Brynn Crandell of IR captures cross country state title
Indian River coach Rick “Hot Rod” Hundley had a great coach day and a glorious dad day Saturday at the state cross country championships at Killens Pond.
The Indians’ Brynn Crandell, a junior, separated herself from a talented field and won her second consecutive Division II cross country title in 18:49.1. St. Andrew’s won the school’s first Division II girls’ title with 47 points over second-place Archmere with 83. Rick's daughter Devin is a senior on the Saints’ squad and their No. 6 runner. Devin ran 22:03 to close out her high school career.
Rick is the Energizer Bunny atop Focus Multisports, which puts on the Coastal Running Festival downstate each spring. Rick is the multitasking avatar of computerized digital sports results.
“Just an amazing day!” Rick said. “I knew going in it was a definite possibility for this scenario to play out. Brynn is an incredibly dedicated hard worker. She had a tough start to the season working through an injury she suffered in track, but she never let off the pedal. Her work ethic and dedication to the sport is like none I've never seen. St. Andrew's girls’ team is just so fun to watch. Devin has been running XC since the age of 6. She is a senior and she had to work very hard to earn a spot on their varsity team. It's the end of XC era for her, and I'm so happy that St. Andrew's got it done. I could not be prouder of Brynn and the St. Andrew's girls. Congrats to Brynn and St. Andrew's girls on a season well done!”
Henlopen Conference champion Sussex Academy placed sixth in the girls’ Division II race with 163 points. The Seahawks were led by Lily Bowe, eighth, 20:19 and Katya Geyer, 10th, 20:24.
The Padua Pandas dominated the girls’ Division I race, placing six runners in the top 10. They were led by Sophia Holgado (19:10) and Mary Flanagan (19:12).
Cape’s Katie Kuhlman answered the gun as always, hanging tough for a fifth-place finish in 20:04. Other downstate runners in the top 10 were Arina Varrato of Sussex Tech, seventh, 20:28 and Faith Mitchell of Milford, ninth, 20:38.
The team results atop Division I girls were Padua with 21, Charter School of Wilmington with 68, Middletown with 123, Cape with 132, Caesar Rodney with 143 and Milford with 158.
In the Division I boys’ race, Cape’s Ryan Baker took it out hard to try to deaden the legs of the kickers. Baker didn't fade as much as Jonathan Drew of Middletown (16:06) and Matt Miller of Salesianum (16:10) surged, running a back-half negative split to go 1-2. Baker held on for third in 16:18.
Cape’s Joey DeGregory (17:25), Liam O’Donnell (17:27) and Max Gillen (17:32) picked up places 14, 15 and 16. Cape fifth runner Declan Morrisey ran 17:47 for 20th place.
The team standings for Division I were Salesianum with 37, Middletown with 41, Cape with 68 and Caesar Rodney with 90.
The boys’ Division II race was won by Ethan Walker of Delaware Military Academy in 16:18. Lathan Love-Brown of A.I. du Pont was second in 16:41, followed by Ben Pizarro of Tatnall in 17:00.
Ian Hayes of Woodbridge was the top downstate runner in the DII race, placing fourth in 17:18. Chase Simms of Indian River ran 17:52 for 19th place.
Tatnall won the boys’ title with 51 points, followed by St. Andrew’s with 98, Archmere with 113 and DMA with 139.
