Local track & field teams head to conference championships

The Henlopen Conference Championships are here and local track teams head to Lake Forest High School for the annual meet being held May 8-9.

The undefeated squads from Cape Henlopen will be the favorite on the boys’ and girls’ sides, as they spread out better than any team in the conference over 18 events. The Smyrna girls, who won the indoor conference championship, have some of the top sprinters and hurdlers and will be a big-meet team that may push the Vikings to the wire. The Cape boys will rely on their distance and field strength, and should score most of their points in the 4-by-800 relay, 800 meters, 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters. Stephen Hart will be competing in the high, long and triple jump events, while Cape is solid in the hurdle events as well.

Ryan Moody will lead the Sussex Academy boys; he holds school records in the 1,600 and 3,200. High jumper, hurdler and long jumper Jordan Welsh will lead Sussex Tech. The Sussex Central boys just ran 43.31 in the 400-meter relay and should be going after that title.

Sussex Academy state champion high jumper Katya Geyer will lead her team, as she will likely compete in three field events and may show up in the 4-by-800 relay. Bri Sordi will battle for the title in the 800-meter run, but to get that title, she will likely have to go through Cape’s Maile Godwin. Cape’s Anejah Grace will be a force in the hurdles. She’s also been triple jumping very well in the past few weeks. Good luck to our local high school track & field teams. It should be a fun, competitive meet. 

Seashore Half-Marathon, 5K & Relay

More than 300 runners showed up at Irish Eyes in Lewes last weekend to take part in the 16th Seashore Classic Half-Marathon, 5K & Relay. Martin Rodriguez of Selbyville captured the 5K title in 20:30, with masters champion John Costello of Georgetown close behind in 20:39. Debra Isser of Milton ran 24:56 for 10th place to win the female title, while Lori Holdsworth of Lewes ran 25:07 to win the female masters title.

In the half-marathon, it was 36-year-old Kipkurui Cherutich of Dover Air Force Base who was first across the line in 1:25:36, while Gavin Furlong of Lewes was close behind in 1:25:41 to win the male masters title. Lauren Pollock, 42, of Middletown won the female title in 1:31:45, while Lauren Moran of Midlothian, Va., ran 1:48:22 to win the female masters race.

A total of 25 teams, each racing 6.55 miles, also competed. Team Epic Dank won in a time of 1:22:54.  

A donation of race proceeds will be made to the James J. Kiernan Memorial Scholarship, which was created in 2019 to honor the memory of a community philanthropist and business leader.

College wrap

Cape graduate Ashley Carrier ran the leadoff leg for her DeSales team at the MAC Outdoor Championships at York College, Pa., in the 400-meter relay. Ashley’s team finished third in 49.15 behind Lebanon Valley and Widener. Cape graduate Trey Leggings will compete in the ASUN Outdoor Conference Championships Saturday, May 17, in Jacksonville, Fla., at Hodges Stadium. Trey, running for Queens University of Charlotte, specializes in the 400-meter dash, but also competes in the 800. Trey recently ran 49.11 in the 400 meters at the Charlotte Invitational. Rowan won its 10th straight New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship with Cape graduate Liam O’Donnell on the roster. Ryan Baker finished 24th in the 5,000 meters in 15:13 for Lehigh University at the Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at College of the Holy Cross. The University of Delaware will compete in the CAA Outdoor Conference Championships in Greensboro, N.C., May 14-15, with Cape graduates Alexa Dougherty and Katie Kuhlman on the roster. Salisbury University’s Declan Burke, an Indian River graduate, competed in the 1,500, finishing ninth in 4:03.33 at the Coast to Coast Conference Championships in Newport News, Va. Cape grad Joey DeGregory and Sussex Academy grads Justin Friscia and Max Rial are on the roster.