Cape swim teams win showdown at Sussex Academy

The Cape girls’ swim team swam to a 8-0 record with a 113-57 victory over host Sussex Academy, but probably the most exciting part of the meet was the 89-81 win by the Vikings boys’ squad. The Cape boys and Seahawks boys are now both 5-3 on the season.

The Sussex Academy boys’ squad won six out of the 11 events, but the depth of the Vikings added up to more of those important second- and third-place points.

The match came down to the last two events, where Michael Schrock won the 100 breaststroke and set up the final race in the 4-by-200 freestyle relay. Cape’s Ryan Bixler, Brent Hochrein, Josh Toback and Alec Hochrein scored a 3:41.9, enough to push the Vikings to the eight-point victory.

Sussex Academy’s Cooper Shawver, Trey Mitchell, Gabe Gonzalez and Parker Shawver won the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:50.37. Seahawk Evan Davis took top honors in the 200 freestyle with a 2:00.02; Gabe Gonzalez followed with a win in the 200 individual medley with a 2:19.64.

Alec Hochrein got the Vikings on the board with a 22:89 win in the 50 free.

Sussex Academy’s Gonzalez took the win in the 100 fly with a 58:78 while Cooper Shawyer won the 100 free with a 54:39. Cape’s Ryan Bixler won the grueling 500 freestyle with a 5:59.35.

The Seahawks 200 free relay team of  Evan Davis, Chris Smith, Parker Shawver and Cooper Shawver finished first with a 1:39.56.

Cape sophomore Josh Toback won the 100 backstroke with a 1:05.00, and Michael Schrock brought the team with in two points as he finished first in the 100 breaststroke to set up a winner-take-all duel in the 400 free relay won by Cape’s Bixler, Josh Toback, Brent Hochrein and Alec Hochrein with a 3:41.97.

“Michael did a great job in the breaststroke,” said senior Brent Hochrein. “He swam his personal best, and if he doesn’t win that race, the team doesn’t win.”

 “Bix [Ryan Bixler] swam his top time of the year to start us off,” said 400 free relay anchor Alec Hochrein. “It definitely gave us momentum. I think it was our best time as a team, too.”

The Vikings and Seahawks boys are both 5-3 on the season.

The Lady Vikings continued their winning ways with a 113-57 victory over the Lady Seahawks as they won 10 of the 11 events at the Schell Brothers Aquatic Center.

Cape’s Sarah Rambo, Sarah Hyde, Amelia Nigh-Johnson and Molly Weeks started off the meet by winning the 200 medley relay with 1:59.41. Weeks continued the streak with a 2:06.72 victory in the 200 free. Hyde polished off the field in the individual medley with a 2:22.73, while Nigh-Johnson took home first place in the 50 free with a 27:28. She then took first in the 100 butterfly with a 1:05.29.

Rambo took the top finish in the 100 free with a 59.11, while Weeks swam to a 5:44.89 win in the 500 free.

Sussex Academy got a first in the 200 free medley with Julia Martiner, Lindsey Guida, Cailey Murphy and Tessa Elling with a 1:53.13.

Rambo swam to a 1:04.71 finish in the 100 backstroke while Hyde placed first in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:13.53.

The 400 free relay team of Hyde, Weeks, Rambo and Nigh-Johnson finished the meet with a 4:03.92 first-place finish.

Cape travels to Central Delaware YMCA Tuesday, Jan. 24, for a Northern Division meet with Polytech.