Athletes of the Week July 12

Hudson Hartstein 

Hudson opened the District 3 8-10 all-stars baseball tournament with a splash, pitching three innings for Milton against Lewes and giving up no hits. He also earned the run of the tournament when he leaped over Lewes' Finn Kane to score. Hudson followed that up with three hits in a game against Woodbridge, driving in four runs and scoring three himself. Toeing the rubber against Nanticoke in the semifinal, the Delmarva Aces travel ball player only gave up two runs while striking out five over five innings. He took the runs he gave up to heart, and when he got on first to open the bottom of the sixth, he was determined to break a 2-2 tie. Making his way to third, Hudson waited for the opportune moment. A passed ball rattled against the backstop, and Hudson took off to score the game-winning run and clinch a spot in the title game, which Milton won over Nanticoke by a score of 3-2.

Jaxon Kulp

A rising fourth-grader at H.O.B. Elementary School, this Milton 8-10 all-stars player helped lead his team to the District 3 championship July 8 in Georgetown. He pitched the six-inning game, striking out five batters. He also helped himself at the plate by delivering with a single. Throughout the District 3 tournament, Jaxon batted .375, had an on-base percentage of .615 and garnered a whopping .990 slugging percentage. On the mound, he went 2-0 and had an ERA of 1.556 despite just returning from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the Milton win over Woodbridge. "Jaxon is an amazing teammate," said manager Mike Nelson. "He shows up, works hard and gives it his all every practice and game. He is a true competitor." When not on the diamond, you can find Jaxon at the beach or pool enjoying time with his family.

Krew Johnson

Krew was a major contributor for the Milton 8-10 all-stars baseball team that recently won the District 3 tournament. The incoming fourth-grader at Rehoboth Elementary rocks No. 87 just like his favorite football player Rob Gronkowski. And like Gronk, Baby Gronk came up big for his team in big moments. Starting with a mercy-rule walk-off double to overcome Lewes July 2, Krew followed that up with two RBIs in a win over Woodbridge. Krew played first base in the tournament, but usually plays third base and pitcher. His favorite baseball player is Aaron Judge because of his stance at the plate and the way he comes through for his teams. Krew and his Milton teammates will next compete for the state championship beginning Tuesday, July 23, at Canal Little League.

Dylan Smiley

Dylan, 26, won the Beebe Heroes 5K June 30 in 15:32, making it look easy by finishing more than two minutes ahead of the next runner. Six days later, July 6, Dylan threw down at the Rehoboth Firecracker 5K, winning in a personal-best time of 14:50.7. “The first mile is pretty much all straight, so it gave time for me to get into a groove, finally rounding right and splitting the first mile in 4:39,” he said. “The second is my favorite (but also the slowest) of the course as it winds through the homes on the north side of Rehoboth Beach. It isn’t flat, but it keeps you engaged; all around a fun mile to run – 4:51 for that split. Mile three has two last, quick turns and a long stretch into the finish. I stayed strong as I trucked through to the finish. Like last week’s race, I managed a strong push into the line. Happy that I had that in my legs despite being gassed by the heat and swimming through the humidity!”