Running up a sand dune overweight, hungry is the real challenge

RUN FOR FUN - An April Fools guess the distance race run Sunday, March 29, is odd enough and that many happy folks running all terrain in the rain is a bit much when you’re a limping guy like me. But hey, I am happy for happy people some of the time.

A fit, athletic young girl was “first woman” but didn’t seem like a runner type and that’s because Jen McGowan brings fitness from the sport of lacrosse. The 22-year-old math teacher at St. Andrew’s is from Vermont and was considered one of the state’s top homegrown athletes when she helped Hamilton College of New York to the 2008 national championship. The fourth-ranked Continentals ousted No. 1 (and previously unbeaten) Salisbury (Md.) 11-10 in the semifinals as McGowan scored two goals. Hamilton followed by beating defending national champion Franklin & Marshall 13-6 as McGowan tallied one goal and three ground balls for the first-ever NCAA crown for Hamilton. According to the Hamilton College website, “The title game goal was the 42nd for the season for McGowan, a former all-state player for two-time state champion Mount Mansfield. She was named to the Final Four All-Tourney team and a second team All-American. Coach McGowan, an assistant to Cassie Fritz who took over from Heidi Pearce, herself a Johns Hopkins All-American, said she expects Tower Hill, St. Andrew’s, Cape and St. Mark’s to battle for the state girls lacrosse crown.

PAIN IS PLEASURE - The start of the April Fools race last Sunday took runners down on to the beach. A cloud-covered early morning colors a calm sea and closed fishing pier and no piping plover nesting area warning signs provided an idyllic climate for running.

What’s next? A retriever off the leash? The pleasure of beating oneself up in an elective workout - it just doesn’t get any better. I don’t understand people who elect a life of no physical challenges. A diet is not a challenge. Running up a sand dune overweight and hungry then doing it again - that is a challenge.

BRECK - Breck Vanderwende is a 38-year-old working farmer from Bridgeville who was a cross country star at Woodbridge back in the day. Breck’s day is every day and after winning Sunday’s all-terrain, 4.9-mile run Breck said, “I wish all runs were like that. I’m getting tired running on the roads.” Breck’s wife, Pam, is the VFW Middle School Teacher of the Year for the state of Delaware. She teaches in Woodbridge.

BOXCAR WILLIES - Last Friday I stood between two ball games just watching the scoreboard light up. After two complete innings the softball and baseball teams were each behind 6-0 - a pair of sixes - boxcars if rolling dice. Baseball was down 8-0 after four, but softball came alive, closing to 9-4 with an inning remaining. In the top of the seventh IR put a six spot on the board and Cape came back with four to make the final 15-8. Baseball lost 10-1.  

I will step out of the truck at the sports roadside weigh station and say both teams have decent players who are coached hard every day. I know this because that’s my job. Softball and baseball provide no walkovers on the schedule. It’s a hard place to make a living, especially with boys and girls lacrosse teams among the best in the state siphoning off talent.

REAL TRUCKER - I guess part of the taxpayer auto industry bailout money is going to Howie Long so he can tell us what constitutes a real trucker in America. Howie, a spokesperson for Chevy trucks, makes fun of the Toyota Tundra V6 guy and the Ford F150 dude using his man step to get out of the truck bed.

When Darby dog rides on the bench seat of my V8 Tundra he becomes excited, but he is not appropriate for family hour television. Do I need some 6-foot-6, 295-pound, nine-time Pro Bowl defensive end and two-time state track champion in shot and discus and North Collegiate boxing champ to tell me what constitutes a real trucker? Drop a Rubbermaid trash can off the back of a loose load on the way to the dump and watch it bounce over the impatient Honda tailgater as you sip black coffee from a crusty travel mug - then we can talk real trucker.

SNIPPETS - Last Friday, March 27, the Cape girls tennis team, coached by Mike Connors, defeated Polytech 4-1 improving to 2-0 on the season. Results were: singles – Alex Butterly, CH def. Young 6-0, 6-2; Wagner, PT def. Samantha Hurley 7-5, 7-5; Colleen Beck, CH def. Stump 4-6, 6-0, 6-4; doubles – Lindsay Hynes/Marissa Bowski, CH def. Delima/Cohee 6-3, 6-1; Angel Mangini/Stephanie Delp, CH def. Johnson/Burton 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Wesley College lacrosse, 7-3 with first-year head coach Bill Gorrow at the helm, will host Whittier College Tuesday, March 31, with game time at 4 p.m. Gorrow coached Cape standout Steve Welsh when he was at Franklin & Marshall. A slew of Cape lacrosse people are going to the game to support Corey Schab, former Cape All-American who is a midfielder for the Whittier Poets . The Poets are 6-5 on the season coming off a 10-9 win over Goucher College of Baltimore.

Cape track is scheduled to be lined Monday and Tuesday. A middle school quad meet is scheduled for the facility Wednesday. Come on out and volunteer to be an official - you know, for the kids!