Lewes responders rescue runner who collapsed close to finish

Rescued runner - A half-marathoner had to be jump-started a half-mile from the finish line Saturday at the 14th annual Seashore Classic Half Marathon and 5K. The race approached three hours old. Lewes police and first responders sprang into action, using all the resuscitation tools, then packaged the fortunate fellow for the short ride to Beebe. The box-shaped red truck rolled down Market Street toward the finish chute archway. I wondered if the rubber pads read his chip and made his time official. The inflated arch was pulled aside while I sat in a blue chair taking photos of an ambulance that was going to collide with me if I didn’t spring into evasive action. “Damn, dude,” I whispered softly to the focused driver. “You take your job seriously, don’t you?” All I know is the guy survived. He was interactive and alert at the hospital; they told him if not for the quick response of first responders, he wouldn't have made it.

St. Mary’s churchyard - I exited mass early at St. Mary’s Church in Rockville, Md., Sunday to catch up on sports scores. I was there to support my wife’s nephew Tim Coll and his wife Laura, who were renewing their vows after 10 years of marriage. I couldn’t last an entire mass when I was 7 (vanishing altar boy), let alone 77. Susan, who taught American literature at Cape back when students occasionally read books, knew that Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, author of “The Great Gatsby,” and his wife Zelda were buried in the St. Mary's cemetery. I found the plot and took photos before tailgating on the back bumper of my 4Runner checking on the progress of the Atlantic Sun Conference lacrosse final won by Utah 11-9 over Air Force. 

Journey on - I have been taking signing photos and writing about commitments to colleges for a long time. In the sports world, I know what it means and what it doesn’t mean. I really don’t have a good handle on what dreams are realized and who pops out the other side with a college degree while having played a sport all four years of college, and who lands an actual job after graduation that leads to a career that doesn’t begin with the word internship. To quote rocker Rod Stewart from 1971, “Every picture tells a story, don’t it?” 

Lacrosse jamboree - The NCAA men's lacrosse championship weekend is at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia this year. Duke, Virginia and Notre Dame of the ACC are the top three seeds. Marist College will play at Delaware at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 10, with the winner playing at No. 1 Duke Saturday, May 13. Division II has LeMoyne as the top seed in the north and Rollins as the No. 1 team in the south. Hunter Jones (Cape) is a middie on the Rollins roster. Tufts and Salisbury are the top seeds in men’s Division III. The top four seeds in the Division I women’s tournament are Northwestern, Syracuse, Boston College and North Carolina. The top four seeds in the DII women's tournament are West Chester, Pace, Regis and Tampa. The bracket for the NCAA DIII women’s tournament has not been finalized. Go to insidelacrosse.com for information.   

Henlopen Conference track - The Cape boys’ and girls’ track teams go into the two-day Henlopen Conference Track & Field Championships Thursday and Friday, May 11 and 12, with undefeated dual-meet records. Bob Seger sang, “Just take those old records off the shelf!” Big-meet scoring is a combination of quality and depth; the same format applies to the DIAA state meet Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, at Dover High School. The Henlopen Conference competition begins each day at 4 p.m.   

Snippets - The Phillies are eight games out of first in the NL East in fourth place but only one game out of second behind the Marlins and Mets. The Orioles are hanging tough at 22-12. Next three series are home versus Tampa, Pirates and Angels. I have noticed that many famous fans of sports from baseball to basketball sit in regular seats and not luxury suites. Perhaps the reason is to catch the atmosphere or to be seen, but I’m not going to a game without a parking pass and a padded seat in a luxury box with a buffet behind my head. And that is why I go to no games — the big zero! Go on now, git!