Athletes of the Week April 28
Nataleigh Hunter
This Mariner eighth-grader is a fierce and fearless competitor who has thrown down some scary good times in the sprints. So far this season, Nataleigh has run the 55-meter hurdles in 8.9 seconds, the 100 meters in 13.1 seconds and the 200 in 27.3 seconds. Performances like that would stand out at the high school level. She won the 200 at the 13-team Blades Invite last month. A tireless worker and team leader in practice, the girl simply does it all. Nat also takes part in the Honor Society, starts on Mariner’s volleyball and basketball teams, and boxes on the weekends.
Alia Marshall
Once a middle school track phenom, Alia is now a three-sport sophomore athlete at Cape; check that, a four-sport athlete, as Alia returned to the runway April 26 and jumped 16-feet-6-inches, which was good enough to win. She then switched stadiums, going from Legends to Champions, to take her starting position at midfield for the lacrosse team, where she runs like a track girl with a lacrosse stick in her hand. She scored a goal on a crazy, falling-down, athletic move, and was all over the draw circle and defensive end of the field. Alia is a top-tier academic student. She is most likely a field hockey player at the next level by choice rather than default.
Lindsay Monigle
She’s not just cute little Lindsay anymore. She’s a precocious player who can dazzle with her speed and switch hands, and she has the speed to beat most to all defenders. Lindsay has made herself into the feeder and finisher, and she’s one of the best attack players in the state. Against rival Polytech April 26, Lindsay was quick to lift off, and she was relentless all game long, scoring four goals and coming up with an assist. She is a top-tier academic student who also plays field hockey. In a recent big win at Stephen Decatur, she had two goals and an assist. She had the same tally in the 11-9 loss at Queen Anne’s County.
Curtis Purnell
Just a sophomore, Curtis has played football and basketball and run track this season. His major athletic asset is unbelievable quickness. “Track is my favorite sport,” he said after the April 26 meet versus Dover and Caesar Rodney, where he jumped a personal best 20-feet-1-inch and also led off the 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 relays and ran the open 200. His first 150 meters in the 4-by-200 brought the Cape crowd to its feet. “We are counting on him big time in football,” said coach Bill Collick. “He is a threat on special teams and sweeps to break it open any time he touches the football.” He is a solid student who comes to school and goes to practice every day over three seasons.
