Cape indoor track traveled to Snow Hill, Md., for the Pat Russo Invitational Dec. 14, with the Cape boys’ team winning the meet with 102 points, while Caesar Rodney was second with 68 points. Sussex Central was fourth with 41 points, and Sussex Academy was seventh with 25 points.
The Lady Vikings finished second with 90 points to Kent Island with 115, while Sussex Central was fourth with 46 points. Milford was fifth with 39 points, while Sussex Academy was sixth with 30 points.
The Vikings won four individual events on the girls’ side, as the foursome of Katie Kuhlman, Alexa Dougherty, Ella Ruppert and Hannah Maney kicked off the meet by winning the 3,200-meter relay in 10:21.70. Sussex Academy was third in 10:55. Kuhlman returned to win the 1,600-meter run in a photo finish of 5:28.38 for a new indoor personal best, while Maney won the 500 in 1:22.68, with Kennedy Johnson fourth in 1:28:30. The Vikings closed the meet by winning the 1,600-meter relay with the same relay team in a time of 4:29.75. Hailey Archambault was second in the shot put at 28-feet-11-inches, while Addison Bowman was third in the pole vault at 8-6. Kuhlman returned in the 800 to take second in another photo finish of 2:29.63, while Ella Ruppert was fourth in 2:32.30. Kuhlman scored 23 points for the Vikings.
In other downstate action at the meet, Tatiana Kelsic of Sussex Central won the 55 in 7.55, while Ny’Ajah Henry of Sussex Tech was third in 7.73. Golden Knights Destini Harmon and Domonice White finished fifth and sixth in 7.84 and 7.86. Essence Briddell of Sussex Central was second in the 55 hurdles in 9.71. Kelsic returned to take second in the 300 in 44.43, while young Viking Talia Pecoraro ran a nice time of 45.77. Lily Bowe of Sussex Academy was fourth in the 1,600 in 5:37.52, while teammate Katya Geyer won the 3,200 in 12:11.51. Faith Mitchell of Milford was third in 12:54, while Zoe Miller of Cape was sixth in 13:16. Sussex Central won the 800 relay in 1:52.20, with Cape fifth in 1:59.10.
The Cape boys won four individual events highlighted by junior Bailey Fletcher winning the pole vault in a new meet record of 13-7 and a new personal best. Nathan Horn won the shot put in 41-11, while Liam O’Donnell won the 1,600 in 4:39.94, with Joey DeGregory third in the 3,200 in 10:42.21. Billy Cerf won the high jump in 6-0 and returned in the hurdles to take fourth in 8.57. Max Gillen was fourth in 10:43.26 in the 3,200, while Brady Mauro was also fourth in the pole vault in 11-0. Maurki James ran 6.81 to finish fourth in the 55, while the Cape 4-by-800 relay team took fourth in 8:53.20.
Other downstate boys finishing at the top of their events include Sussex Central winning the 4-by-200 relay in 1:35.80, while Yougendy Mauricette of Sussex Tech won the 55 hurdles in 7.76. Will Harrison of Sussex Central won the 300 in 36.51, while teammate Tim Wright was second in 37.12. Wright also took second in the 55 in 6.70. Max Rial of Sussex Academy was second in the shot put in 39-5, while Sussex Academy’s 4-by-400 relay closed the meet with a second-place finish in 3:50.78.
Talking vault - Bailey Fletcher broke the Pat Russo Invitational record in the pole vault with a jump of 13-7, breaking the 13-6 mark set Jan. 9, 2014, by Cape vaulter Sam Young. Young went on to a storybook career at the University of Virginia, where he jumped 17-7 ¾ in 2020 to set the UVA indoor school record. Young already held the UVA indoor record for a freshman at 16-8 ¼ set in 2017, along with the freshman outdoor record at 16-8 ¾, also set in 2017. Young jumped 17-2 ¾ in 2021 for the No. 2 performance on the UVA outdoor list. UVA has a tryout standard of 13-3 and a walk-on standard of 15-1.
