Cape girls bring home fifth straight swimming championship

The spacious new Sussex Academy Aquatic Center was the place to be Feb. 11 as the Cape Henlopen girls’ swim team won its fifth straight Henlopen Conference Swimming Championship.

The setting was brand new ­– Sussex Academy’s eight-lane, high-tech pool just opened in December – but winning is nothing new for this team. The senior girls have never lost in Henlopen Conference competition, and this year’s victory can only be called spectacular.

After 18 events, 15 Cape swimmers and teams had set new personal bests, none more sensational than the 400 freestyle relay team of Molly Weeks, Sarah Hyde, Amelia Nigh-Johnson and Sarah Rambo.

Clocking in at 3:40:76, Cape’s own Fab Four shattered the Henlopen Conference 400 freestyle relay record by an incredible 15 seconds.

Rambo, a senior, individually broke a Cape record, swimming the 100 backstroke in 1:01.12, a record Weeks had set the week before. Even so, Rambo was quick to credit her teammates for the team’s conference victory.

In swimming, it’s not only the top swimmers who contribute points; as coach Bill Geppert explained, “The conference meet is all about depth. We had great depth this year, and they all delivered.”

Geppert was honored as Henlopen Conference Girls’ Coach of the Year, while Weeks, for the second time, was recognized as Vince Morris Outstanding Female Swimmer.

Cape’s Alec Hochrein, who set new personal bests in his 50 and 100 freestyle wins, was named Vince Morris Outstanding Male Swimmer, the only Cape boy ever to win the honor.

Hochrein also credited his team, which finished second in the meet behind Caesar Rodney. “This is the best team I’ve ever been a part of in my high school career,” he said.

Congratulations to all the Cape swimmers and coaches for an outstanding season and for the teams’ outstanding sportsmanship. And our best wishes for good luck and fast swims to all who swim in state competition, starting Wednesday, Feb. 22, at the University of Delaware.