges throughout it all," Moolman said. "But it's been interesting to see how different coaches have operated. All these little challenges have actually put us in a really good spot mentally because if we're used to change, then we don't settle down."

Moolman said her bond with the coaching staff goes beyond a typical coach-athlete relationship, describing them as family to her in the States.

"They've been kind of like my parents since I'm away from home," she said. "They've made this place really homey, and they've pushed me in a good way to be a better person and athlete. I feel so comfortable with them, and they're like my best friends."

Quarles described Moolman as resilient and a role model to her younger teammates and relatively large freshman class.

"She's a class act, and she is without speaking," Quarles said. "She speaks well, too, but without speaking, she is a great example."

Eyes on the Prize
Henderson has been running track for most of her life, starting at just nine years old, and said she's feeling a mix of emotions as she enters her final months with the JMU program. Still, despite the emotions, she said she's ready to embrace the final stretch of her journey, believing the stars are aligning at just the right time.

"This one means the most to me," she said. "Obviously just being a competitor and being an athlete, I want to win, but this one means the most. I feel I'm in great shape, my training is going very well, so I feel like the odds are definitely in my favor. I'm feeling really optimistic and excited about it. Personally, I want to PR, and I definitely want to win the conference."

Outside of her own successes, though, Henderson said she feels the entire program is on the right track ahead of the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championship on Feb. 24-25 and the ECAC Indoor Championship on March 7-9.

Henderson said the team has prioritized being intentional and focused in their training as they prepare for the championships. She noted that, with her long career at JMU, she's naturally stepped into a leadership role, and with it she knows if she remains focused on what's ahead, the others will follow suit.

"Over time, my coaches have just trusted me to be a voice," Henderson said. "They've trusted me to get things done efficiently, be organized and productive and just be someone that they can count on to do the little things because their job covers so much… I think that's something that they kind of just molded me into doing, just little by little, small tasks at a time."

Quarles praised Henderson for her adapted leadership role, noting that it's a challenging task for anyone, but that her efforts for the program have been commendable.

"It's a hard balance for anybody, to keep who you are, keep your standards, keep your integrity, but I feel like Jordyn has done that," Quarles said. "Leadership is sometimes not comfortable. I've seen her go through her growing pains but find a way to be better as a person."

When describing her time as a leader and mentor with the program, Henderson said it was nothing short of rewarding. She said the close-knit relationships she's built with her younger teammates and the unbreakable bonds she's forged with the senior class through years of change have taught her lifelong lessons.

"Everyone has been so hard-working, so patient and just doing really well at adapting with everything because we can't make excuses for ourselves," she said. "Because things change, people leave, and that's okay, but ultimately we had each other for sure."

Coming off a weekend at the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, both Moolman and Henderson set the tone for the Dukes ahead of next week's indoor championship. Moolman set a personal best of 3.75 meters (12-3.5) in the pole vault, good for second in the JMU record book, and Henderson won her event in the second heat of the 60-meter hurdles in 8.43 seconds and finished second in the finals with a season-best time of 8.36.

Quarles said the program's morale is "the best it's ever been." While the team has been physically preparing for the Sun Belt championship, she emphasized the importance of staying focused on their relationships and mindsets, as it helps them grow not just as athletes through the season but also as individuals.

"We don't all start at the same time and finish at the same time at a contest," she said. "But I think we produce some of the most responsible and best ambassadors for the country, and I'm very proud to be a part of it."

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