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Athletes of the Week April 14

April 14, 2017

Austin Elliott

Austin threw a no-hitter against Caesar Rodney April 12, allowing only four balls to be put into play while walking two and striking out 10. “I picked one off and Timmy [Vitella] threw a guy out stealing,” Austin said, smiling. Timmy, listed third on the depth chart, got the start and caught a no-hitter. “He did an awesome job,” Austin said. Coach Ben Evick tells the catcher what pitch to signal. “He just kept calling curveballs,” Austin said. “I just throw whatever pitch the sign calls for.” Elliott also cracked a two-run homer in the game, and when it was mentioned that his cousin Raegan Jackson also hit a homer, Austin said, “I didn’t know that, but it’s weird, when one of us has a big day usually so does the other one.” Austin, only a junior, is committed to UNC.

Raegan Jackson

Cape’s catcher on the softball team bats leadoff in the lineup. Against Caesar Rodney April 12, Raegan stepped to the plate and cracked her first leadoff homer in school ball. Last season, Raegan left the yard eight times. “I call the game behind the plate,” she said. “Basically, there are seven different pitches that can be called depending on the pitcher. We are young. Next year, I’ll be the only senior on the team. This year, we’re just looking for wins.” Raegan plays travel ball for the Diamond State Swoop and plays six games every weekend of the summer. She and baseball’s Austin Elliott are cousins because their grandmothers Carol and Joanne are sisters. “I want to go to college in Hawaii and play softball,” Raegan said. She is an honors student.

Eddy Shoop

Keep your head on a swivel if you sit at a table and talk to Eddy near a student thruway. Eddy is electric on the lacrosse field, in the classroom and in conversation. Playing for Maryland United the summer after ninth grade, she was spotted and verbally committed to Florida when she was 14 years old. At Stephen Decatur April 10, Shoop scored four goals in an 11-9 game that saw Cape a player down for the last 11 minutes. Last spring at Polytech, Cape was in a worse scenario, down a player with 20 minutes to go. Eddy stepped up and scored five, including the game-winner. “I embrace pressure, and I’ll focus and keep working hard when I get to Florida. I only have four years to win a national championship.” Eddy has a 102 GPA.  

Matt Zehner

Cape’s lead senior golfer and a swimmer, this 6-foot-3, 175-pound veteran of low-impact sports looks like he could play anything. Matt is all about the game of golf. He is Cape’s composite low score guy after seven matches in which the Vikings have gone 7-1. He has shot a low score of 40 this season and last year shot a 37 at Rookery North. Matt takes honors and AP classes, and he has already been accepted to Penn State University main campus into the competitive professional golf management program. “They only accept about 25 students a year,” Matt said. Matt’s brother Brandon was on Cape’s 2008 state championship lacrosse team. Matt works at Kings Creek Country Club running carts and toiling in the restaurant.

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