Athletes of the Week Feb. 16

Luke Bender

Beacon’s 94-pound wrestling champion has to be nicknamed “Cool Hand Luke.” Lucas comes from a family of six siblings and always seems so relaxed, especially when he is on the mat. He just completed a perfect 11-0 season, all of his victories coming by pin. And it gets even more impressive. Luke didn’t give up a takedown the entire season and was never on his back the entire year. “I started wrestling at age 4,” he said. Luke wrestles year-round. He goes to Malvern one night a week for a practice and has wrestled in tournaments outside the state. Luke is also a middle infielder on the Beacon baseball team.

Ryan Bixler

A swimmer on the Cape’s boys’ team, Ryan won a “swimmer race” Feb. 10 at the Henlopen Conference Championships, capturing the 200-meter freestyle title and the 20 points that go with first place. Ryan then came back and placed fourth in the 100-meter freestyle, and swam on the 400 freestyle relay that placed third and the 200 freestyle relay that placed fourth. Ryan is a junior and is the student leader of the Cape Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Ryan has decided to give up the sport of lacrosse this spring to concentrate more on his swimming. An honors student, Ryan said, “It’s hard to make a decision when my friends are saying you should play, but I’ll be there supporting them.”

Aya Daisey

A freshman double-down athlete who runs indoor track and swims, Aya is also an honors and Academic Challenge student who, for relaxation, likes to read. There was no relaxing Feb. 10 at the Henlopen Conference Swim Championships, as the Cape girls pulled off a shocker and won the meet. Aya’s day included winning the 100 butterfly, placing second in the 200 freestyle, second in the 50 freestyle and and swimming on the third-place medley relay team and the second-place 200 freestyle. “I was happily surprised we won the championship. We all worked together, and the coaches prepared us really well,” she said. Aya said her twin sister Amaya is her best friend. They both swim, run track and read books, too.

Erin Morrissey

Erin is another Cape freshman who showed up at the Henlopen Conference Swimming Championships and helped the Vikings bring home their sixth straight team title. Erin, a 5-foot-7 volleyball-first athlete, was fourth in the 50 and 100 freestyle races, picking up 30 team points, and swam on the 200 freestyle relay that placed second and the medley relay that placed third. “I started swimming at Sea Colony when I was 5 years old,” Erin said. “The Cape coaches determined that freestyle was my best event.” Erin is also an honors and Academic Challenge student. She has two younger brothers. “I’ll play on a club volleyball team in the spring,” she said, adding, “I am best at the net.”