Cape swim teams dunk Dover, sidestroke into winter vacation
The weather inside the humidor at the Rehoboth Y swim venue is always wet and party cloudy until your glasses adjust. The smell of chlorine wafting from agitated waters makes spectators look like they just disembarked from an overnight red-eye flight from California.
A whistle blows at 3:30 p.m. and the competition is on. The athletes are schooled (to use a nautical term), they know what they are doing and when they’re not doing it, many are texting or sharing headphones, following teammates and checking times.
The Cape girls stayed unbeaten, defeating previously unbeaten Dover 107- 63 to improve to 4-0 on the season.
There are nine freshmen on the Cape team and only two seniors. “We are keeping our kids,” coach Bill Geppert said before the meet. “The success of our girls' teams in other sports is contagious. It’s an incredible talent pool right now, and that also goes for academics.”
The girls got the party started by winning the 200 medley relay with Kaitlin Philcox, Colleen Bailey, Grace Brokaw and Sarah Koon in 2:09.39.
The 200 freestyle was won by Connor Reader of Dover in 2:09.85.
Cape’s Philcox came back to win the 200 individual medley in 2:41.06. Freshman Grace Brokow won the 50 freestyle in 27.31 and 100 butterfly in 1:13.33.
Freshman Devon Warner was Cape’s other winner, capturing the 100 breaststroke in 1:22.71.
Dover’s Brianna Solomon won the 100 freestyle in 57.9 and 100 backstroke in 1:04.92.
The 500 freestyle was won by Reader of Dover in 5:39.95.
Dover captured the 200 freestyle relay with Paige Casto, Reader, Rebecca Lazzeri and Solomon in 1:50.87.
The Senators also won the 400 free relay with Casto, Reader, Lazzeri and Solomon in 4:13.15.
The Cape boys improved to 3-1 on the season, also defeating a previously unbeaten Dover team 107-63. The Vikings were short a couple frontline performers who jetted off early for winter vacation.
Charlie Burton won the 200 individual medley in 2:21.25 and 100 breaststroke in 1:08.1. Matt Spicer won the 200 freestyle in 2:09.92. Jack Weeks captured the 500 freestyle in 5:19.02. Troy Saltiel won the 100 backstroke in 1:13.0
Cape captured the 200 medley relay with a team of Weeks, Burton, Dan Myers and Andrew Hynes in 1:55.6.
Cedric Barnes of Dover won the 100 butterfly in 1:10.9, while teammate Dillon Marier won the 100 freestyle in 57.39.
Dover won the 200 free relay with Marier, Barnes, Anthony Lang and Nat Valenti in 1:42.20; the Senators also captured the 400 free relay with Marier, Barnes, Lang and Valenti in 3:48.39.
