Athletes of the Week April 19
Jaxen Edwards
Jaxen recently traveled to St. Petersburg, Fla., with the Mako Swim Club to participate in the ISCA Elite Showcase Classic with more than 100 teams from multiple countries. Jaxen, 13, of Mariner Middle School, won the High Point Trophy after scoring more points than any other 13-year-old boy in the meet. Some of his times from this meet would break current Cape Henlopen High School records. Jaxen won the 500 free in 4:50.74, 400 individual medley in 4:17.88 and 200 breaststroke in 2:17.45. He took second in the 200 free, 200 IM and 100 breast. He finished third in the 100 free, fourth in the 100 fly, fifth in the 50 free and seventh in the 50 breast. He plans to attend Cape next year.
Trey Johnson
Trey is Cape Henlopen High School’s fastest human until someone proves differently. In an April 16 tri-meet competition including Cape, Polytech and Sussex Tech, Johnson won the 100 meters in 11.01, then came back and captured the 200 meters in 22.75. April is early season for sprinters, and if Johnson drops below 10 seconds in the 100 meters and gets down to low 22s in the 200, he will attract some serious statewide attention. Johnson also won the 100 meters and 200 meters in an April 9 tri-meet at Smyrna that included Dover, running the 100 in 11.2 and the 200 in 23.1.
Connor Pencek
On April 11, at the Special Olympics Delaware Unified Invitational Track and Field Meet at Middletown High School, Connor Pencek, a senior, had a great day for the Cape team. Connor won the 400 meters and was the anchor on the winning 4-by-200 relay. Coach Lisa Thorp said, “His anchor leg of the relay was amazing, as the team was behind when he received the baton. He is a great teammate and always gives his all.” Connor also plays unified basketball and football. Thorp is the head coach of the Cape unified track team, with Kelly Cerf and Thresa McCloy as assistants. Cape won the title at the 10-team meet.
Claire Lopez
Meg Bartley, a Cape (2011) and Virginia Tech (2015) standout lacrosse player, is Cape’s all-time leader in career assists. A Vikings move called “The Meg” brings back memories of Meg standing behind the net looking for cutters and rejecting those she didn’t think would catch it. Claire Lopez had an extraordinary 10-point game April 12 versus Sussex Academy, dishing seven assists to go along with three goals. Claire waves her stick like a flag corps girl fronting the school band and is not afraid to throw it into traffic. Her rate of rejection is less than Meg Bartley’s. Fourteen of Cape’s 19 goals came from attackers.
