Cape boys’ and girls’ teams capture Henlopen indoor track titles
As the lights dimmed and athletes spilled out of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore’s Hytche Athletic Center after the final day of the Henlopen Conference indoor track and field championships, one phrase reverberated across the cavernous complex.
“It’s a great Cape day! It’s a great Cape day!”
The slogan, made famous by former Cape Henlopen High assistant principal Janet Maull-Martin and still heard frequently in the school’s hallways, couldn’t have been more apt for the moment. The Viking boys’ and girls’ teams had just completed their first-ever sweep of the conference meet, outpacing eight other squads by considerable margins. The girls earned gold medals in all three relays and got a big-time distance double from junior standout Katie Kuhlman on the way to 144 points, well clear of second-place Smyrna (113). The boys showcased their depth and versatility by scoring three or more points in all 15 events. They tallied 135 in all to post a 25-point margin over Smyrna, which took the runner-up spot.
Kuhlman captured the 1,600 meters early in the day, running a nine-second negative split and closing with a quick 37-second 200 to break the tape in 5:38.44. A few hours later, she pulled away late in the 3,200 meters, once again calling on her much-improved kick to take the win in 12:33.83. Senior Tia Jarvis struck gold for the Vikings in the 800 meters, running a calm, even race to take the victory in 2:38.49. Jarvis out-leaned hard-charging Alexis Blackwell of Caesar Rodney on the line, triumphing by two one-hundredths of a second.
Coach Tim Bamforth’s girls’ teams always thrive in the relays, and this meet was no exception. Sophomore Hannah Maney, senior Emma Duffield, and junior Alexa Dougherty teamed with Kuhlman to take the 4x800 in 10:30.67, while Maney, sophomore Lainey Shockro, sophomore Landon Diehl and sophomore Montana Jones were crowned 4-by-200 champs in 1:54.47. The Vikings closed the meet in style, as Maney, Jones, Diehl and Jarvis ran away with the 4-by-400 in 4:23.58. Cape got silver medals from junior Hailey Archambault in the shot put (32-feet-0.5-inches, a huge personal best), Shockro in the pole vault (9-feet-6-inches), and senior Elizabeth Melson in the high jump (4-feet-6-inches). Maney took bronze over 400 meters (1:04.61), and senior Ariyanna Dabney did likewise in the high jump (4-feet-4-inches). Cape piled up more points in the minor places, as 18 team members contributed to the final tally.
On the boys’ side, sophomore Eddie Houck delivered a timely personal best of 11-0 to earn gold in the pole vault just a few months after taking up the event. The 4-by-800 quartet of senior Brian Sponaugle, sophomore Ben Clifton, freshman Cardin Benjamin and sophomore Joey DeGregory stopped the clock in 9:07.65 to take top honors.
Coach Ellis Gaulden’s squad won just two events over the two-day meet, but the Vikings backed those victories up with plenty of firepower. Senior stud John Small racked up a team-high 24 points across four events, placing second in the triple jump (40-3.75), third in the 55-meter hurdles (8.18), third in the long jump (20-11.75), and fifth over 200 meters (23.67). Junior Ryan Baker came up big in the distance races, placing second in the 3,200 meters (10:06.20) and fourth in the 1,600 (4:39.89). Cape smashed a school record in the 4-by-200 relay, as seniors Ja’on Harris and Daniel Saez joined forces with juniors Konner Knarr and L.T. Messick to take silver in 1:35.25. The Vikings also amassed a bounty of valuable third-place finishes, as DeGregory (3,200 meters, 10:46.69), Knarr (55 meters, 6.75), Ben Clifton (800 meters, 2:07.65), Bailey Fletcher (pole vault, 10-0), and Malaki Lewis (shot put, 42-11.5) all took home individual bronzes. The 4-by-400 relay capped off the medal haul in the meet’s final event, as Harris, Clifton, Sponaugle and junior Owen Daminger placed third in 3:40.20.
The Cape boys piled on 11 more top-eight finishes and matched the girls’ depth, as 18 Vikings scored points.
Gaulden flashed his ever-present smile as he reflected on a hard-earned conference crown, the boys’ second in a row dating back to 2020.
“When athletes fully engage themselves to applying team concepts, team goals, and – most importantly – their teammates, everything falls into place,” he said. “We as coaches couldn’t be more proud of this crew. This is a special group of athletes that came out and got the job done. Several guys stepped up to the plate and placed higher than expected during the second half of the meet. There were over 15 personal-best performances by multiple athletes. This crew peaked at the right time. The back-to-back wins gives this program the exposure it needs. That exposure can spark interest in other athletes looking to be part of a winning team.”
Bamforth couldn’t have been happier to see his team take down Smyrna, which nearly doubled up Cape with 200-plus points in the 2020 conference meet. He lauded the girls for their focus and perseverance.
“The girls knew what had to be done in each event to offset a huge amount of points in the sprints and hurdles that we knew Smyrna would get," he said. "Hannah had a huge day, giving us the early lead in each relay, while Katie anchored our 4-by-800 and convincingly won the 16 and 32. These girls have been through so much over the past two years, and to beat a class program like Smyrna is a big accomplishment. I was so proud of them, and all the young freshman and sophomores who stepped it up and contributed to the scoring. We came together as one today and brought the title back to Cape. We dedicated this meet to our seniors, and to the late Maggie Browne, who I am sure would have been high jumping in this meet.”
Bamforth and Gaulden were named Henlopen Conference girls’ and boys’ coaches of the year at the conclusion of the meet.
The Vikings will hope for another “great Cape day” at the DIAA state championship meet, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 19 at UMES.
