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Athletes of the Week May 26

May 26, 2023
Haley Archambault 

A Cape senior thrower and throwback (great kid), her career began at Beacon Middle School and continued through four years of high school with indoor and outdoor track. She has been coached bye Rob Perciful. Her grandma is Linda Clifton, secretary to the Cape superintendent, and her mom Amanda is a Cape district administrator. Haley made the podium in the discus at the Henlopen Conference Championships, placing third with a throw of 103-feet-3-inches. Haley placed fourth at the DIAA state championships with a discus throw of 106-11, which qualified her for the Meet of Champions. Haley threw less than her best (99-10) and after six years can drop the disc on a great career and perhaps transition to Ultimate Frisbee. Haley is an honors and Academic Challenge student. Haley is headed to the University of Delaware. 

Jason Baker 

Over the course of the 2023 track season, this Cape freshman has evolved from “Little Baker” into a big dog for coach Ellis Gaulden’s Vikings. After a breakout indoor campaign that saw the young distance runner throw down a time of 10:22 in the 3,200 meters, Jason lopped off more than 20 seconds outdoors and emerged as one of the state’s top freshmen. At the DIAA championships May 20, Baker set a Cape freshman record of 10:01.75 to place seventh in the Division I race. He earned a bronze medal at the Henlopen Conference meet May 12, breaking the tape in 10:08.50. Jason also contributed big points in the 1,600 meters throughout the year, finishing the season with a personal best of 4:43.23. A soccer star since his elementary school days, Jason will exchange his cleats for cross country spikes in September.

Ryan Baker

The king of Cape distance running capped off his senior year of outdoor track in style, sweeping the 3,200-meter races at the DIAA championships (9:28) and Meet of Champions (9:29). Ryan took command from the gun at both meets, cruising through the mile in 4:40 and outpacing his nearest competition by 100 meters or so. The Lehigh University commit finishes a remarkable high school career with personal bests of 9:18.0 for 3,200 meters, 4:20.43 for 1,600, 1:59.71 for 800, and 15:09.90 for 5,000. He also posted a 15:23 5K best on the cross country course and was a three-time first-team all-state selection in cross country. Rather than chase times at national postseason meets, Ryan plans to take two weeks off before jumping right into Lehigh’s summer training regimen.

Ben Clifton  

This soft-spoken and speedy Cape junior began his track and field career as a quarter-mile specialist, but made the move to 800 meters last season, where he found immediate success, clocking 2:05 on the outdoor circuit. This year, Clifton has reached a new level and established himself as one of Delaware’s premier half-milers. His personal best of 1:57.27, achieved at the Unionville (Pa.) Invitational in April, ranks fifth statewide this season and third in school history. Ben earned a bronze medal at the DIAA championships last week (1:59.26) and a silver at the Henlopen Conference Championships May 12 (1:59.07). He also set a school record for 500 meters indoors, posting a time of 1:10.38 at the Virginia Showcase in January. Colleges are surely clamoring for Ben’s services on the track and in the classroom, where he earns straight As in AP and Honors courses.

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