Will DiPaolo

This Cape senior pole vaulter lifted off into rarified air April 16 at the Under Armour Black and Blue Invitational in Maryland, skying over 15-feet-7-inches to earn the win and set a new school record. Will’s clearance ranks second all-time in Delaware and, per MileSplit, is the 87th best performance nationally this outdoor season. Will followed up that breakthrough with victories at the Unionville Invitational (14-6) and the Henlopen Northern Division Championship (14-0). The defending outdoor state champion and 2026 indoor champ does much of his training with a renowned Philadelphia-based club. He leads an army of five Cape vaulters who rank among the top seven in the state. Will also excels in the classroom, where he takes AP and Academic Challenge courses. He will attend Dickinson College.

Tripp Gannon 

A baseball and wrestling guy, Tripp decided in the spring of his senior year to give the pole vault a try. Tripp is coming off a wrestling season where he was 32-17 with 20 pins. He placed fifth in this year's state meet. At the Northern Division Championship April 29, Tripp cleared a personal-best 14 feet in the pole vault to grab second place behind teammate and school record holder Will DiPaolo. Junior Weston Bohl grabbed third with a personal-record height of 12-6. All three are on Delaware’s top-10 list. Tripp joins an elite list of Cape vaulters over 56 years of competition who have cleared 14 feet in their careers. “Wrestlers make great pole vaulters,” said coach Matt Lindell.  “Gannon is the best wrestling/pole vault combination athlete since double state champ Randy Johnson in 1977.” Tripp’s college plans are up in the air, where he is at his best. 

Harper Mamele

Volleyball players make good high jumpers, which was proven April 29 at the Henlopen Northern Division meet, where Harper set a Cape school record by clearing 5-feet-6-inches, the best jump in the state this year. The state record is held by Tish Milligan of Seaford at 5-8. Harper’s focus is volleyball, especially on the beach, and she also played basketball for coach Ron Dukes this past season. Cape’s Natalie Horsey, a freshman, was second in the high jump with a personal-best clearance of 5-2. And Ellen Ramsey, a sophomore and first-time jumper, cleared a personal-best height of 4-10 to grab eighth place. The Northern and Southern Division come together May 7-8 for the Henlopen Championships at Lake Forest Forest High School. Cape coaches Ellis Gaulden and George Pepper both coach Cape’s high jumpers.  

Debora Williams

This Sussex Academy senior has been playing like a senior since her varsity soccer career began in eighth grade. After controlling the midfield for her career, Debora moved back to the last line of defense her senior year, and the Seahawks have been rewarded with seven total clean sheets, including their recent run of four in a row. In the latest shutout April 28, Debora was quick to credit her teammates and goalie Ella Sprucebank, but she used her immense IQ, which is not confined to the pitch, by the way, to snuff out any chances Polytech had. Pressing forward late in the second half, Debora tallied the lone goal after fighting for a loose ball in the box off a free kick. She will continue her playing career next fall at the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, but make no mistake, this girl is academics first.