Cape winter track tops Sussex Academy

The Cape boys’ winter track team hosted Sussex Academy Feb. 4 at Legends Stadium, and the Vikings topped the Seahawks 110-4 in track & field action.

High scorer John Small won three events for the Vikings, taking the 55-meter hurdles in 8.29, the long jump in 20-feet-2-inches, and the triple jump in 38-feet. Hunter Jones took the 1,600 meters in 4:52, with Daniel Adili-Khams second in 4:55. Julian Calloway took the 800 meters in 2:06, while Andrew Wolak won the 400 meters in 55.5. Josiah Miller tossed the shot 46-feet-7-inches, while Ryan Baker ran 10:20 in the 3,200 meters by himself. His time is one of the top 15 performances ever in a dual meet at Cape.   

The Lady Vikings also topped Sussex Academy by a score of 76-28. Seahawks sprinter/jumper Sadie Tunnell was the meet’s high scorer with 14.5 points. Tunnell won the 400 meters in 1:03.5 and the high jump in 4-8, and finished second in the 200 meters in 29.6. Tia Jarvis won the 800 meters in 2:32 and the long jump in 16-0, and ran on the winning 800-meter and 1,600-meter relays for the Vikings. Aubrie Myers won the hurdles in 11.1, while Montana Jones was a double winner, taking the 55 meters in 7.7 and the 200 meters in 29.1. Katie Kuhlman won the 1,600 meters in 5:49.9, while Alexa Dougherty won the triple jump in 29-3. Haley Archambault tossed a season-best of 26-1 in the shot put.

Finishing chute

Dover High School was scheduled to come to Lewes Feb. 9, but the meet was canceled. Caesar Rodney and Smyrna are also scheduled to travel to Cape in the next two weeks if we can find a day over 45 degrees. Mother Nature is throwing some rough weather at us in the next two weeks. Stay tuned!

AAU Track Club coming to Sussex

Wilmington West End’s nationally recognized Above Xpectations Track Club gives youth the chance to learn the fundamentals of the sport including hurdles, sprinting, relay racing, jumping, throwing, race walking and distance running. The program is open to boys and girls ages 6-18 and runs year-round with cross country (August-December); indoor track (November-March) and outdoor track (April-August). Coaches are well trained, have years of experience working with youth and are certified through the USA Track & Field Coaching Education Program and Positive Coaching Alliance. AX is a member of the Amateur Athletic Union and U.S. Association of Track & Field.

According to the club website, the vision of Above Xpectations is to give young people – especially those from disadvantaged circumstances – a chance to compete in world-class track and field competitions and, more importantly, to prepare them to take an academic step beyond high school. AX affords athletes an opportunity to travel (for many it is their first time leaving the state of Delaware) and improve their academic performance, as a minimum 2.5 GPA is required to participate. Youth meets and races are more than competition – they’re also fun. Regardless of whether young athletes win a medal or achieve a personal best, they’ll have the opportunity to make new friends – and a lifetime of memories!

Dontez Collins, a previous head coach of the Sussex Tech track & field team, and a math teacher at Cape, will be heading the club in Sussex County. She does not want the AAU Track & Field Club to be a replacement for high school programs, but rather an extension of it, offering additional training and exposure for each athlete who is interested in track & field.

“I cannot emphasize enough that this AAU club is created to work alongside your middle and high school programs for the improvement and success of each athlete, not against,” said Collins.

The Seashore Striders ran a youth track & field program in the early ’90s, but now only hosts a cross country program due to my winter and spring duties at the high school level. I have many families ask about youth track & field, so this gives me a program that I can refer.

Freeze the Day 5K set Feb. 21

The opening event for the Seashore Striders’ 2021 schedule will be held at 10 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 21, on the new Sandhill Fields 5,000-meter cross country course in Georgetown. The theme of the event is Freezing Cancer In Its Tracks, and it will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Run or walk in this event for a great cause! In case of inclement weather, the rain/snow date is Sunday, Feb. 28. For more race information, go to seashorestriders.com.