Athletes of the Week Nov. 12
Laela Brown
A freshman attacker for the Delmar Wildcats field hockey team, Laela settled and slapped a rebounded shot into the Cape cage at 9:02 of the second quarter for what proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Cape that secured the Henlopen Conference Championship. The goal was the first for Brown since the autumnal equinox Sept. 21, when she had a hat trick in a 12-0 home win versus Seaford. Coach Jodi Hollaman said, “Laela is a natural athlete. She is lightning-fast, strong and is willing to learn. Laela is the oldest of four girls, including a sister goalkeeper on our middle school team. She plays for the Shore Byrds field hockey club and works out at The Athlete Academy.”
Brynn Crandell
This Indian River sophomore cross country runner sprints to her personal pain barrier in the first 100 meters of a five-kilometer race and just pushes the pace from the front. Brynn won the Henlopen Conference overall championship Nov. 6 at Killens Pond in 18:42. Hannah Zura of Caesar Rodney was second 19:00, followed by Katie Kuhlman of Cape in 19:30. On the fast flats of Sandhill Fields, Brynn won the Sussex County Championship Oct. 28 in a time of 17:58 over Katie Kuhlman in 19:03. Tiffany Herrera of Saint Mark’s won the New Castle County Championship in 18:45, followed by Mary Katherine Dorsey of Padua in 19:07 on the Winterthur Estate course. The DIAA Championship race is Saturday, Nov. 13, at Brandywine Creek State Park.
Chase Sims
A junior cross country runner for Henlopen Conference Southern Division champions Indian River, Chase finished in second place overall at the Henlopen Conference Championships Nov. 6 in a time of 15:56. Chase ran 15:39 at the Sussex County Championships Oct. 26 at Sandhill Fields, where he also placed second. He is coached by Rick Hundley and Colin Crandell. Chase moved to Indian River from Downingtown, Pa., last year. Last summer, he was on the Rehoboth Beach Patrol. “Chase will likely run track in the spring and also want to join the golf team,” Hundley said. The state meet Nov. 13 will be broken down into Division I and Division II.
Jack Thode
The two-time state champion straight out of Milford moved up to 132 pounds for the National Duals at the Ocean City Convention Center last weekend. Wrestling for the Decatur Seahawks Elite Blue Squad, Thode posted an 8-0 record over three days, which included five wins by pin. Jackal is a three-time Henlopen Conference champion. He has 99 wins going into his senior season, with a 3.9 GPA in the classroom. He is in the process of visiting colleges and has yet to make a decision on where he’ll go next.
