Henlopen Conference meet signals track is back
The boys’ mile relay race wrapped up the two-day Henlopen Conference Track and Field Championships at Jim Blades Stadium at Lake Forest High School May 10.
The screaming green turf field was lit up under the Friday night lights while the red track was toned down in the shadows. The fast runners looked blurred, like an artsy painting.
Dover outleaned Caesar Rodney at the finish. A cellphone video confirmed the call. Dover finished in 3:23.9 followed by CR in 3:24.1. Sussex Tech was third in 3:26.3 and Sussex Central crossed the line in 3:27. No one could recall a faster top four in the conference final.
The boys’ team title went to Caesar Rodney with 143 points followed by Dover 123 and Sussex Central 119. Cape with 40 points was tied for eighth with Milford.
The girls’ meet was dominated by Smyrna with 212 points, almost doubling down Caesar Rodney with 112, Dover with 87.5, Cape Henlopen with 78.5 and Lake Forest with 78.
Junior Nate Guy anchored the Dover 4-by-400 behind Hazakiah Ali-Bentley, Dazhmier Brooks and Dante Jones. Guy also anchored the winning 4-by-800 team in 8:28 behind Jones, Ric Johnson and Kwama Veal.
Guy was an embedded part of a quality meet with elite athletes pushing each other at the upper levels of sportsmanship.
Shane Massey of Lake Forest completed the El Caballo double, winning the 400 meters in 48.9 and 800 meters in 1:56.1. Guy was second in both races, as he ran the 400 in 50.1 and a wire-to-wire, electric race versus Massey in the 800 to run 1:56.8.
“Nate pushed me out there today,” Massey said. “He is such a great runner.”
Guy reflected on his four-race incredible night. “Shane helped me bring the best out of myself. I plan on being a D1 runner in two years. My academics are solid with a 3.5 GPA, so I have that part taken care of.”
Travon McVicker was a double winner for Sussex Central, winning the 110 high hurdles in 15.2 and the high jump at 6-feet-2-inches.
Mahki Herring of Sussex Central won the 100 meters in 11.1 and 200 meters in 22.2.
Brandon Greenlee of Sussex Central won the pole vault in 12-6, while the Central 4-by-100 team of Andre Teagle, Dom Smith, Dom Saragino and Herring ran 42.6 for the gold medal.
Destiny Bailey Perkins of Caesar Rodney won the 100 in 12.5 and 200 in 25.8. Polytech won the long jump with Talasia Brickhouse in 18-2 and the triple jump where sophomore Casey Talamini-Kelemen set a meet record with a jump of 38-6.
“Casey is going to be Delaware’s first girl to go over 40 feet,” said coach Dorant Bartlett.
Cape’s only first-place winner was Olivia Brozefsky, who cleared 9-6 in the pole vault, the last event open before the meet closed.
Postscript: The DIAA State Championship Meet will be contested at Dover High School Friday-Saturday, May 17-18. The Meet of Champions is Wednesday, May 22, at Caravel Academy.
