Athletes of the Week Sept. 4
Destiny Kusen
A rising junior Cape lacrosse goalie, Destiny snapped Aug. 31 at Cape open field lacrosse, making spectacular save after save in every way possible. She was also on the money on her clearing passes. Destiny was a sophomore backup goalie to freshman Laci Dixon on Cape’s 2019 state championship team. Destiny appeared in 13 varsity games. Coach Lindsey Underwood said of Destiny: “She has been working extremely hard in the off-season to improve her skills in the goal. She has extremely quick hands and sees the ball well coming out of the stick. She is seeing the field better and is more confident in the cage. She has made huge progress in a very short amount of time.” Destiny was on a Cape JV basketball team with just seven players that went 17-0 during the 2018-19 season. And she is one straight-up cool kid.
Colten Morris
Colten is new to Lewes, moving from Lancaster, Pa., where he ran cross country for Lampeter-Strasburg High School. Colten won the Watermel Run 5K Aug. 30 at Janosik Park in Laurel in a cruising time of 17:08. Earlier this summer, Colten placed second at the Dewey Beach Patrol 5K in 16:59 and third in the BreastFest 5K in 16:57. He will attend the University of North Carolina Wilmington in January, where he intends to walk on as a runner. Colten shared his training schedule, “I run by myself every day at the Lewes library on the different paths that all connect there. I’ll always run a minimum of three miles. I try to alternate between a five-mile run at around a 6:20 pace, a three-mile run at a faster a 6:00 pace, and usually an eight-mile run at a 6:50 pace. I don’t do much speed training anymore because I don’t have access to a track to run on here. Overall, I probably average around 30 miles a week.” Colten is a welcome addition to the local running culture.
Jason Pyryt
A 48-year-old Shippensburg graduate with a degree in business administration who tips the Toledos at 6-foot-1, 232 pounds and bench presses 405 pounds, Jason works for PayPal in Wilmington. He finished 10th overall Aug. 30 at the Watermel Run 5K in 22:46 (7:21 pace). That’s a fast time for a big guy ... or any guy. Jason was a state champion long jumper for Wallington High School in New Jersey with a leap of 22-feet-6-inches and was also a Division III national championship at Shippensburg. Jason developed into a college decathlete and pentathlete, and still holds the school record in pentathlon. Jason said, “I frequently participate in crazy fun events such as Spartan races, Savage, Tough Mudder, 5K to half marathons, and triathlons where I compete in the Clydesdale masters division aka old and fat, haha. I hit the gym five days a week at 5:30 a.m. before work, mixing between weights, spin class, swimming and running. Most people are amazed that big guys can run fast, and I enjoy being underestimated.”
Melissa Wilson
Melissa Wilson, a 45-year-old mother of three and Salisbury University graduate, is a safety and environmental manager for Mountaire Farms in Selbyville. She was the first woman to cross the finish line Aug. 30 at the Watermel Run in Laurel. Melissa described her background: “I attended Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Md., before attending Salisbury University. In high school, I was on the swim team and played lacrosse. In college, I played lacrosse and ran cross country at Greensboro College before transferring to SU, where I joined the sailing club and sailed year-round [with no other time for sports].” In October, Melissa ran the Steamtown Marathon in a personal best time of 3:38:55. “I also enjoy trail running and completed the OSS/CIA Night Run, my second 50-mile race, last June with a large group of local runners.” When Melissa arrived home Sunday, the family shared her trophy, a big ol’ round watermelon.
