Vikings and Seahawks battle in swimming showdown
The Sussex Academy Aquatic Center was spilling over with excitement Jan. 27, as two of the state’s top teams met for a Henlopen Conference showdown.
The Cape boys topped Sussex Academy 123-47, while the Sussex Academy girls swam to a 94-76 victory.
The Cape boys won all 11 events, while the Sussex Academy girls won six of 11 races.
The Seahawks girls’ squad won the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 500 free, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke. The Vikings swam to wins in the 50 free, 100 fly, 100 freestyle, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
“It is always an exciting, special meet with [Sussex Academy] because I have known and swam with the girls since we were all little,” said Cape junior Sidney Caldwell. “It’s a hard first loss of the season. They are a group of excellent swimmers that Cape always aspires to beat. The loss will just fuel our motivation to restrategize the lineup and work harder for conferences.”
“We tried a little bit more strategy,” said Sussex Academy sophomore Anna Mumford. “It’s mostly mental, though. We definitely have to really focus against Cape. It’s always a fun meet. I’m proud of myself and I’m proud of our team.”
“I think we had a lot of great races,” said Cape senior Jenna Reinhold. “They have some really good swimmers. A lot of us swim together on club teams, so it makes for a friendly rivalry meet. Can’t wait to see them again at conferences.”
“It was not an ordinary meet,” said Seahawks senior Addy McKay. “As a senior, I’m so excited to say I’ve gone my entire high school career dual season undefeated. I’m so excited the girls were able to pull it together tonight. I have every faith in coach [Tom] Martiner as he switched the lineup. He knows how to crunch the numbers, and 100% knows what he’s talking about.”
“Cape’s depth on the boys’ side was better than advertised, and not just depth, but the quality of depth,” said Martiner. “They have obviously done a tremendous job building on their already-established team. It should make for exciting state meet later in February. My girls are riding a 49-meet win streak, dating back to before COVID was a thing. We hold them to a high standard, and they all ensure that the standard is met. Their ability to swim well in all events allows a great deal of lineup flexibility. We’re all proud of them. Each year, this meet proves to be the best meet of the season. It’s great to see the competitiveness from both sides pushing each other to be better than the day before.”
“It is always exciting to swim [Sussex Academy],” said Cape coach Bill Geppert. “They are extremely well coached, and the kids on both teams know each other very well. Many of them swim on the same club teams. In big meets like this, it all comes down to depth. Can our second and third swimmers in events outperform theirs? Our boys and their girls were the kings and queens of the meet.”
Full results can be found at www.capevikingssports.com or www.sussexacademysports.com.
