Jason Baker tops brother’s record in 1,600 meters
Cape junior Jason Baker became the fastest Viking ever to run the 1,600-meter race at the 62nd East Coast Invitational on the Virginia Beach 200-meter banked oval.
Baker ran the race Feb. 8 in 4:22.98 to set the record at a school with a rich tradition of distance runners dating back to guys like Lance White, Danny Harmon, Taiwan Savage, Matt and Chris Jackson, and Ryan Baker, to name a few. The record was previously held by Jason’s brother Ryan at 4:23.
Baker was in the championship section of the event and hit the 400-meter split in 1:05, finding himself in the middle of a pack of 16. At 800 meters, he was sitting around 10th place in 2:11, about four seconds off the leaders. By 1,200 meters, Baker had lost some contact with the leaders and was still in the middle of the field, but starting to move up quickly. Baker moved to sixth with a lap to go, closing in a quick 30 seconds to catch two more and land in fourth at the finish line. An impressive 1:03 last quarter and a 2:11 last half show the focus and toughness in our new record holder.
“It’s really exciting to run in the footsteps of guys like Lance White, Danny Harmon, Ryan [Baker] and many more who have left great legacies at Cape and have set a high standard that all of us on the track team try to live up to,” said Baker. “I’m very lucky to be able to watch Ryan run and have him set an example for me of how to train and race. I’m also lucky to have the teammates and coaches that I have at Cape who all give me lots of support and encouragement.”
Baker said he will most likely show up in the 3,200 meters at the upcoming state championships with a goal of setting a personal best and placing as high as he can for his team.
“My main goal in that race would be to place the best I can so that I can maximize points for the team, and if I am able to get the record in the process, I would be very happy,” said Baker. “In the outdoor season, I will be doing my best to take time off of my current PRs and perform well at the postseason meets.”
The indoor 3,200 record is 9:22.56, set by Ryan Baker. Jason’s personal best is 9:33.
The Cape boys have broken five records so far this indoor season – 55 meters, 200 meters, 1,600 meters, 800-meter relay and 3,200-meter relay. It’s the most ever in one season.
Finish chute
The 2025 DIAA Indoor Track Championships will be held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Ott Center Saturday, Feb. 22, with local teams Cape, Sussex Academy and Sussex Central all in action. Some locals competed at last week’s Fast Track Invite, as Alexa Dougherty (Cape), a sophomore at Delaware, ran 2:23.92 in the 800 meters, and Katie Kuhlman (Cape), a sophomore at Delaware, ran 5:28.23 in the 1,600 meters. Ian Cain (CR), running for Delaware State, clocked a time of 4:18.84 in the 1,600 meters. Regular Seashore Striders road racer Colten Morris, racing unattached, crossed the finish line in 15:03.09 in the 5,000 meters. Sophomore Liam O’Donnell ran 6.98 in the 60 meters at the Wolf Pack Classic. He also ran 22.46 in the 200 meters.
