Cape boys, Sussex Academy girls win XC conference titles
Conference cross country races are simplistically complicated when it comes merging meets for state championships, then dividing them into divisions.
The Cape boys, a Division I team, easily won the Henlopen Conference title Nov. 2, at Killens Pond with 36 points ahead of a trailing field that included Caesar Rodney with 55, Smyrna with 107, Polytech with 114, Sussex Academy with 120, Milford with 130 and Sussex Tech with 216.
The top seven boys were Jason Baker of Cape in 15:55, Griffin Spana of CR in 16:19, Andrew Radka of Cape in 16:39, Ryan Moody of Sussex Academy in 16:55, Evan Easton of CR in 16:56, Brayden Redd of Cape in 17:08 and Isaiah Winslow Hill of Smyrna in 17:13.
The Sussex Academy girls, a Division II team, easily won the Henlopen Conference crown with 31 points. The Seahawks were followed by Cape with 62, Polytech with 113, Smyrna with 118, Caesar Rodney with 120 and Sussex Central with 172.
The top seven girls were Abigail Crowley of Sussex Academy in 18:39, Katya Geyer of Sussex Academy in 20:00, Morgan Thomson of CR in 20:36, Hailey Hassell of Cape in 20:48, Jordan Blades of Sussex Academy in 21:03, Ava Brock of Sussex Central in 21:04 and Elyse Fuller of Polytech in 21:05.
Meshing and melding the Henlopen Conference and New Castle County championships together suggests that the Division I boys’ state championship meet will be a featured battle between Cape and Salesianum. The Tatnall boys should dominate the Division II competition.
The Padua Pandas appear untouchable in the Division I competition, with Tatnall a favorite in the Division II race, perhaps pushed by Sussex Academy along with St. Andrew’s and Tower Hill.
Katie Payne of Tatnall ran 17:43 to win the New Castle meet, with teammate Abby Dowin placing fourth in 18:38.
Crowley, who missed Sussex Academy’s regular-season showdown meets because of injury, ran 18:39 to win the Henlopen crown. Crowley has led from post to paddock in all her high school races and is poised to run faster, as she and Payne should push each other over the 5K distance.
The Division I girls’ race will likely see teammates Anna Bockius (17:54) and Paige Ballinger (18:06) go to the front and stay there.
Baker of Cape (15:55) is the odds-on favorite to capture the Division I crown, while Ben Pizarro of Tatnall 15:40 is the top gun in the Division II race.
The DIAA Cross Country State Championships are set for Saturday, Nov. 9, at Killens Pond State Park. The Division II girls’ race goes off at 1 p.m., followed by the Division I girls at 1:40 p.m., Division II boys at 2:20 p.m., and Division I boys at 3 p.m.
Cape coach Matt Lindell was selected as the 2024 Henlopen Conference Coach of the Year for both boys and girls.
