Athletes of the Week Jan. 13

Zeke Bean

A senior transfer from York Comprehensive High School in South Carolina, Zeke reached his 100th true win (not counting forfeits) Jan. 11 with a 16-0 tech fall over Emmanuel Davis at Polytech. Before coming to the Vikings squad, Bean placed second in the South Carolina region and was champion in the postseason at the SCYWA states. "He moved in to a tough lineup and he fits in nicely," said Cape coach Chris Mattioni. "He has earned the respect of his teammates because he shows up consistently and has worked his butt off." Bean is 17-3 so far this season and 100-53 overall in his career. He was also the 145 champion at the Bishop Ireton Tournament earlier in the season.  "He's a nice kid and has been a great addition to our team." When asked what he does in his spare time, his answer was, "I wrestle." 

Vinnie Diego

A four-year senior starter for the Cape Henlopen wrestling team, Diego took third in the DIAA state tournament last year, and he's on track to make a another appearance on the podium this postseason. He defeated a tough Noah Deneumoustier from Polytech 1-0 Jan. 11 in a match that was prime-time excitement. "Vinnie has progressed every year that he has wrestled," said Cape coach Chris Mattioni. "He had a setback in the Charter match this season, where he broke a tooth, and he now has to wear a face mask and mouth guard. That's a little disadvantage for him and it's taken a little time to get used to it, but he has wrestled very well." Diego is 11-4 so far this season and is 87-47 overall in his Cape career. 

Joe Kane

Beacon wrestling coach Pat Irelan was no joke stoked after a 44-40 win at Selbyville Jan. 11. He submitted Joe Kane for Athlete of the Week. Joe is probably the most polite wrestler in the room, but Wednesday the nice guy toughened up. Kane moved up two weight classes to 145 pounds and pulled off a huge minor decision that proved to be the difference in defeating Selbyville. Coach Irelan’s use of “huge minor decision” reflected his journalism degree from ECU. Beacon Principal Dave Frederick echoed the feeling of all who know Joe Kane, saying, “Just a great, great kid.”

Cory Lawson

A senior AP student at Cape, Cory already has the 2016 DIAA state wrestling championship under his belt. He has logged a 20-4 record so far this season and 83-27 in his Vikings career. He recently took the top spot on the podium at the Bishop Ireton Classic and knocked off four quality opponents at the Capital Duals tournament at St. John’s College High School in D.C. "We bumped him up, and he won two matches against the better guys at 170," said Cape coach Chris Mattioni. "Cory wrestled a tough match against [Polytech’s] Avery Mayan. He stayed in good position, wrestled high tempo and took advantage of his positioning, and got a good win." When not on the mats, Cory plays football and participates in student government and the Leo Club.