Baker wins elite race at Maggie Mile

Paul Ecker, 36, runs 5:13 at the Maggie Mile. Ecker was a versatile athlete at Cape who ran a 4:40 mile, pole vaulted 13 feet and played third base for the baseball team. DAVE FREDERICK PHOTOS

Tim Bamforth

August 15, 2025

The fifth annual Maggie Mile was held Aug. 9 at Legends Stadium in Lewes, with races going off every 10 minutes, from the one-mile walk to the elite division with some of the top runners in the area.

The Maggie Mile is held in memory of Maggie Browne, a Cape student-athlete who was on my track & field team at Beacon Middle and Cape Henlopen, who was taken from us too soon. Each year during Senior Awards Night, the Maggie Browne Scholarship is presented to a deserving track athlete. So far, recipients have been Elizabeth Melson, Katie Kuhlman, Hannah Maney and Ally Miller. Melson, Kuhlman and Miller were at the event, while Maney had already left for her second year in Iowa. Melson, who handled the scoring for the event, will be leaving soon for Penn State, while Kuhlman, who ran in the elite division, will be running at Delaware. Miller will run at Delaware through Delaware Tech, and will be heading to the Beebe School of Nursing.

Don Zalenski of Magnolia kicked off the night by winning the one-mile walk in 12:30.3. Donna Price of Carmel, N.Y., walked 15:24.8 to win the female walk.

Max Sparacino of Harrington ran 3:34.2 to win the 9U 800-meter race, while Charlotte Mayer of Lewes won the female race in 4:50.3.

Kaiden Gaulden of Lewes won the 10-12 race in 7:49.7, while Manning Bean of Milton won the female race in 6:57.7.

Jude Sydell of Lewes won the 13-19 race in 5:50.8, while Ally Miller of Milton won the female race in 7:22.8.

Greg Mayer of Lewes won the 20-39 race in 5:43.0, while Ryann Mayer of Lewes won the female race in 6:25.1. It was a three-event first-place sweep for the Mayer family.

Tina Barksdale of Wilmington won the 40-49 race in 9:44.7.

JR Ward of Millsboro won the 50-59 race in 7:19.5, while former Cape cross country state champion Cindy Price Washeck of St. Louis, Mo., ran 6:55.4 for the win in the female race.

Tim Young of Rehoboth Beach kept his Maggie Mile undefeated age-group streak alive with another win in the 60-69 race in a time of 6:43.2. Last year, Young ran 6:24.1.

In the final race of the night, 17-year-old Jason Baker of Lewes led from the horn and crossed the finish line in a nice August time of 4:35.7 to win the elite division. His Cape teammates Riley Stazzone of Lewes and Nick Petito of Rehoboth Beach finished second and third, respectively, in 4:52.2 and 4:55.3. Baker also won last year in 4:32.8.

Melissa Wiley of Ocean City, Md., won the female elite race in 5:53.5, with Katie Kuhlman of Milton in second in 6:23.1.

RBP 5K

It was a big week for the lifeguards of the Nation’s Summer Capital, as they took home another national title at the USLA National Lifeguard Championships in California and then welcomed 152 runners and walkers at their inaugural Rehoboth Beach Patrol 5K Aug. 10. Ultra marathoner Mike Wardian ran 17:08 to top second-place finisher Quinn Murphy of Wilmington in 17:33 for the overall male title. Wardian also had Murphy by 33 years. Michael Hoover of New York grabbed third in 17:47.

Madelyn Bell of Vermont ran a nice time of 18:59 to win the overall female title, while Julia Hemler of Maryland ran 19:26 for second place. Melissa Wiley of Ocean City, Md., rounded out the top three in 20:52.

Mark Walchinsky of Virginia won the male masters race in 18:59, while Margaret Colvin of Rehoboth ran 24:20 for the female title.

Nico Caceres of Millsboro led the RBP Administration Team with a 100th-place finish in 30:58.

Finish chute

High school cross country teams are off and running, putting in the preseason miles as coaches build their athletes to the 5K distance. Cape will field three middle schools and a high school team, while Indian River and Sussex Academy each have middle school and high school programs as well.

Matt Lindell will lead the Vikings, while Michelle Beyer-Gillen will coach Beacon Middle. Kenny Riedel will lead Mariner, while James Nelson will coach Fred Thomas. Jason Stoeckel will coach Sussex Central, while Shaila Collins will lead Sussex Tech. Colin Crandell is coach for Indian River, while Jay Diaz leads Sussex Academy. Tanya Kaminski coaches Georgetown Middle, while Justin Stoeckel heads up the Selbyville Middle squad. Tim Elmer will lead Sussex Academy Middle.

The Ocean Open Water Swim in Rehoboth Beach is set for Sunday, Aug. 24. The one-mile swim will start at Queen Street or Grenoble Place depending on which way the tide is running.

This Sunday will be the 11th running of the Fire Fightin’ 5K in Rehoboth Beach at Station 86. Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company responds to more than 4,700 calls per year between its three stations. What better organization to support than the local fire company? See you soon.