WONDER WOMAN - Paula Pels is a former collegiate water polo player, just turned 40 and is the mother of five children age nine and under with no twins thrown in. She is an accomplished triathlete, and does all her training before 7 a.m. when her husband, Jon, goes off to work as an attorney.
Paula won the masters overall title while her husband Jon picked up a Clydesdale trophy at last Sunday’s Rehoboth Beach Triathlon. The Bethesda, Md. family, up early in the morning for the dark drive to the beach, was delayed 20 minutes because of a speeding ticket “somewhere in Delaware,” and my money is on Ellendale. The family is pictured here on the steps leading to the beach at Baltimore Avenue just after the race. Jon and Paula flank their children who are identified efficiently by mom as Erin behind Simon, Kiersten behind Lauren and Ryan.
IRONY OF THE AGONY - Chico Barranco wore his red Rehoboth lifeguard trunks everywhere every summer for over 20 years because he was just that proud. And he got busted on because of it - “grow up Chico” - but he would only laugh because he was a Rehoboth Beach Patrol member which carries a lifetime of status and fraternity membership along the Delaware beaches.
I caught this photo (see page 150) of plus-50 Chico approaching the finish line of the Rehoboth Biathlon in his blue Dewey trunks flanked by two Rehoboth guards, Dan Matta on his right and Chip Thompson, who followed Chico like a pair of fighter jets escorting him into the finish chute. It was all about respect - very subtle but impressive.
GONNA RIP IT UP - The Cape Henlopen High School construction site looks like it is going after the world’s record for retention ponds per acre. I have no idea as to the rhyme or reason of what’s going on, but an immense amount of work has taken place. I know something about the site foremen with the heavy equipment at their disposal. The weather has been great, but wouldn’t a week of rain just yuk it all up beyond comprehension?
I received an email from the field turf company putting in the new artificial surface at “Cape Henlopen High School in Maryland,” but I’m sure they meant Lewes. Here is the web site if you like to talk turf with other concerned taxpayers: fieldturfinfo.com/duraspine.
RENAISSANCE REDNECKS - His actual name is Costa Mantis and he hails from Redding, Pa. Costa is making a full-length documentary on the history of Punkin Chunkin and he is leaving no stone or boulder unturned which is why I took an hour of digitized time to spin my stories. I coined the phrase Renaissance Rednecks over the first dozen years when I was the onboard gonzo journalist and emcee, a sort of Chunker’s Chia Pet.
Cosa asked me, “Do you have anymore interesting stories?”
I threw in my hand admitting I had stopped being interesting much earlier in the interview. A few years ago I was one of hundreds of former Rehoboth Beach lifeguards interviewed by Cover Down Productions for that documentary, but I ended up on the cutting room floor even though my original creative and electric stories were pretty darn close to being interesting.
SNIPPETS - Tyler Townsend, the 2006 Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year while playing first and slugging home runs for Cape Henlopen High School, was named to the freshman All-American team by Perfect Game. Tyler was a designated hitter and first baseman for Florida International University this past season batting .338 with five home runs and nine doubles for the 26-29 Golden Panthers.
Franc Cook, attending the prestigious Elite 205 lacrosse camp at the University of Maryland, was only one of four goalies to be selected for the camp-ending all-star game and recorded a second half shutout grabbing the attention of the more than 50 college coaches in attendance.
A big weekend on the road racing scene with the Jungle Gym 5K on Saturday and the Taco Toss 5K on Sunday morning at 8 a.m. Last year Michigan State lacrosse player Mike Wardian won them both and also chased the bull around Dewey on Saturday afternoon just because Mike is that guy.
Tony Demato, 23, from Derby, Kan. won last Sunday’s Green Turtle 5K in 15:58. Two hundred runners ran the race.
The Phillies are just four games behind the Mets after dropping five of seven, including three to the Mets when they were three games behind. I am fighting hard not to hate them and harder not to pay attention to their games, but in spite of a bullpen of lollipop lobbers and gofer giver-uppers, the regular players keep them in games.
Jay Hayes, a varsity assistant with the boys soccer team last season, has been named the new head coach of the boys soccer team.
Dover high graduate Kevin Danahy, class of ’94, and Troy Bockius, clas off ’95, smile easily after placing first and third, respectively, in Rehoboth Beach Biathlon. Kevin was a soccer player who was on the Gold team in the spring, while Troy was a quarterback and distance runner. “Dewayne Henry was my soccer coach and also the track coach,” Danahy said with a smile. Kevin now runs an online training service in case you are interested in chasing him down.
