Depth is the key for Cape boys' XC
The Cape Henlopen boys’ cross country team owes much of its recent success – a Division I state title in 2020, a runner-up finish in ’21, and three consecutive conference titles – to its depth. As the 2022 season gets underway, coach Matt Lindell’s Vikings return three of their top four finishers from last year’s DIAA meet. Cape suffered some significant losses to graduation, however, and will need to reestablish its depth if it wants to contend for more hardware.
Lindell doesn’t think that will be a problem.
“Depth was a little bit of a concern coming in, but after the two-mile time trial we had last week, we’re deep,” he said. “We could have perhaps 14 or 15 guys legitimately in the [18-minute range] or lower, and maybe a couple more beyond that at sub-20. From our fastest to our slowest guy, they’re putting the work in and buying into it. I think this is gonna be another special group.”
Senior standout Ryan Baker, the fastest distance runner in school history, leads the charge after rewriting Cape’s record book in 2021. The two-time first team all-state selection threw down a 15:23 5K at last year’s county meet, took third at states, and finished 38th at Nike’s NXR Southeast Regional before clocking a school record of 9:18 for 3,200 meters on the outdoor circuit. In Baker, the Vikings have a legit “low stick,” not to mention a favorite for an individual state title.
“He went 9:40 [in the time trial], and he looked comfortable,” Lindell said. “Last year at this point, he was a little over 10 [minutes]. His summer was even better than last year.”
Junior all-stater Joey DeGregory and senior Liam O’Donnell return after placing 11th and 18th, respectively, at states in 2021. They made major gains during the track season, as O’Donnell blazed 4:26 for 1,600 meters and both broke 10:16 over 3,200.
The Vikings return arguably the strongest top three in Delaware, but they’ll need to shore up the remainder of their lineup in order to challenge the likes of Sallies. Lindell will look to returning lettermen Declan Morrissey, Jakob Hayes and Max Gillen to score varsity points, while Cape should also get contributions from a talented crop of newcomers that includes junior Eddie Houck, senior Gavin Woodyard-Wideman, and freshmen Riley Stazzone, Brayden Redd, Owen Mattioni, and Aaron Tikiob.
“Declan was already in the 11s [for the two-mile time trial] after spending all day in the sun [lifeguarding]. Eddie’s already in the 11s. And our freshman crew ... wow. We’ll have some of the fastest freshmen in the conference this year.”
Senior Katie Kuhlman once again headlines the girls’ squad after earning all-state nods in 2020 and 2021. Kuhlman came within a few ticks of a school-record 5K when she ran 19:03 last season, and her outdoor times (5:23 for 1,600 meters, 11:47 over 3,200) suggest that she’s only improved since then. “KK” is a good bet to reach the podium at states, where she placed second in 2020 and sixth a year later.
Cape has reinforcements behind Kuhlman, as it brings back five more runners who spent time in the varsity seven last season. That group includes senior Colleen Flynn, who clocked 20:40 for 5K and ran in the Vikings’ No. 2 spot before being sidelined by injury. Sophomore Hailey Hassell is back in action a year after placing 22nd at the state meet and improving her 5K time from 29 minutes to 21:02. Senior Allison Head (35th at states in ’21), junior Lillian Fisher (51st), and junior Kayla Droge (52nd) return as well.
Lindell has been impressed with the progress made by several others, including freshman Zoe Miller, junior Ava Dolan, freshman Chloe DeForrest and freshman Maya Yngve. Freshman Brooke Terhune, a middle school standout, is also expected to push for a varsity position once she recovers from an injury.
“A few of the girls have already told our assistant [Rob Perciful], ‘We wanna go for a conference championship.’ We’ve got pieces. This is gonna be a fun team because, to this point, they’re one of the tighter-knit groups of girls I’ve ever had…It’s a nice pack of girls – a pack that is going to progress forward as we build toward the championship phase of the season. They just need time and miles.”
