Cape indoor track closes regular season with wins

The final Snow Hill Invitational of the season was held Jan. 29 in Snow Hill, Md., with 20 teams participating over 13 events. After six hours, it was the Vikings of Cape Henlopen who captured the team championship on both the boys’ and girls’ sides of the action.

The boys scored in 11 of the 13 events to post a total of 95 points, easily winning the meet over second-place Kent Island with 59 points. Sussex Central took third with 49, while J.M Bennett was fourth with 47 points. Rounding out the top five was Wicomico with 34 ½ points. Lake Forest was seventh with 26 ½ points, while Sussex Academy was 12th with 16 points. Milford finished 13th with 15 points, and Sussex Tech was 18th with six points. Smyrna finished 19th with four points.

In girls’ action, Cape scored in 10 of the 13 events to win the meet with 70 points. Sussex Academy was second with 62 points. Wicomico was third with 59 points, Kent Island was fourth with 55 points and Smyrna rounded out the top five teams with 47 ½ points. Sussex Central was ninth with 24 points, Milford was 11th with 18 points and Lake Forest was 14th with 11 points for the Henlopen Conference.

“It was a great way to end the Snow Hill series of meets, having the girls and boys both win the team titles,” said coach Gilbert Maull. “We had some real quality performances in the meet, and both teams feel pretty good heading into next week’s conference championships.”

The only elite girls’ performance, recognized nationally by MileSplit, was Cape sophomore Tia Jarvis, who became only the second girl to break the 1:20 barrier in the 500-meter run. The best time ever run at Snow Hill and the Cape school record belongs to Shanel Dickens, who set the record of 1:18.90 in 2011. Jarvis went through the 400 meters in 1:02.9 and hung on to record a 1:19.94 for the season’s best time.

Other Cape highlights meeting personal or season bests include Olivia Brozefsky, who tied her personal best in the pole vault at 9-feet-6-inches. The Vikings girls’ 3,200-meter relay team of freshman Katie Kuhlman, sophomore Elizabeth Melson, junior Taylor Johnson and senior Brozefsky ran their season best and the best this year at Snow Hill with a time of 10:23.20.

Melson returned to run her season best in the 1,600 in 5:52.79, which was good for sixth, while Brozefsky was second in 5:45.17. Kuhlman returned in the 3,200 meters to set a personal best of 12:33.16 for second, while Mia Nuebling also ran a season best of 12:50.09 for fourth place.

Johnson took second in the 800 in 2:35.00, while Maggie Brown was fifth in the long jump in a personal best of 14-11 ¼. Ryann Howard set a personal best in the 3,200 for the Vikings B team, as she split a 2:46 leg. Jania Curry, another freshman, ran 47.17 to grab 10th in the 300.

The Cape boys finished second out of the gate in the 3,200 relay in 8:52.20. Sam Epstein broke the barrier with a time of 4:59.55 to finish fourth in the 1,600. Jordan Clark was fifth in the 500, running 1:16.49, while the Vikings picked up a big 23 points in the 3,200 with Ethan Edery winning in 10:14.5 and Ryan Baker taking second in 10:36.44. Lance Kauffman was fourth in 10:49.56. Baker is just a freshman and is running very impressive times.

Julian Callaway, David Smith II and Brian Sponaugle went 3-4-5 in the 800, while Cape picked up 18 points in the pole vault with Giovanni Bendfeldt and Bryan Ciabattoni each posting a height of 12-6 to tie personal bests. Josiah Miller threw 48-5 to win the shot put, while Karnell Wise went 37-11 in the triple jump to take second. Wise was also fourth in the long jump in 19-8.

The Sussex Academy girls were highlighted by senior Savannah Sistrunk, who won the 300 in 44.34, and finished second in the 55 meters in 7.64 seconds and eighth in the 500 in 1:32.08. The Seahawks were also second in the high jump, and both the 1,600 and 3,200 relay events.

Sussex Central’s Travon McVicker was second in the 55 hurdles and won the high jump at 6-4. David Wooten ran 4:43.31 in the 1,600 and took second at 800 meters in 2:09.38. Jake Mundok of Sussex Academy ran 4:50.78 in the 1,600, and Seahawks runner Emily Trout was third in the 3,200 in 12:42.15.

Super Duper Sunday Super Bowl 5K

The inaugural Super Duper Sunday Super Bowl 5K will take place at Cape Henlopen High School on Kings Highway in Lewes Sunday, Feb. 2, beginning at 10 a.m. Get tuned up for the big game and enjoy the out-and-back course. Awards to the top three finishers in 10-year age groups. There is even a prize for the "best end zone dance," and don't forget the "field goal contest.” Wear your favorite team shirt and have some fun with the Seashore Striders. Go 49ers! Register by going to www.seashorestriders.com.