Athletes of the Week July 5
Ainsley Clem
Leading her team in the circle and at the plate, Ainsley Clem caught the attention of quite a few softball fans with her strikeout ability in the District 3 softball major all-star tournament by striking out 15 over nine innings of work. In the Cape team's 8-3 loss to Laurel July 1, Clem registered nine of those strikeouts while driving in a team-leading two runs on a team-high two hits. She also led her squad in steals, swiping an impressive three. Clem began playing softball in third grade, at the age of 8, for Lewes Little League. Although she has only been playing for three years, her strides as a strikeout pitcher have come thanks to her pitching coach Rachel Hudson. Clem will be a sixth-grader at the new Frederick Thomas Middle School in Lewes in the fall. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, Nova, being outside, swimming at the pool and relaxing at the beach.
Emma Duffield
Emma is a 19-year-old, rock-solid athlete who is as cool as a bay breeze with an effortless and smooth saluki stride. At the Beebe Heroes 5K June 30, the Swarthmore rising junior field hockey defender ran 21:55 to capture the 14-19 age-group medal. Emma ran distance events for Tim Bamforth during her last two years at Cape and was part of a 4-by-800 relay team with Hannah Maney, Alexa Dougherty and Tia Jarvis that ran 9:56 at the 2021 Delaware Meet of Champions. Emma was a starter on Cape field hockey’s state championship teams of 2020 and 2021. Emma started 18 games on defense last fall for the Swarthmore Garnet, who finished with a record of 13-6. She was joined on the starting defense by former Cape player Anna Stancofski, a graduated senior who is now looking toward medical school.
Brody Fazio
During Lewes' epic showdown with Laurel July 3 in the District 3 8-10 tournament, Fazio played shortstop and anchored the lineup in the three hole. Going 2-for-3 at the plate with one walk, Fazio drove in the winning run on a two-run single to give Lewes an 18-16 lead. Both runs were needed as Lewes escaped with an 18-17 win. Following Laurel's momentous nine-run, two-out rally in the fourth, Fazio led with positive chatter in the dugout, asking his teammates how many runs they were about to score to gear momentum back to their side. When asked about his mindset during his game-winning at-bat, Fazio said he was not fazed and feels at home in those spots. Like his favorite player, Aaron Judge, Fazio is one of the bigger players in the league and boasts impressive athleticism. His favorite position is catcher, but he can play shortstop, third base and first base, and is a hard-throwing pitcher.
Anna Stancofski
She’s a grinder and midfield marauder. If field hockey and lacrosse were still played on grass, Anna would be a dust bunny. The 22-year-old Swarthmore graduate battled back from ACL surgeries to earn NFHCA All-American third-team honors in field hockey and the Swarthmore May E. Parry Award (2024). This past season, Anna started all 19 games and tallied eight points, including two game-winning goals. Anna also started all 15 games last spring for the Garnet lacrosse team, winning 48 draw controls and picking up 19 ground balls. On June 30, Anna won the 20-24 female age group at the Beebe Heroes 5K in Lewes after running 25:37. “I’m undecided about my future. I may apply to med school or [physician's assistant]. I just haven’t decided yet,” she said.
