Three Cape girls travel to biggest track meet in the U.S.

Three members of the Cape Henlopen girls’ track and field team traveled last weekend to the largest track and field meet in the United States, the Ocean Breeze Invitational in Staten Island, N.Y.

The meet was held at the state-of the-art Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex on Father Capodanno Boulevard in Staten Island, which is less than 10 minutes from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. 

The complex features an elite-level hydraulically banked track that can be converted from eight to six lanes and can incline 4.5 feet. It also has an eight-lane sprint/hurdle straightaway, a basement-level warm-up area, two long/triple jump runways, two weight/shot put cages, two high jumps, two pole vault runways and an on-site food concession. 

“This facility was huge and just state-of-the-art,” commented assistant coach Gilbert Maull. “We have been to two of the nicest facilities in the country in the Armory and Ocean Breeze, and it is nice that Cape Henlopen is allowing us to expose our athletes to this competition.”

The meet was represented by nine states and the District of Columbia with 4,927 athletes and 6,565 entries, making it the largest in the United States.

Vikings junior thrower Ce’yra Middleton captured the varsity shot put with a toss of 36-feet-7¼-inches over 34 competitors in the championship flight and more than 64 total throwers in the meet. Middleton, who won last week’s Henlopen Conference Championship in 37-feet-11-inches, tossed the winning throw on her fifth of six throws to move into the lead in the finals.

Teammate Mackenzie Parker, also a junior, tossed the shot 32-feet-2½-inches on her final throw to finish 12th overall in her flight.

Timesha Cannon finished 11th overall in a field of 60 sophomore sprinters with a time of 7.95 seconds in the 55-meter dash. Cannon returned later in the meet to finish 38th in a field of 64 in a time of 28.99 for the 200-meter dash.

State championships on tap

The DIAA State Championships will be held in Landover, Md., at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex Saturday, Feb. 3. The Vikings boys will compete in six individual events and all three relays. Kenny Witherspoon has the highest ranking, as he is seeded fourth in the high jump with a season best of 5-feet-10-inches.

Here is a look at the Cape boys and their rankings going into Saturday’s state championships:

Kenny Witherspoon, fourth in the high jump; Ryan Head, sixth in the pole vault; 3,200-meter relay team, eighth; Giovanni Bendfeldt, ninth in the pole vault; Jordan Keener, 10th in the high jump; Isaiah Fillyau, 11th in the 55-meter hurdles; Greg Boyce, 14th in the 1,600 meters; 800-meter relay team, 16th; 1,600-meter relay team, 18th.

The Vikings girls will compete in four individual events and two sprint relays. Junior thrower Ce’yra Middleton is ranked highest on the girls’ side, as she goes into the meet with the state’s second-best throw of 37-feet-11-inches. Here is a look at the Vikings girls and their rankings going into Saturday’s state championships: 

Mackenzie Parker, fourth in the shot put; 800-meter relay team, fifth; Amaya Daisey, 10th in the long jump; Timesha Cannon, 12th in the 55-meter dash; 1,600-meter relay team, 14th. Good luck to both Cape indoor teams.

Valentines Day 5K

The 13th annual Valentines Day 5K Run will be held at Cape Henlopen State Park, beginning from the fishing pier at 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 11. Register by going to seashorestriders.com. Preregistration is available through Friday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. Cost is $22. Race-day registration is open from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. Cost is $25. Custom-made awards, tech Ts for all registered runners. The course will feature an out-and-back 3.1-mile course to the Great Dune overlook and back. Most of the race is on the multi-use bike path. Lace up your running shoes, get your sweetheart and shake off the winter blues with the 13th Valentines Day 5K. See you on the starting line!