Cape sweeps conference cross country crowns
The Cape cross country program got out the leaf blower Nov. 1, at Killens Pond State Park, sweeping all team titles contested in the Henlopen Conference meet, including JV and varsity boys and girls.
“Cape XC had a great day at the Henlopen Conference meet,” said coach Matt Lindell. “The girls and boys both won the varsity and JV team races as well as winning the Northern Division regular-season trophy.”
Cape’s varsity boys dominated with 22 points, followed by Caesar Rodney with 66, Polytech with 109, Sussex Academy with 116 and Smyrna with 125.
The varsity girls’ race was the closest team competition in Henlopen Conference history, with Cape winning with 73 points, followed by Caesar Rodney with 75, and Smyrna and Sussex Academy with 76 each. The tie between the Seahawks and the Eagles went to Smyrna based on a better placement for the sixth-place runner.
“For the first time as a coach, I had to make two changes to our lineup at the meet,” Lindell said. “We were missing two of our top seven girls, but the girls rose to the occasion and pushed for every spot, winning the meet by two points. It is definitely a meet that I will remember, as the girls could have folded up the shop and called it a day, but they faced adversity and overcame it.”
Cape won the JV girls’ race with 28 points, followed by Caesar Rodney with 40, Smyrna with 67, Polytech with 100 and Sussex Central with 146.
Cape was dominant in the JV boys’ race, sweeping the top 10 places – only seven count – and winning with 15 points. The Vikings were followed by Caesar Rodney with 59, Polytech with 83, Sussex Academy with 137 and Milford with 151.
Lindell said the top five in the JV race ran 18:02 or faster. The top 10 were all under 19 minutes.
“These kids are the reason why I have never worked a minute after 3 p.m. in my career as an educator,” Lindell said of his athletes. “Win or lose, it is too much fun to call it work.”
The Caesar Rodney teams placed second in each of the four races contested.
Individual championship honors in the boys’ race went to Sussex Academy senior Ryan Moody, who outkicked Jason Baker of Cape to the finish line, winning 16:02.6 to 16:05.3.
Cape’s top five runners each broke 17 minutes.
“Moody had 4:16 mile speed,” said Tim Bamforth, race director of Seashore Striders. “When they came off the turn for the sprint to the finish, I knew Jason would have a hard time holding him off.”
Varsity girls individual honors went to Morgan Thompson of Caesar Rodney in 19:10. She was followed by Grace Walker of Smyrna in 19:45, Claudia Stazzone of Cape in 20:07, Savanna Stevenson of Sussex Tech in 20:21 and Natalie Schneider of Cape in 20:43.
Winner of the girls’ JV race was Caroline Oliver of Smyrna in 23:10. The boys’ JV race was won by Ethan Thompson of Cape in 17:47.
The DIAA state championship races are set for Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Killens Pond course.
