Delley Blazing Trails on Track & Off It

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- As the national signing period arrived, Evans High School (Augusta, GA) track and field star Cydney Delley was not sure where she wanted to attend college. However, she was confident that she would go to any of the three Universities that offered her a scholarship.

With the three offers laid out on the table ahead of signing week, she stated, "I don't want to go to any of these schools."

Cydney's mother, Alexcia, quickly responded by saying, "You have college paid for, and you are acting like this."

Frustrated over the situation, Cydney's father, Jay, gave two days to figure things out.

Frantically researching, Delley decided that Wake Forest was the top combination of high-level academics and a competitive athletics program. She fired off an email and was talking with Coach John Hayes within those two days.

"It was God, because I didn't sign any of those offers I had on the table," she said. "In December I came on a visit here, and knew it was the right decision. We all agreed it was the right place for me."

Delley is now focused on leaving a legacy at Wake Forest University, both on and off the track.

"Over the summer after George Floyd was murdered, I realized we have a lot of minority student-athletes, but not a lot of minority coaches or faculty," Delley said. "It was a time as an African American where you search to find who is on your side? Who understands or at least wants to understand and learn."

With that, she was a part of a group who approached Miles Middleton, the Wake Forest student body president. He suggested they start a petition which quickly garnered more than 3,000 signatures.

There were three actions points Delley wanted to work toward:

Start resident advisor education on biases, prejudices, privileges and racism.
Begin an online learning module that addresses those topics -- similar to what is currently in place for sexual assault and alcohol use.
Develop a four credit hour class on the subject of biases, prejudices, privileges and racism.

"We thought it was important for us to educate holistically, which was the goal of the petition," Delley explained. "This is part of my journey in trying to leave a lasting impression at Wake Forest."

The online module is already a reality and it's mandatory for every student-athlete and staff member.

Working hand-in-hand with folks on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, Delley spoke with Wake Forest sports psychologist Rachel Conway about developing a three-week program on biases, prejudices, privileges and racism modeled after the Body Project, which is an "evidenced-based, peer-led eating disorder prevention program that focuses on body acceptance and reducing adherence to the idea that "thinner is better."

Delley's goal was to create a project that was peer-oriented and played out in a small group setting that allowed for open dialogue.

"We liked the way the program was structured, because it allowed for difficult topics to be discussed in a small group setting, which allowed people to feel more comfortable sharing their stories," she said. "It would be available for all student-athletes to take. The course is three sessions over three weeks.

"The goal of the project is people would be educated as to what racism is. What are microaggressions? How did we get here in our country? The goal is not to change people from one end of the spectrum to the other, but to get them to recognize - when I support this, I'm supporting something that's against diversity and inclusion."

Delley sees the opportunity to spread these initiatives beyond just those within Wake Forest Athletics.

"We're starting with Athletics, but we're hoping the University will eventually adopt it, and then maybe the other schools in the ACC," she said. "We hope we can really make a change within the NCAA. I realize that my biggest base of impact is within an Athletics program, but that's also where we have the most diversity."

To Delley, competing on the field together starts with understanding and respect for one another.

"Being that the goal of any program at Wake Forest is to win championships, and the goal is to be a well-oiled machine," she said. "You can have differing opinions, but you need to have respect. How do we get there? I'm not saying we are too far off. We have a great athletic director and some incredible staff. I love my peers, but we can do better.

"When we step on the field, court and track, it's all about getting the job done because we're Demon Deacons."

Being a team captain in the era of COVID has also been a challenge for Delley.

"It's not for the faint of heart, but it's an honor," she said. "I have a great support system. I have a group of administrators behind me who understand the value of respect, and that's appreciated."

Like many others, Delley at Wake Forest, but slowly put it all together. Last year, she was part of the team that won the ACC Championship in the Distance Medley Relay, and considers it unfinished business, since they never had the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Championship that was canceled.

"Coming to Wake I did not have it all together at all," she said. "I struggled my freshman year. However, over the years my experiences at Wake have sharpened my leadership skills."

Wake Forest Associate AD for student-athlete development Ashley Wetcher has worked seamlessly with Delley in recent months.

"It's been a joy to work alongside Cydney," she said. "As we seek to build a culture of belonging for all, Cydney has been on the frontlines. She spearheaded the mandate of diversity, equity and inclusion training for student-athletes, coaches and staff; assisted with getting 99 percent of our student-athletes registered to vote; has worked directly with our Faculty Athletic Committee, Student Government, IFC and Panhellenic and continues to promote inclusivity within Athletics.

"She does a tremendous job serving as our SAAC Vice President and ACC SAAC. representative, engaging her fellow student-athletes and bringing her personal experiences forward to ignite positive change. I could not be more proud of her."

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