Cape girls' track loses slam-bang meet to Caesar Rodney 74-72

The Cape Henlopen track girls had an off day April 7 at the Keith S. Burgess Invitational, where the defending Division I state champions finished in fourth place, 82 points behind Caesar Rodney. The bells were ringing statewide that the Riders had broken from the pack and surged to the front while the Vikings had faded to the peloton of teams that chase and wait.

That all went to the roadside ditch April 17 at Caesar Rodney as Cape went after the Riders head on in a powerhouse showdown in which each team won nine of 18 events. The Riders won 74-72 by hanging tough and holding on, protecting their house in the final four events.

“We needed nine points over the 800 [meters], 200 and 3,200 and had three good athletes there, and I thought we could get it done,” coach George Pepper said.

Ali Coning, nursing a calf injury, dropped into the 800 and won the event, giving Cape five points. Then in the 200, the Riders' Tyra Reed won and senior teammate Hope Brown edged Anshe Boyer for second place. Cape had six of nine points needed, but the spotlight was on Shanel Dickens, who had previously won the 1,600 and anchored Cape to a win in the 4-by-800 relay. Dickens, a senior, was running her first ever 3,200, and the power runner faded during the second half of her race, only managing a third place. Freshman Rebekah Mills won the event.

“I just tied up,” Dickens said.

"It was a great meet that came down to the wire and we came up just a little short,”  Pepper said. “The girls competed very tough, and we were proud of the way they worked. It was a solid team effort. We hope to have everyone back healthy in the next couple of weeks. CR is always a tough meet and has developed into a pretty good rivalry.”

Dover was also sprinkled into this tri-meet but only managed to score 20 points against the Vikings.

Cape captured three relays, including the 4-by-800 with Ali Coning, Keren Rams, Madison MacElrevey and Shanel Dickens in 10:13.0.

Cape went after the 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 with the same team of Anshe Boyer, Kadijah Doughty, Tyra Weatherly and Akeesha Duffy and won both races in 1:47.0 and 50.3.

Doughty won the shot put with a throw of 39-feet-11-inches and the discus with a 97-7 effort.

Shanel Dickens won the 1,600 in 5:42. Ali Coning took the 800 in 2:30. Kayla Albertella won the pole vault with an 8-0 vault, and Megan Hart won the high jump in 4-10.

Pepper cited other outstanding Cape performances, including Boyer's 12.1 clocking, good for second place  in the 100 and 25.8 for third in the 200; Donna Davis finished second in the 100 hurdles in 17.2; Tyra Weatherly got a second  in the 300 hurdles in 49.8; Ahkeesha Duffy got second in the long jump at 15-6 and triple jump at  33-1; and Aaliyah Davis threw 30-4 in the shot put, good for second place.

Cape will compete in the Twilight Relays at Caravel Academy Friday, April 20. The April 21 Co-Ed relays have been cancelled.