Hall of Fame induction: 2025
Sarah (Hillman) Klein distinguished herself as an exceptional multi-sport athlete and scholar during her high school and collegiate career.
A standout at Polytech High School as a Panther, Sarah excelled in track and field, volleyball, and basketball, earning All-State honors in each sport, even scoring over 1,000 points during her basketball career, all while attaining exemplary grades and being a part of the National Honor Society.
In track and field, Sarah specialized in the throws, particularly the discus and shot put. She medaled in four consecutive Meet of Champions and earned All-State recognition from winning the discus event three times from 2012 to 2014. In 2014, her throw of 147’4” set the Meet of Champions record and became the all-time longest discus throw in Delaware across high school, collegiate, and unattached categories. That same year, she broke the Delaware state record previously held by Breanna Kennedy, finished in the Top 10 at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, and was named Polytech Panthers Female Athlete of the Year.
Sarah continued her throwing career at the University of Delaware while majoring in Nursing, where she competed as a Blue Hen on a full-ride scholarship under Head Coach Wendy McFarlane Smith and Throws Coach Larry “The Legend” Pratt.
Highlights of her collegiate career include:
- 2014–2015 Indoor: multiple invitational victories in the shot-put; qualified for the ECAC Champion-ships; named All-East in Shot Put.
- 2015 Outdoor: Named UD Track & Field Outstanding Freshman; set freshman records in shot put and discus, including a UD discus record of 46.71m; multiple invitational wins; CAA Top 5 finish-er; recognized by Best of the Blue Hens.
- 2015–2016 Indoor: Broke UD shot put record at ECAC (49’5.5”), finishing 3rd; earned All-East honors; multiple invitational victories; named CAA Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.
- 2016 Outdoor: ECAC runner-up in discus (156’8”); All-East honoree.
- 2016–2017 Indoor: set new UD record “50’8” All-East honors with 3rd place at ECACs.
- 2017 Outdoor: CAA Champion in discus (186’2”), breaking school and CAA records; Top 10 finish at Penn Relays Championship Division; named CAA Most Outstanding Field Performer and CAA Women’s Track & Field Player of the Year.
Sarah’s throwing career was unfortunately cut short due to a severe back injury, concluding her competitive participation after her junior year. Her legacy remains a testament to her skill, dedication, and impact on Delaware Track and Field.