Athletes of the Week Jan. 19

January 19, 2024

Jason Baker

Even Olympians sometimes struggle to even-split distance races, but Cape sophomore Jason Baker timed things to perfection in the 3,200 meters Jan. 13 at the prestigious VA Showcase in Virginia Beach. Baker outclassed a deep field of 26 runners in his heat, running perfectly even 1,600s of 4:54.4 and 4:54.4 to cross the line in 9:48.81 and demolish the sophomore school record. He controlled the race from 400 meters through the mile before giving up the lead to Samuel Daunt of Battlefield (Va.), then bided his time a second or two back until the final 200-meter circuit. That’s when Baker made a decisive move, upping his cadence and striding away with a 31.9-second lap. Jason’s time ranks 16th among sophomores nationally and sits as the sixth-fastest performance ever by a Delaware 10th-grader. He set a personal best of 4:36.17 for 1,600 meters earlier in the meet.

Ben Clifton

This senior middle-distance specialist blew away his own Cape record for 500 meters Jan. 13 at the VA Showcase in Virginia Beach, clocking 1:07.65 to place 15th among 164 athletes in the unseeded sections. Benjamin hit the 400-meter mark in a blistering 53 seconds and stayed strong despite the inevitable explosion of lactic acid in the homestretch. His time ranks 95th nationally this season, 57th in the Class of 2024, and sixth all-time among Delawareans. Clifton returned to the track just an hour later to help the Vikings scare a school record in the 4-by-400-meter relay, as they clocked a time of 3:34.41. He tested his endurance in the 1,600 meters a day earlier, recording a personal best of 4:49.23. Benjamin clocked 1:59.53 for 800 meters Jan. 7, and he looks primed to take down Vince Lewis Sr.’s school indoor record (1:59.21) sometime soon.

Andrew Jakubowitch

Andy, 45, of Dover placed eighth overall and third in the masters division in 1:26:54 in the Key West Half Marathon. Andy is a civil engineer specializing in the water/wastewater sector with more than two decades of experience. His personal life is deeply intertwined with his passion for sports, as he is happily married to Erin Jakubowitch, who is not only his life partner but also his favorite training companion. Andy’s life outside work is a blend of family time with his wife and their three children (Keri, Meg and Addy), and an unwavering commitment to physical fitness. He indulges in running, hiking and cycling whenever he can. Andrew has been running since the age of 5, and has participated in myriad athletic events. His track record includes Ironman Louisville, Ironman Maryland, Beach to Battleship Ironman (twice), Duathlon World Championships, Pine Creek Challenge 100-mile race and 16 appearances in the Boston Marathon.

Erin Jakubowitch

Erin, 43, of Dover, who runs many local races, completed the Key West Half Marathon last weekend in 1:41:01, which is a 7:44 mile pace, to win the women’s masters division. Erin was 67th overall in the popular race that attracted 1,774 runners. She said, “I am a busy mother to three wonderful daughters – Keri, Meg and Addy – and a professional with over two decades of experience in nursing. I am presently employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. I started running/racing in 2012, and started training for my first marathon in 2014. I’m currently training to run my ninth consecutive Boston Marathon in April. Andy and I met at a Races2Run 5K in Wilmington in March 2014, and married in 2016. Busy life with active teenagers in their own sports prevents us from racing as much as we used to, but we both still train for and run Boston every year, and try to run a few half marathons and some local 5Ks when we can.”