Cape track teams win Henlopen North titles

The Cape track & field teams went 2-0 at the Senior Day meet against Smyrna and Dover May 2, to raise each team’s season record to 7-0 and secure Northern Division titles. For the girls, it’s the Vikings’ third straight North title after seasons of 8-0 and 6-1. Their three-season record is now 21-1. The girls have battled a tough Smyrna team the past two years, with the first two meets coming down to the final event. This time around, the Vikings handled the Eagles fairly easily, winning the meet by 38 points, 92.5-54.5. Cape also beat Dover 109-35. The Cape boys topped Smyrna 109-38 and Dover 119-27.

The girls split the relays, with Cape taking the 1,600 and 3,200. Cape got big days from Katie Kuhlman, Alexa Dougherty and Kennedy Johnson. Kuhlman won the mile in 5:37.9 and contributed to the 3,200 relay win. Dougherty won the 300-meter hurdles in 48.9, the triple jump in 31-feet-6-inches and ran on the 3,200 and 1,600m relays. Johnson won the 200-meter dash in 26.9 and the 400-meter dash in 1:03.3. Also, Zoe Miller won the 3,200 in 13:05, Haley Archambault won the discus in 97-5, Anejah Johnson-Grace won the high jump in 4-6 and Addison Bowman won the pole vault in 7-6.

On the boys’ side, Cape won three of the four relays. Ryan Baker won the 1,600 in 4:35.8. Trey Leggins won the 400-meter dash in 51.8 and the long jump in 20-7.5. Ben Clifton won the 800-meter run in 2:02.3. Maurki James won the 100-meter dash in 11.2. Trey Johnson won the 200-meter dash in 22.7. Max Gillen won the 3,200-meter run in 10:31.1. Ryan Betins won the discus in 117-9. Stephen Hart won the high jump in 5-8. Bailey Fletcher won the pole vault in 13-6. Fletcher owns the best vault in Delaware this season at 14-4.

In other conference highlights, the Sussex Central boys beat Sussex Tech 97-35 May 2, while the Sussex Tech girls won 55-38. The Sussex Academy team was scheduled to take on Indian River May 4 in a post-deadline meet. An eye-opening 5:17 and 11:13 from Brynn Crandell were turned in May 1 in a meet with Lake Forest and Seaford. The Henlopen Conference girls’ 1,600 meters will be one of the races to pay attention to, as quality distance runners Katie Kuhlman, Brynn Crandell and Katya Geyer will go head to head for four loops of the oval.

Speaking of Indian River, the track program is led by my friend Bobby Hahn, and there are seven coaches on staff covering all areas of the sport with 43 boys and 30 girls on the team. I commend Athletic Director Todd Fuhrmann and the Indian River School District for making a commitment to the track & field program the same way Cape did years ago. IR will only get better each year.  

On Wednesday, Mariner took on Dover Central and Beacon hosted Chipman in middle school action. No results were posted for either meet.  

Cape and Sussex Academy traveled to the Unionville Invitational last weekend. Several Vikings ran very well, including Ben Clifton cruising to a 1:57.27 time in the 800 meters. Ryan Baker ran 2:00.21. Baker’s 800 run came after he won the 3,200 in the morning in a nice time of 9:28.72. Katya Geyer of Sussex Academy ran a quick 3,200 meters in 11:41.10 to log the Seahawks’ top finishing place, while Justin Friscia ran a personal best at 800 meters in 2:02.05.

Cape boys run well at Penn

The Vikings made their traditional trip north to the annual Penn Relays last week, with the boys turning in a quick time of 43.50 in the 400-meter relay, then returning a few hours later for the 1,600-meter relay with their best time this season of 4:27.85. The Vikings finished second to Woodbridge, N.J., which ran 3:27.41 and missed winning a historic Penn Relay wheel by only 0.44 seconds in an exciting finish. Konner Knarr, Trey Leggins, Thomas Messick and Maurki James made up the 400-meter relay, while Knarr, Ben Clifton, Leggins and James made up 1,600-meter relay. For the girls, Kennedy Johnson, Ashley Carrier, Katie Kuhlman and Alexa Dougherty ran the 400-meter relay in 54.53.