Hundley, Bamforth lead Striders at nationals
The local Seashore Striders placed two runners in the Top 10 and four more in the Top 20 to crown six Youth All-Americans to highlight the local team at the Coaches Youth National Championships in Terra Haute, Ind. Seventeen athletes competed among the country’s best youth runners, with Bethany’s Lord Baltimore fifth-grader Blake Hundley leading the way by finishing second on the 3K course in 11:15 in the 9-10 Bantam Division, while Tamrat Snyder of Maryland won his second national title, running 10:43.
Ben Bamforth finished ninth overall in a personal record of 14:15 for the 4K course in the 13-14 Youth Division, which converts to a 17:49 5K race. Lainey Shockro, in just her first year at the nationals, was 11th, running 9:36 in the 8 and under Primary race, while Logan Shuttleworth was 18th in the 11-12 Midget race in 12:04. Devin Hundley was 19th in the Primary race in 10:08, while first-year runner Emma Barthelmess of Bethany Beach was 20th in the Bantam race in 13:11.
Natasha Taylor finished 33rd in the 15-16 Intermediate Division in 22:24 for the 5K course, while Lindsay Rambo finished 37th in the Bantam Division in 13:46 for the 3K course. Megan Davidson also finished 37th in the 15-16 Intermediate Division in 23:17 for the 5K course, while Daniel Brown finished 43rd in the 11-12 Midget Division in 12:39 for the 3K course. Nine-year-old Ethan Shuttleworth got stuck on the outside of a narrow starting line and went down, along with six others in the race. Shuttleworth got back on his feet to finish 48th for the 2K 8 and under Primary in 9:34 and has some spike scars on his legs to take back to Delaware. Seth DePrince finished 48th in the 13-14 Youth Division in 16:07 for the 4K, while Lohgan Kline finished 51st in the Youth Division in 16:57 for the 4K. Brock Diaz finished 53rd in the 11-12 Midget Division in 12:58 for the 3K course, while Sky Dunmyer finished 56th in the Bantam Division in 15:00 for the 3K. Hunter Steelman finished 73rd in the Youth Division in 17:30 for 4K, while Elizabeth DePrince finished 75th in the Youth Division in 19:50 for the 4K.
The trip was the 22nd year in a row that the Seashore Striders have been represented at the national championships, dating back to 1990 when the team took two girls to Portland, Ore.
All-state cross country
Cape Henlopen junior Austin MacElrevey and Beacon Middle School eighth grader Ben Bamforth were honored at the All-State Cross Country Banquet Dec. 5 at Padua Academy for their accomplishments this past season.
MacElrevey, who won the Sussex County Championship and finished third in the Henlopen Conference and seventh in the state, landed a spot on third team all-state.
Bamforth, running for the Seashore Striders, won the Delaware Middle School Championships and finished third at the regional and ninth at the national championships in Terra Haute, Ind., running 4,000 meters in 14:15. Bamforth is only the second downstate runner to win the boys' title; the first was Andrew Lloyd of Seaford back in the early 90s.
Marathon mania
The race is here, the planning is finished, the bags are stuffed and the T-shirts printed. Awards have arrived, the course safety is in place, timing mats placed and ready. Ten groups will man the course with 18 stops, over 1,000 gallons of water and 45,000 cups. Just over 2,000 runners are on the starting line for the annual Seashore Marathon & Half Marathon hosted by the Rehoboth Beach Running Company and the Seashore Striders.
Thank you to residents of Rehoboth Beach and Lewes for your support of this great event. Over and out.
