Athletes of the Week June 15
Solomon Cox
A 2014 Cape Henlopen graduate with the best nickname – Yum Yum – ran cross country as a senior and played basketball for coach Steve Re for two varsity seasons. Solomon also ran track, specializing in the 400 and 800, mostly as a relay runner. He also played some football. But the big reason Yum Yum appears here in 2018 is to recognize his recent graduation from Goldey-Beacom College with a degree in sports management after running four years of cross country. “Solomon told me he didn’t like running all that much, but he was good at it so he kept doing it,” Re joked. Solomon’s been working at The Factory this summer and would love to get involved coaching kids in the Cape district.
Victor Rueda-Jimenez
A 2014 Sussex Tech graduate, this cross country runner led the Ravens to some glory years under coach Lou Nicoletti, including an 11-0 campaign in 2012. Victor, a top runner in the Henlopen Conference, said, “The first half of the race you run with your head; the second half you run with your heart.” Victor also graduated from Goldey-Beacom this spring with a degree in health care management, and because of a redshirt year, he will return in the fall to work on his master’s degree while continuing to run for coach Andrew Shearer, who has completed 29 marathons himself. The great thing about a degree from Goldey-Beacom is it usually translates to an actual job.
Lilly Short
Just the best eighth-grader ever to play varsity soccer in the small state of Delaware helped lead the Sussex Academy Seahawks to an impressive 13-2 record and a berth in Division II state tournament. Lilly scored in all 16 games she played, amassing a freakishly fat total of 39 goals while scoring three or more goals seven times. She scored several game-winning goals, including the game-winner in a 1-0 win at Division I tournament-bound Cape Henlopen. Lilly will do her four years of high school at Sussex Tech. Astoundingly, Lilly did not appear on any postseason all-state teams, including first- or second-team Division II. Someone either dropped the ball or never bothered booting what was certainly a direct kick.
Adam Webber
The 37-year-old former middle distance star for the Pitt Panthers – Big East champions his four years – left everyone in his wake at the Cape Sprint Triathlon June 10 at Cape Henlopen State Park. Adam was out of the water in 6:30, spent 24:26 on the bike with an average of 23.8 mph, then finished off with a 17:03 5K, a 5:30 mile pace. “I’ve done over 100 triathlons,” Adam said afterward. “I live in Denver, Pa., where I’m a police officer. I’m able to adjust heavy training days to my work schedule.” Webber never mentioned he was the mayor of his hometown. Adam was all Big East in the 400 and 800 relays, and has a degree in criminal justice.
