Sonja Friend Uhl turns 44 and sets American masters record
Longtime friend - I just counted on my fingers and realized I have known Sonja Friend Uhl, a 1989 Cape graduate, since she entered high school so about 30 years. She was the high school package, from all-state band and chorus to homecoming queen to stellar track athlete earning a scholarship to William and Mary. She won national soft sand championships in the two-mile for the Rehoboth Beach Patrol, and now as a 44-year old masters runner, she is still setting records. Sonja ran 9:50 in the 3,000 meters at the recent Master Indoor National Track and Field Championships in Winston Salem setting a masters female American record. That’s about a 10:30 two-mile so just “get out of town!” Sonja also won the mile in 5:03 and 800 meters in 2:17. Sonja is sponsored by the Atlanta Track Club and Mizuno Running while most of the rest of us are sponsored by no one.
Potomac Valley Track Club - No jokes, just all respect. The club won the national team title over 87 other clubs at the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships in Winston-Salem the weekend of March 20. The meet attracted 900 athletes from 30 to 98 years old. The club’s motto is “All ages, all paces, all ways.” The big story was that five guys over 90 for Potomac Valley mixed and matched over three relays the 4-by-200, 4-by-400 and 4-by-800, setting world age-group records in each event. That is just whack; wish I had been there to see it, but my back hurts. Bob Paulen of Dewey competed for Potomac, but he’s a puppy in his 70s. Bob earned a silver medal in the pentathlon and bronze medals in the hurdles, triple jump and relay, all with hamstring problems.
Diamonds on the soles of his wrestling shoes - Local fitness instructor, and retired educator and former college heavyweight wrestler Dave Kergaard was honored March 22 at the Delaware Diamond Extravaganza held at Delaware State University. The purpose is to honor people who have made a commitment to excellence in women’s athletics. The program reads, “The honorees’ dedication and commitment to athletics and education has caused many diamonds to sparkle for women to grow and be successful in athletics, education and life.”
Will the circle be unbroken? - After the Cape soccer game at Delmarva Christian won by the Vikings 3-0, Royals senior Captain Haley Timko asked the Cape girls, “Would you guys like to pray with us?” Coach Jay Ashby, enjoying his first high school victory, stepped back and joked, “I’m not being on the front page of the Cape Gazette.” I told Jay, “I am the prayer circle photographer of high school sports. People not here find the photos inspirational for their own reasons. Competitors holding hands in a reflective moment after a game I find powerful; it makes me feel peaceful; end of issue for me.
Things that go pop in the night - An aging athlete sits on the end of the bed, one foot on the floor, the other leg stretched straight on the bed. The athlete is armed with industrial-strength toe clippers looking like tin snips. The targeted foot is pulled inward and the knee goes “pop” causing the dog to bark like someone just knocked on the door. I yelped a machine gun of obscenities followed by, “I don’t care; I’ll just wait for the hurt to subside, because I’m long past needing to be anywhere close to 100 percent physically efficient.”
Snippets - For the record, I went to 12 years of Catholic school and have the startle reflex to prove it. The worst beat downs I ever saw, I was deflecting slaps and knuckles on the other end. And I don’t have 146 reasons to hate Salesianum High School - the number of state titles they have won - the column headline two weeks ago was a takeoff of the ESPN “I Hate Christian Laettner” 30 for 30 special. I wrote not a negative word about the Sals; it’s much like the school I attended. And by the way, Conwell-Egan, my high school, won the 2A state basketball championships last week beating unbeaten Aliquippa. Somewhere in a sports story it read, “This is the best Egan team in 51 years since Dave Frederick played there.” I am a footnote who can’t clip his own nails without blowing out his knee. Go on now, git!
