Cape, Sussex Academy swimmers win conference titles
![The Cape boys’ squad poses with the dual-meet championship trophy and the Henlopen Conference tournament trophy. Shown in back are (l-r) Shane Toback, Ellis Jack, Kieren Morrissey, Hunter Jones, Kevin Lewandowski, Josh Reinhold, Marcus Gromofsky, Josh Turek, Holden Tighe, Luke Robertson and Oakley Roberts. In front are head coach Bill Geppert, coach Rick Browkaw, Dylan Steinwedel, Brian Fleming, Andrew Criswell, coach Pete Olson and coach Tina Nigh. DAN COOK PHOTOS](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/7584aaa.jpg)
The Cape Henlopen boys’ swim team and the Sussex Academy girls’ squad took top honors in the Henlopen Conference swimming championships Feb. 12 at the Sussex Academy Aquatic Center in Georgetown.
The boys’ medley relay was won by Cape in 1:43.65. The Sussex Academy girls took first in a time of 1:52.68. The 200 freestyle winners were Caesar Rodney’s Ryan Woodzell in 1:44.94 and Molly Doppler from Sussex Central in 2:04.23. The 200 individual medley was won by Central’s Breyden Wright in 1:59.04 and Sussex Academy’s Gracie Maughan in 2:11.38. The 50 freestyle was won by Cape’s Josh Reinhold in 22.90 and Central’s Madelynn McTeer in 24.96. The 100 butterfly top finishers were Breyden Wright from Sussex Central in 51.28 and Molly Doppler in 1:02.22.
The boys’ 100 free was won by Cape’s Marcus Gromofsky in 50.06 and the girls’ by Central’s Madelynn McTeer in 54.60. The boys’ 500 freestyle was won by CR’s Ryan Woodzell in 4:45.60, and Caesar Rodney’s Victoria May won for the girls in 5:21.46. Cape Henlopen took top honors in the boys’ 200 free relay in 1:32.13 and Sussex Academy took the girls’ race in 1:45.57. Gromofsky took first in the boys’ 100 backstroke in 57.15 and CR’s Victoria May won the girls’ race in 1:01.43. The boys’ 100 breaststroke was won by Sussex Academy’s Jaxon Laux in 1:04.06 and Sussex Academy’s Gracie Maughan won the girls’ race in 1:05.18. Cape Henlopen won the boys’ 400 free relay in 3:25.22 and the girls’ race was won by Sussex Academy in 3:52.49.
The top three boys’ teams were Cape Henlopen with 431 points, Sussex Academy with 354 and Caesar Rodney with 286. The top three girls’ teams were Sussex Academy with 359 points, Sussex Tech with 319 and Cape Henlopen with 309.
Heather Beauchamp of Lake Forest was awarded the boys’ Coach of the Year title, while Tom Martiner of Sussex Academy garnered the girls’ Coach of the Year Award.
The Vince Morris Outstanding Swimmer Awards went to Breyden Wright of Sussex Central and Gracie Maughan of Sussex Academy.
“It was awesome,” said Cape coach Bill Geppert. “I am so proud of our team. They worked hard all season in desire to complete the unfinished business of winning this meet after coming up three points short last year. We broke our 200 medley and 400 free school records and are so close to others that the theme will hopefully motivate them for states. Hats off to all of the teams of our conference who posted great times today. It was a great meet overall. Swimming is such a cool sport in that hard work always translates into super times. No excuses about umpire calls, the weather or a ball bouncing the wrong way. It’s just you, the whistle and the water – it’s all up to you and how hard you prepare.”
“It was a great meet for all involved,” said Sussex Academy head coach Tom Martiner. “Plenty of new records, both personal and conference wide. I’m very happy and proud of the Sussex Academy girls. They knew it’d be close, and each girl dropped time to help reach the team goal.”
The DIAA State Tournament starts Wednesday, Feb. 23.
![The Sussex Academy girls’ team poses with the dual-meet championship trophy and the Henlopen Conference tournament championship trophy. Shown in back are (l-r) Leni Kuska, Itzel Gomez Sanchez, Victoria Evans, Gracie Maughan, Sanne Elling, Elle McKay, Eve Mundok, Kimia Langroudi, Megan Raines, Addi McKay, Lyla Baker and Zoe Musil. In front are assistant coach Stephanie Hartsoe and head coach Tom Martiner.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/7646a.jpg)
![Sussex Tech girls took the Henlopen North trophy. They are (l-r) head coach Michele Thomas, Olivia Farro, Abby Fowler, Bethany Covey, McKinley Stokley, Raehel Pogwist, Brynn Thornton, Molly Dopler, Cassidy Thomas, Neh Dinga, Gabrielle Oliphant and asst. coach Corey Darden.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/7344aa.jpg)
![Cape Henlopen’s Josh Reinhold, left, and Marcus Gromofsky hold the regular-season trophy and the tournament trophy. Reinhold won the 50 freestyle, and Gromofsky took top honors in the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/7601a.jpg)
![Coach of ther Year Awards were presented to Sussex Academy’s Tom Martiner, left, for the girls and Lake Forest’s Heather Beauchamp for the boys.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/7423a.jpg)
![The Vince Morris Outstanding Swimmer Awards were presented to Breyden Wright of Sussex Central, left, and Gracie Maughan of Sussex Academy.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/7478a.jpg)
![Sussex Academy’s Gracie Maughan broke the Henlopen Conference record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.18.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/2593a.jpg)
![Sussex Central’s Kellie Grez swims the fly leg of the medley relay. Central placed fourth in 2:03.47.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/2659a.jpg)
![Cape’s Sophie Schoenfeld swims the fly leg of the medley relay. The Vikings squad placed fifth in 2:04.24.](/sites/capegazette/files/2022/02/field/image/2641a.jpg)