The year was 1982. It was a cool evening at the original Dover High School, and nearly every track team in the state was represented. I was warming up with the Cape 4-by-800 relay team of James Johnson, Darren Purcell, Hank Stack and Danny Harmon. I remember the guys were loose and joking around. Their focus was not on time, but just winning the race. Through the first two legs, the Vikings were in the mix, just off the leaders and just over four minutes at the halfway mark. Stack went about two minutes even and handed the baton to the ever-exciting Harmon, who tucked in behind some of the best middle-distance runners in the state for the final two laps. At only 5-5, he set the leaders up perfectly as he came off the final turn and went wide for the traditional finishing kick he was known for. Cape went 7:59.6.
Last Thursday, 43 years later, at Lake Forest and the Henlopen Conference Championships, the Cape team of Andrew Radka, Jamar Beasley, Jason Baker and Cardin Benjamin battled Caesar Rodney in the 4-by-800. CR pushed the Vikings to the wire, with CR running a school record 8:00.09, but Radka held on for the win in a new record of 7:59.5. Sussex Academy ran one of its all-time best times as well in 8:15 for third place.
“It was an exciting race to watch,” said Cape coach Matt Lindell. “And some credit must go to CR’s guys, who pushed our guys to the limit and came away with their own school record as well. Our guys went into the race focused on winning it ... the record was an additional bonus and surprise given some of the adversity each of our four had to overcome at different parts of the season. I was joking with the guys afterward that I was a year old the last time Cape went under eight minutes in a 4-by-8.”
“We started out the season with that record in mind, but it wasn’t really on our minds the night of the race,” said Baker. “We were all just focused on winning our race against CR. We knew it would take a great performance because CR had a strong 4-by-800 this year and it would take a lot to beat them. Cape has such a great legacy of distance runners; we’re proud that we can continue that tradition.”
DQ Dash
The seventh annual DQ Dash 5K will be held Sunday, May 18, leaving from Dairy Queen in Lewes and heading to the Cape Henlopen trail for an out-and-back course.
The proceeds of the event benefit Go Fourth Lewes Fireworks Fund. The city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display, a popular community event, is organized by Go Fourth Lewes, a nonprofit group that is funded by donations.
The DQ Dash, organized by Ashley Diehl and produced by the Seashore Striders, will start at 9 a.m., with race-day pickup and last-chance registration at 7:30 a.m. Awards will go to the overall, masters and top three finishers in 10 age groups from 9U through 80+. More than 350 participants are expected to take part in the event. To register, go to seashorestriders.com.
Summer Racing Series
The 36th annual Seashore Striders Summer Racing Series will begin with the Masser 5-Miler Sunday, May 25, at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes. The series will comprise 10 events, including two five-milers and eight 5Ks. Two of the races are over 40 years old and another three are over 30 years old. Here is a look at the series that attracts runners and walkers from many of our surrounding states.
• May 25 – 32nd Masser Five-Miler, Cape High, Lewes
• June 1 – 18th Race for the Ribbon 5K, Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes
• June 8 – 28th Bill Degnan 5K, Cape High, Lewes
• June 15 – 35th Father’s Day 5K, Rehoboth Beach Bandstand
• June 21 – 21st Jungle Jim’s 5K, Jungle Jim’s, Rehoboth Beach
• June 29 – Sixth Beebe Heroes 5K, Irish Eyes, Lewes
• July 5 – 35th Firecracker 5K, Grove Park, Rehoboth Beach
• July 13 – 43rd Seashore Strider Five-Miler, Grove Park, Rehoboth Beach
• July 27 – 42nd Dam Mill 5K, Cupola Park, Millsboro
• Aug. 2 – 17th Race for the Paws 5K, Dewey Lions Club, Dewey Beach.
To qualify for the end-of-the-series awards, you must complete one five-miler and five 5Ks. The series results are based on cumulative time. We will also have enough races to qualify for the walk series. Read about the series at seashorestriders.com.
Finish chute
Danny Harmon and Bruce Harris, two legends in downstate middle-distance runners, both went under the 4:20 barrier in the 1,600 meters in 1983 at Dover High at the Meet of Champs. This year, I feel the Henlopen Conference has two more who could dip under the barrier in Jason Baker of Cape and Ryan Moody of Sussex Academy. Both are at the top of their game and at the right time.
Katya Geyer of Sussex Academy, the Henlopen champion in the high jump and the state indoor champion, will try for another title in the Division II high jump. She will need to go higher than 5-0 to get it done.
The Cape girls will be shooting for the magic 10-minute barrier in the 4-by-800 relay. Taliyah McCray of Indian River should be in the top mix for the DII shot and discus, event, where she threw 34-8 and 93-4 last weekend for third place in the conference. Victor Perez tossed the discus 143 feet last weekend and should be competitive in the DII event. Jordan Welsh of Sussex Tech won the long jump at the conference meet at 23-1 and high jumped 6-2, which will put him in the top mix at states.
