Cape, Sussex Academy win relay state titles in separate divisions

Freaky Friday - The Cape Henlopen 4-by-800-meter relay team ran a one-heat Division I final May 19 on day one of the DIAA Track and Field Championships at Dover High School. Trey Leggins, Liam O’Donnell, Cardin Benjamin and Ben Clifton held off a fast field to win in 8:08.81. Caesar Rodney was second in 8:11.64 followed by Middletown in 8:13 and Salesianum in 8:13.92. The next race on the track was the Division II 4-by-800 final, won by Logan Serpico, Brett Parker, Ryan Moody and Justin Friscia of Sussex Academy in 8:15.01. Chasing Sussex Academy to the finish line were Saint Mark’s in 8:17.52, Delaware Military Academy in 8:18.64 and Tower Hill in 8:18.66. The other track final was the open 3,200 meters, which saw Indian River junior Brynn Crandell run from the front to win the Division II title in 10:46 over Katie Payne of Tatnall in 10:54. Ryan Baker of Cape won the Division I boys’ 3,200 meters by shaking off the field with a time of 2:15 for the first 800 meters en route to an overall time of 9:28.29. The top four runners broke the 10-minute mark. Baker and his freshman brother, Jason, who ran 10:01, will run the 3,200- at the season-ending Meet of Champions Wednesday, May 24, at Abessinio Stadium.

Super Tuesday - Softball opens state tournament play Tuesday, May 23, as Cape hosts Archmere at Bill Cordrey Field at 4 p.m. The Auks are coming off a 9-8 season and lost 12-1 to Cape May 8. The Cape girls’ lacrosse team will play Sussex Academy at 5 p.m. at Delaware State University. Cape defeated the Seahawks earlier in the season 10-7. The Cape boys’ volleyball team will play Salesianum at 7 p.m. at Smyrna in the state championship game. Cape lost 3-0 at Salesianum April 14, but all three games were close.

Golden Rams battered - The undefeated West Chester Golden Rams women’s lacrosse team lost to Pace University’s Pace Setters of New York 19-9 in the national championship game played at Key Stadium on the University of Indianapolis campus. Most of the Pace players are from New York. Lindsay Monigle (Cape) had three goals and three assists for West Chester, ending her career with 299 points, which is sixth on the all-time list. Lindsay was selected to the all-tournament team and completed her career as a DII first-team all-American. Kathleen Sheehan, the newly named vice principal of Mariner, moving over from Beacon, was inducted to the West Chester Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. A two-time all-American pick and two-time NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, she helped West Chester to the 2002 NCAA title as well as a pair of PSAC crowns in three seasons with the Golden Rams. She ranks 12th all time in NCAA history with 231 career goals, and her 93 goals during the 2004 campaign set an NCAA single-season record. She led the nation in points that year with 131 (93 goals, 38 assists). West Chester posted an overall record of 41-12 in her three seasons at the school. She was a two-time first-team All-PSAC pick and a two-time PSAC Tournament MVP (2002, 2004), scoring eight goals in the PSAC title game in 2004. She was named the NCAA Tournament MVP in 2002. For her senior season, she was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American as well as the PSAC Athlete of the Year for all sports.

Don’t laugh off compliments - Mason Marone, 17, placed 10th at the DQ Dash 5K May 21, winning the male 14-19 age group. Mason is a junior at Cape. Later, as I sat there snapping photos waiting for all 340 runners to finish, Mason came up and said, “How do you stay so calm? You have a very important job being a race photographer, but you’re always just so calm.” Mason saw how my soul rolls, so I graciously accepted his compliment because he’s a kid, but if he were an adult, I’d have deflected praise with a stupid self-deprecating joke.

Snippets - Padua Academy with 187 points won the DI girls’ state championship in track and field, with Smyrna in second at 93 points. Salesianum won the Division I boys’ title with 124 points, while Cape placed second with 69. Tatnall won the Division II girls’ title with 162 points, while Archmere was second with 123 points. A.I. du Pont won the Division II boys’ title with 106 points; Delaware Military finished second with 99 points. A complete story with photos will appear in the May 26 edition of the Cape Gazette. Go on now, git!