Local girls fare well at swimming championships
The Cape and Sussex Academy girls’ swim teams made it to the top 10 in the state, as the Vikings placed third with 169 points and the Seahawks took sixth with 135 points in the DIAA State Championships, held Feb. 28 at the University of Delaware’s Harry W. Rawstrom Natatorium. Cape coach Bill Geppert was voted DIAA Girls’ Coach of the Year.
Taking the top spot was Ursuline Academy with 338 points.
Cape junior Mia Jaoude took gold in the 50 free with a time of 23.90. Jaoude’s win was historic, as it’s the first individual state title for the Vikings.
“I feel so proud of myself, but also my team and coaches for supporting me all throughout my high school swim journey,” said Jaoude. “Knowing that Cape had no individual state champion, and while that carries pressure with it, I used that to fuel me in my race. I’ve had the dream of becoming a state champion for a long time, and now that I have accomplished it, I hope to do it again next year.”
Jaoude also garnered bronze in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.33. Cape took gold in the 200 free relay with a team of Sidney Caldwell, Mia Jaoude, and Lily and Isla Touw swimming to a time of 1:39.53. Caldwell, Hayden Hazzard, Isla Touw and Jaoude won silver in the 400 free relay in 3:40.10.
“We had a great state meet for both boys and girls,” said Geppert. “I am so proud of all of them. They have all worked so hard to get better this season and their results showed it. Hats off to my coaching staff too, as they have made this season what it was. I would be lost without them. A special thank you goes out to the local club programs, as they contributed greatly to our success. I also want to recognize the accomplishments of the other Henlopen Conference teams, especially [Sussex Academy and Caesar Rodney]. We all really made some noise at the state meet. Their kids continue to do great things as well, so I am proud that all of us represented downstate swimming so well this year.”
Sussex Academy’s Anna Mumford took gold in the 500 free with a time of 5:00.83 – 12.10 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. She took silver in the 200 free in 1:53.69.
Sussex Academy’s 200 medley relay team of Victoria Evans, Mumford, Gretchen Maughan and Samantha Petty took bronze in 1:51.43. Maughan also took silver in the 100 breast in 1:07.36.
Caesar Rodney’s Payton Garnsey took gold in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breast with times of 2:04.23 and 1:02.93, respectively.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.
