Seashore Striders head to national championships
The Seashore Striders are making their 31st trip to the Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships, set for Saturday, Nov. 20, in Paris, Ky. A total of 15 athletes, 14 family members and five coaches will travel to the big dance. As I write this column, I am on a plane to Cincinnati with half the team, as the other half make their way west by driving.
The Striders will run a team of girls in the 17-18 division with junior Alexa Dougherty (Cape), junior Allison Head (Cape), senior Victoria LeCates (Sussex Tech) and senior Sadie Tunnell (Sussex Academy). The girls will team with Allie Clarkson of Louisville, who just last week ran a 12:40 two-mile on the track.
Sussex Tech senior runners Colin Kay and J.J. Klosiewicz will also make the trip to race in the 17-18 age group, while sophomore Arina Varrato (Sussex Tech) and Katie Kuhlman (Cape) will race individually in the 15-16 age group. Sixth-grader Allison Ortiz put together a great middle school season and will race in the 11-12 division, while fourth-grader Brady Sherman will race in the 9-10 division. Kai Mundok and Cody Kuhlman will also race in the 9-10 group.
Nolan Furlong will race in the 6-8 division, broken up by single age groups, while Dylan Sherman will race as a 7-year-old and Nora Furlong as a 6-year-old.
The top 25 in each race and in each single age group will be named to the Youth All-American team. The Seashore Striders have put more than 250 athletes on the national championship starting line over 30 years and have had two individual national champions – Ben Bamforth in 2007 and Luke Burton in 2014.
The Striders will connect with former Striders team members Caughnery and Lorelai Freese, both racing very well this season and both pegged for a top individual finish. Caughnery, running for James W. Robinson High School, qualified for the Maryland State Championships running 17:08 for 45th place and the top freshman in the race. Sister Lorelai won the Virginia Middle School State Championships.
National fever
A group of Cape cross country runners will make their way south for the Nike Cross Country National Championships to be held in Cary, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 27. Ryan Baker, recently third in the Delaware State Championships, will lead the charge.
The Eastbay Cross Country Northeast Regional will also be held Nov. 27 at historic Van Courtlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., with the top eight runners advancing for an all-expense-paid trip to the Foot Locker Nationals at Balboa Park in San Diego.
Cape girls’ track & field
Last year, I completed the indoor season with 18 girls on the team, finishing third to champion Padua and runner-up Smyrna at the state championships at Dover High. This year, 55 girls have come out for the team and, amazingly, after day three, 90 percent are still showing up. I know it is early, but the girls are working hard and still smiling while learning a lot about the sport of track & field. We will break for Thanksgiving vacation and return to take part in a few Polar Bear meets at Milford and Sussex Central in December, along with a big meet or two before the Christmas holiday.
Cape boys’ track & field
The Cape boys’ program will switch it up this year, with Ellis (Coach G) Gauldin moving from the assistant position to head coach, while Matt Lindell will now assist and continue to handle the distance runners. Rob Perciful will work with the throwers. The boys are coming off a successful cross country season where they finished second to Sallies at the state championships. The boys have four competitive meets at Ursinus College on their schedule this season.
Huffin’ for Pumpkin Pie 5K
The 12th annual Huffin’ for Pumpkin Pie 5K will take off from Grove Park in Rehoboth Beach at 9 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 27. The 3.1-mile course will take runners to the Boardwalk and turn around at Rehoboth Beach Patrol Headquarters on Baltimore Avenue before returning to the Grove. Custom pumpkin pies go to the top three in each age group. Register by going to seashorestriders.com.
Sea Colony Turkey Trot 5K
The 18th annual Turkey Trot 5K, raising funds for Special Olympics Delaware, will be held at Sea Colony Fitness Center starting at 9 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 28. The race does a big loop of the community, including a half-mile on the shoulder of Route 1. Post-race pizza is always a popular item, as well as the long-sleeved T-shirts and framed certificates presented to the winners. My friend and organizer Jen Neal does a great job with the event, and it’s a chance to run off those extra Thanksgiving pounds.
