Athletes of the Week Aug. 12
Avary Miller
“The Biz” spent four days, Aug. 1-4, at the 2022 Junior Olympic Games at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Avary’s team went 4-2 against some tough competition featuring 108 hockey players, and emerged as the gold medalist. Avary then showed up on Friday, the last day of Champions Field Hockey Camp and played for three hours, helping close out the camp season. The incoming Cape ninth-grader will begin practice with the high school hopefuls Monday, Aug. 15. Other athletes on junior olympic teams included Jordyn Hollomon, Bree Moffitt, Audrey Nelson and Hannah Zimmerman.
Maria Miller
Maria, 40, breezed to a 5K victory Sunday morning in Laurel, claiming the women’s title in the WaterMel 5K in 20:24, which is a 6:35 mile pace. Maria is from Tyaskin, Md., and mostly runs in the Salisbury area. “I have run in the high 18s for 5K, but yesterday I did a 20-mile training run,” Maria said. “My approach to running is to train and run all the distances from 5Ks to ultra stuff like 50Ks and hundred-milers. By varying training and race distances, I keep it fun and keep from getting injured.” Maria ran the Algonquin 50K trail run Feb. 4 in 4:30:22. She completed the Tuckahoe 25K in Queen Anne, Md., in 2:04:03 and was second in the Pemberton 24, a four-person relay that runs continuously for 24 hours. What may sound like torture to most is relaxing and taxing fun to Maria Miller.
Bob Paulen
Somewhere in Dewey Beach, of all places, lives retired minister Bob Paulen. If you have been to the Cape track in the heat of the day over the last 10 years, you may have seen Bob running hurdles. Bob just returned from the National Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Bob entered and won six events in the 85-89 age group, including the pentathlon, short hurdles, long hurdles, high jump, long jump and triple jump. “The frosting on the cake is I set an American record in both hurdle races,” Bob said. “That gives me three U.S. records in my age group this year. Maybe I should retire.”
Dylan Varrato
Dylan is a cross country and track guy who graduated from Sussex Tech in 2013 and West Point in 2017. Dylan was commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was in the aviation unit. Dylan was grounded Sunday morning running the WaterMel 5K in Laurel. He has always looked the part of a runner/soldier. If you think West Point, Dylan Varrato fits the image. Check out this Lou Nicoletti-coached Sussex Tech cross country lineup from 2012 with their times in a win over Cape – Victor Rueda (17:03), Sam Hete (17:07), Jake Bamforth (17:54), Dylan Varrato (17:59). Dylan, now 27 and still in the military, ran 18:03 to place second in the WaterMel 5K.
