Traditionally, being crowned the greatest athlete is associated with winning the decathlon, a belief that began at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete, won the decathlon events, and King Gustav V of Sweden told him, “Sir, you are the world’s greatest athlete.” A rigorously challenging test of all-around athletic ability, the decathlon tests athletes from running to jumping and throwing. However, when Coach Hunter Davis, C-SC’s Track and Field/ Cross Country Coach, approached Delaney Straus about running a decathlon, she thought he was crazy for suggesting such an absurd challenge, as she had never trained or experienced such a challenge.
Delaney Straus, a graduate student from Philadelphia, Mo, has emerged as C-SC’s outstanding decathlon athlete, placing tenth at the women’s decathlon championship, held August 16 and 17 at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Nonetheless, Straus’s journey to the top rankings, crushing school records, and climbing the national polls is a testament to her relentless work ethic, dedicated coaching, and overcoming personal challenges.
Straus, a multi-sport athlete, competed in basketball, softball, track and field, and cross country throughout her high school years. When she committed to C-SC for athletics, she was placed as a dual sport athlete in outdoor track and field and basketball. After earning her All-American track and field honors following her sophomore season, Straus made the pivotal decision to focus solely on track and field. “I am a big believer that track and field has an event for everyone. Unlike basketball, where everyone needs to know how to shoot, everyone needs to be able to handle the ball, and everyone needs to know every play, says Straus. “I was very close to dropping track and field after my freshman year.”, says Straus. Nonetheless, her hard work and passion overcame the barriers, and she committed to the sport she loves.
“My first conversation with Coach Davis, my sophomore year, he mentioned doing the multi (heptathlon & pentathlon) after looking at my high school athletic history. I thought he was crazy because I had never done half of the events, but I told him that if he could teach me I would be happy to learn. After the NAIA National Meet in May 2025, Davis approached me again and asked what I thought about the decathlon. Again, I thought he was crazy as I had never pole vaulted or thrown a disc. However, just like before I said, if you can teach me I’d be happy to learn and try and he responded, “Great, I think you can get into the World Championships in a few months.”, says Straus.
Training for the decathlon, Straus felt most confident in the 1500-meter run, as a mid-distance runner all her life, and in the javelin, where she credits her softball experience as a catcher for her throwing skills. Yet, the pole vault proved to be the most intimidating event.“The hardest event to learn by far was the pole vault. My very first practice, I missed the mat twice. I’m sure there were times that Davis regretted trying to teach me, but through two months of practice and a lot of long practices, we figured it out enough to clear a couple of heights.”, says Straus.
The life of a runner is often an independent pursuit, intensely focused on personal goals, setting times, breaking records, and surpassing statistics from previous seasons. Yet, for Straus, the immense support from family, teammates, and coaches have pushed her to persist in overcoming challenges, staying committed to her athletic journey and strengthening her. “Coach Davis has been the largest part of this journey by far. He has had faith in me since the beginning even when any sane person would have looked at me and gave up after my first hurdle race.”, says Straus. Davis has greatly impacted Straus, as she claims, “Truly, I rely on my coach so much for this part of it. God blessed me with a coach who understands that I operate better when I don’t know the little details of everything. He communicates with me what events we are working on each day and then I show up and sweat my butt off.” “God blessed me with a great coach that is willing to go above and beyond for his athletes to see them succeed.’, says Straus.
Looking ahead, Straus is preparing for the upcoming indoor track and field season this winter. She’s excited to cheer on her teammates while setting her sights on the national tournament. “I am always aspiring to be better every day. As far as future plans go it is in God’s hands.”, says Straus.
