Athletes of the Week July 23

Dominic Mangini

A rising seventh-grader at Mariner Middle School, this powerful right-hander has delivered for the Milton Major All-Stars in the District 3 tournament. He has pitched 11 innings, garnering a 2.18 ERA while striking out 18 batters, walking eight and giving up just four earned runs. He produced a booming home run and four RBIs in the 11-2 victory over Lewes/Rehoboth July 21. "Dominic is a great kid," said Milton coach Ukie Johnson. "He gives you all that he has. He is a beast on the mound and anchors our pitching staff. He responds well to adversity when his teammates encourage and rally behind him. He will play anywhere we need him – pitching, first base, third base and even the outfield. He just wants to help the team, and he is always encouraging others." When not playing baseball, you can usually find Dominic playing video games or hanging out at the pool. 

David Shackley 

This 58-year-old athlete is swimming faster now than he did in his 30s. David won the nine-mile open swim non-wetsuit division at the Ocean City Games July 17 in a fast time of 2:52:12, which was more than 10 minutes faster than the second-place finisher. David also finished faster than the winner of the wetsuit division. He bought a weekend home in Dewey Beach in 2019, but remote working means he and his wife spend most of their time in Delaware these days. “With spending so much time in Dewey, it’s enabled me to swim in the ocean a ton more than I ever have, and I think that’s why I’m swimming faster now than when I was in my 30s,” he said. David was also part of a six-man team that swam across the Delaware Bay from Cape May to Lewes last fall. David is on the board of USA Swimming but spends his workdays as vice president of corporate communications and creative services for Marriott International. 

Jack Simeone

A hard-throwing right-hander on the mound, this rising seventh-grader at Beacon Middle School has put fear into the opposing batters during the District 3 Major tournament while ripping the cover off the ball at the plate, going 10-for-15 with 10 RBIs. He has pitched two games without giving up a single hit, and recently struck out 15 Lower Sussex batters in an 11-1 Lewes/Rehoboth victory. "On the mound, his velocity and accuracy put him in a class by himself," said Lewes/Rehoboth manager Greg James. "He also has a huge bat with home run power that has delivered for the team throughout the tournament. To top it off, he has a great glove at shortstop or any other position on the field. He has an infectious sense of humor, but he's all business on game night." When not playing baseball, Jack enjoys going to the beach.

Lisa Veneziano

This 56-year-old retired General Motors executive from Fenton, Mich. (executive director of global aftersales supply chain) was the first woman and third overall finisher at the 20th annual Santa Sprint 5K at Northbeach in Dewey. She ran 18:54, fast enough for a women’s age-group course record, but the high heat slowed her and everyone else down. Lisa is arguably among the best age-group runners in the country in distances ranging from 5K up through the marathon. She had broken three hours in the marathon (2:58:55) and was part of the elite early start group in the Boston Marathon when she was a 44-year-old elite masters runner. Lisa trains comparatively lightly on the roads, perhaps 30 miles a week, but supplements that with stationary bike and treadmill workouts. Lisa won the 15K at the 2019 Bastille Day race in a time of 1:01:31. Lisa and husband Jay Owens, also a runner, have been grabbing summer vacation time at the Delaware beaches for the last 10 years.