Athletes of the Week Sept. 10

Ryan Baker

This Cape junior is Cape cross country’s top returning runner from the Division I State Championship team of 2020. Last season, Ryan ran 16:55 in the Henlopen Conference, as he, Ethan Edery and Julian Callaway all ran the course in under 17 minutes, which is a sub-5:30-per-mile pace over 3.1 miles. Ryan was third at last fall’s D1 state championships with a time of 16:30, finishing behind Ryan Banko of Sallies in 16:09 and Kenny Guy of Polytech in 16:15, both of whom are also returning. Ryan has been putting the hammer down in early-season workouts, running in-and-out five flat miles on the track. “Some runners are just tough,” said Cape assistant Rob Perciful. “I expect to see Ryan running in the 15s this season. Heck, he may go under 15.” Cross country gets going Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Lake Forest Invitational at Killens Pond State Park. Races begin at 10 a.m.

Macy Layfield

The Frostburg State University Bobcats field hockey team started the season with a 2-1 loss to Seton Hill from Greensburg, Pa. Macy Layfield, a freshman straight out of Sussex Central, scored the tying goal at 40:28 assisted by Meaghan Szkalak. The goal for the Griffins of Seton Hill at 19:42 was scored by Jade Taylor, also a Sussex Central product. Macy and Jade live on the same road back home or down home. What is the chance of that? Macy played softball and ran track at Sussex Central. A high school honors student, she is majoring in law and society. Her parents are Rodney and Kim Layfield. The Sussex Central hockey program has struggled to find wins, so it’s very impressive that Macy Layfield has earned her way onto a college roster as a freshman. 

Cameron Smith

Cami graduated from Cape in 2020 as a celebrated field hockey player. Her “Cam Bam!” deciding goals in big games were legendary. During the 2019 hockey season, Cami scored the only goal in 1-0 wins over Tower Hill and Padua, and game-winner in a 3-2 victory over Lake Forest. In the 2017 state final 1-0 win over Sussex Tech, Cami had the game-winner at 40 minutes into the game. She graduated and chose West Chester University, but corona shut down the 2020 season for the Golden Rams. In 2019, the Golden Rams won the Division II National Championship with Cape’s Sydney Ostroski on the roster. Cami has appeared in all three games for the 2021 Rams, managing a shot on goal in each contest. Her first “Cam Bam” cage-rattler will resonate through Cape hockey for sure.  

Jade Taylor

A junior at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa., Jade scored the first goal of the season for the Griffins in a 2-1 win over visiting Frostburg State University. Seton Hill plays in the tough PSAC conference where women’s field hockey has been a major sport for the last 60 years. Jade played her high school hockey at Sussex Central (class of 2019)  and was a teammate of Macy Layfield, who also scored in the game for Frostburg. Jade was an honor roll student all four years of high school and a four-sport athlete. She did the track-tennis double in the spring season. Jade played club hockey for Oranje coached by Kathleen Fluharty. Jade and Macy live a half-mile from each other on Bethesda Road.