The Delaware Indoor Track & Field State Championships will be held Saturday, Feb. 4 in Landover, Md., at the 200-meter oval at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex. The facility opened in 2000 with much fanfare.
According to the Washington Post, the $31 million complex – a high-tech sports facility with an Olympic-size pool, indoor track and fitness center – was built as part of the deal with then-named Washington Redskins when they won the right to construct nearby FedEx Field. Built on 80 acres adjacent to the stadium, the facility has two swimming pools, a 40,000-square-foot gymnastics center and a 20,000-square-foot fitness center. A 75,000-square-foot field house includes a 200-meter track, volleyball and basketball courts, and seating for 3,000 spectators. There's also a learning center.
This is the type of facility Delaware desperately needs. Indoor track & field attracts some of the highest numbers for any sport in Delaware, and the state does not have an indoor track other than the private Tower Hill oval. I encourage readers to research the group Indoor Track Delaware (indoortrackde.com). I am a member of the board. The mission of our nonprofit is to build an indoor track/sports center in Delaware to be used by local residents and attract athletes from outside the state. This facility would offer competitive and recreational athletic opportunities for a community in need, along with an opportunity for Delaware to be a destination for indoor track in the Mid-Atlantic.
As for this weekend’s state championships, the Henlopen Conference girls look to have 25 of the 90 scoring spots, while the Henlopen Conference boys look to have 41 of the 90 scoring positions. There are 180 places that will be scored, with the Henlopen Conference pegged for 66. Granted, this is on paper and never is too solid, but I look at statistics every year, and most years at the end of the meet, it comes out within 10% of the performance list.
Individually for the Henlopen Conference, there are four athletes who have a shot at a state title. Brooke Duke from Smyrna is ranked No. 1 in the high jump at 5-feet-2-inches. Jakwon Kilby of Dover is ranked No. 1 in the long jump at 23-6. Yougendy Mauricette of Sussex Tech is ranked first in the 55-meter hurdles at 7.76 and first in the 400 meters at 49.43. Cape’s Ryan Baker is ranked first in the 3,200 meters in 9:21.78.
In downstate action, there are several athletes who look to be in the top eight in their events. Besides Baker and Mauricette, second-ranked athletes are Cape’s Bailey Fletcher in the pole vault, Cape’s boys’ 800 and 3,200 relays, and Sussex Central’s Timothy Wright in the long jump, and 55- and 200-meter dashes.
Third-ranked athletes are Cape’s Eddie Houck in the pole vault, Tech’s Mauricette in the long jump, Cape’s Liam O’Donnell in the 1,600 meters and the Cape boys’ 1,600 relay.
Fourth-ranked athletes are Cape’s William Cerf in the high jump, Cape’s Addison Bowman in the pole vault, Cape’s Brady Mauro in the pole vault and the Cape girls’ 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
Fifth-ranked athletes are Central’s Will Harrison in the 400-meter dash and the Cape girls’ 800 relay.
Sixth-ranked athletes are Cape’s Nate Horn in the shot put, Central’s Tatiana Kelsic in the 200 meters and Central’s Will Harrison in the 200 meters.
Seventh-ranked athletes are Central’s Victor Perez in the shot put, Cape’s Maurki James in the high jump and long jump, Cape’s Katie Kuhlman in the 1,600 and 3,200, the Central girls’ 800 relay, the Central boys’ 800 relay and the Sussex Academy girls’ 3,200 relay.
Eighth-ranked athletes are Central’s Kelsic in the long jump and 55-meter dash, Cape’s Cerf in the 55-meter hurdles and the Central boys’ 800 relay.
That is a wrap of downstate athletes, Henlopen Conference athletes and the state as a whole as Delaware heads to the DIAA Championships in Maryland, known as The Free State. I will bet, though, that Delaware coming to Maryland for the meet is not free.
