Athletes of the Week Jan. 17
Regan Best
A junior and product of the Cape field hockey program, Regan had bided her time playing positions from goalie to attack. She prefers being out of the cage to roam free as the wind blows. Early in the season, she was back between the pipes to add depth along with first-year starter junior Izzy Mekulski. Then freshman Myla Smith, a goalie at Mariner, joined the team late, freeing up Regan to run around. Regan found a home on the backline with Ally Diehl and Lina Frederick. “Regan is just so tough. Wherever we put her, she was ready to play,” said coach Deb Windett during the recent hockey banquet at Baywood Greens. Regan was presented the Tough Cookie Award in memory of the late Barbara Dougherty, who developed a special relationship with the team while she was battling cancer. Lizzie Frederick won the first Tough Cookie Award in 2015, so the award to Regan marked 10 years of Tough Cookies.
Capucine Duvert
Capucine is an international exchange student from Måcon, France, and an emerging bright spot on the Sussex Academy girls’ basketball team. Coach Rayona Benson said she always brings a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to practice, and her teammates feed off both. Benson noted Capucine, who has been playing since she was 5 years old, has a high basketball IQ, and she quickly picks up on plays and concepts. After recently playing the four and five positions in France, she has been able to put in minutes as a wing and guard for the Seahawks. Fundamentally sound on both ends of the court, her ability to shoot on the outside has opened things up for her teammates to drive into wider spaces. As soft-spoken as she is off the court, Capucine is just as aggressive when she steps on the hardwood. She has enjoyed her time stateside and likes the sense of family that high school athletics have provided.
Rico Nock
Rico was one of four freshmen on the court when Sussex Academy nearly came back from 17 points down in the final frame of its 46-43 loss at Worcester Prep Jan. 15. Rico’s teammates instinctively knew to trust him when they needed points the most, and, boy, did he deliver. The shooting guard scored 10 of his team-high 19 points as the Seahawks staged a comeback rarely seen at such a scale. Smooth with the ball in his hands, Rico was able to get to good spots for traditional three-point plays while also stretching the defense with his sharpshooting. As he adjusts to the varsity game, Rico is not only adapting to the speed of the game, but also maturing as the season goes on. Although the loss to the Mallards was a tough one, Rico noted it will serve as a great lesson moving forward for him and the rest of the team. The freshman also runs cross country and track, noticing how much it helps him with endurance in basketball. His favorite subjects are math and social studies. When not on the court or in the classroom, Rico enjoys spending time with his supportive family.
Faith Re
A senior on the Cape girls' basketball team, Faith has taken on new responsibilities in her final year of high school ball, adding point guard to her skill set that already included sharpshooting. Coach Pat Woods said the senior came to him before the season to express an interest in quarterbacking the offense. Early returns have been positive, and Woods said she has great vision on the court and has not lost her shooter's touch, as evidenced by her 11-point third quarter that propelled the Vikings to a 57-30 win over Sussex Tech Jan. 14. Faith says while shooting is her main role, she also enjoys reaching out of her comfort zone as a point guard and thinks it has expanded her game. She believes hard work, focus, coachability and willingness to learn have keyed her success in basketball, putting her in a position to compete at the college level while pursuing a degree in physical therapy.
