Beacon girls win McKinnon Invite
The Beacon Middle School girls' track and field team traveled north to Wilmington May 4 and captured the 12-team 10th annual McKinnon Invitational at Mount Pleasant. It was the second time the girls have captured the meet title, as they first won it in 2014. Beacon led the meet off by winning the 800-meter relay in a school record time of 11:05, one of the fastest times in the country for middle school athletes. First-year runner Meredith Lockwood led off with a 2:38 opening leg, followed by sixth-grader Mia Neubling in 2:50, eighth-grader Lindsey Guida in 2:48 and anchor Olivia Brozefsky in 2:46.
Beacon also won the 100-meter relay with Mekia Applewhite, Breahna Kusen, Rose Minni and Timesha Cannon in a time of 54.6 as well as the 200 relay with Minni, Amaya Daisey, Aya Daisey and Cannon in 1:56.9.
Cannon won the 100 meters in 13.2, while Applewhite won the 200 meters in 28.0. Brozefsky captured the 1,600 meters in 5:40 to tie the meet record, while Lockwood won the 800 meters in 2:45. Beacon dominated the hurdles, as Kusen won the 100 hurdles in 17.0 and came back to win the 300 hurdles in 52.0. Sixth-grader Noelle Sabbagh was third in the 100 hurdles and second in the 300 hurdles for Beacon.
Minni won the long jump in 14-feet-6-inches, while Daisey won the high jump in 4-feet-8-inches.
The final race of the day, a novice sprint medley meant for younger athletes who would not make an A team, was one of the most exciting races of the night. Beacon led off with Natalie Guida in the 800 meters, who handed off 30 meters behind going into the 200-meter leg of Katie Knarr. Knarr closed it up to 25 meters, and Sloane Buckaloo ran a tough third leg to close it to 20 meters going into the anchor leg of of 400 meters. Quarter-miler Destini Kusen closed in every step and went after the leader with 100 meters to go, catching the Garnet Valley runner with 50 meters left to win the race for Beacon and exciting the crowd.
“This was a huge win for the program with some pretty good teams in the meet,” said coach Gilbert Maull. “The girls just went out and did what they have been taught and pretty much gave us 100 percent and took care of business. We had some great performances and some girls who stepped up and filled in with tough races.”
Both the Beacon boys and girls as well as the Mariner boys and girls were scheduled to compete in the Cape Classic held Thursday, May 5, at Cape Henlopen High School.
Track Notes - Eighth-grader Giovanni Bendelfelt won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.6, the 300 hurdles in 44.5 and the long jump in 16 feet to score 30 points with three gold medals in the meet. After his second hurdles win in record time, coaches began coming up to me and asking me how many hours a day he practices and how many days a week.
I pointed to my assistant and hurdle guru, Gilbert Maull, and said, "I'm just the manager, he's the coach."
Breahna Kusen scored 24.5 points to be the meet's high scorer, as she won the 100 hurdles, ran on the winning 100-meter relay, won the 300 hurdles in 52 seconds, and led off the 400 relay with a 1:08 split.
Mariner track and field
It was a fast 800 meters at the Mariner and Dover meet, as a Dover middle schooler went 2:13 to win the race with Cesar Campos running 2:18 for second place and a four-second personal record. The Dover distance runner also turned in a 5:05, the fastest middle school time since Ben Bamforth ran 5:01 for Beacon in 2013.
Mariner went 1:42.5 in the 200 relay, a fast middle school time and a new Mariner school record. A talented Jordan Jefferson finished second in the 100 meters in 12.5, won the 400 meters in 59.1 and anchored the winning 200 relay.
Mother's Day Remembrance 5K
This weekend’s Mother’s Day 5K will be a way to remember a loved one, as the 5K will honor all we have lost and all we remember in our hearts. The race is the second stop on the Irish Eyes 6-Pack Series and will travel from Market Street to Cedar to the turnaround just past the Children’s Beach House. Yellow ribbons will be available at the registration area to write your loved one’s name on and race in their honor. Registration will begin at 8 a.m.
Race Note - The British Motorcar Show will be set up behind the Beacon Motel, so there will be no race parking behind the motel. Race parking will be in the following locations: The public beach parking lot behind the Dairy Queen, the 1812 Memorial Park just west of the drawbridge on Savannah Road and the front of the Beacon Motel. Please do not park on Anglers Road or the Fisherman’s Wharf lot.
Upcoming races
• Saturday, May 7, Mother's Day 5K, Race No. 2 of Irish Eyes 6-Pack Series, 9 a.m., Irish Eyes, Lewes, www.seashorestriders.com
• Saturday, May 14, John M. Scharp Geck-Go 5K, 8:30 a.m., Dewey Beach, races2run.com
• Saturday, May 14, Inaugural Schell Brothers Run Happy 5K, Coastal Club, Lewes, 1 p.m., www.seashorestriders.com
• Sunday, May 15, Wild Goose Chase 5K Run & Walk, Trap Pond State Park, Laurel, 9:30 a.m., www.seashorestriders.com
• Sunday, May 15, Inaugural Milton Fire Department Memorial 5K, 9 a.m., Milton, races2run.com.
