Athletes of the Week Oct. 4

Chase Ballinger

A junior honor roll student at Sussex Academy, this three-year starter for the Seahawks soccer team had a highlight reel week on the Sussex Academy stadium turf. He scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Indian River Oct. 1, and made the spirited student section go crazy by including them in his celebration. So far this season, he has scored five goals and has been credited with five assists. "Chase is a tremendously gifted player up front," said Seahawks head coach RJ Dina. "He leads the team in assists, and his intangible qualities make him a true leader on the field and in the classroom. We are so proud of how Chase represents our program." Chase plays midfield for the Sussex Academy lacrosse team in the spring, and when not in school, he plays travel soccer with the Delaware Futbol Academy squad.

Regan Best

Regan, a junior, was born to run, so after she escaped the goalie cage, she was not enthused or motivated to go back. Cape field hockey coach Kate Austin cites Regan as one of the reasons a young and inexperienced Cape team is off to a 9-0 start. “She’s been solid in the back line and has put in a lot of work to step into intercepting lines to challenge forwards on the opposing team,” Austin said. “Against Milford, she was very effective in thwarting their left-side attack and starting the counterattack. She thrives on competition and pushes her teammates at practice each day. Her composure on the ball and decision making out of the background have improved greatly since the start of the season.” Regan brings the inner dog to the pitch each game. The girl has it – those intangibles that translate into winning games. Her first cousin, Emily Wells, plays on the midfield line. Regan also plays lacrosse in the spring.  

Rilyn Lehman

One of the senior captains on the Sussex Academy field hockey team, Rilyn has started her final year on an absolute tear. Tied for the team lead in goals with nine after she scored one against Indian River Oct. 1, Rilyn is second on the team in assists with four and leads the team in points with 22. The Michigan State commit has been playing the game for 12 years, and her enthusiasm has only grown in that time. Inspired by older players when she was younger, she said she knew early on she could not live without playing field hockey, and she has worked to achieve her Division I dreams since she was in third grade. She will be studying kinesiology and hopes to pursue a nursing career. Hoping to give back to the game, she also held a youth field hockey clinic at Sussex Academy Sept. 7 and donated the proceeds to Special Olympics Delaware, an organization she holds close to her heart. 

Sal Sartori  

There are two types of anchors: those who bring home the bacon on the sprint relay team and those who eat the bacon, bolstering the defensive line. Sal is the double-A gap guy, a throwback to Tony Siragusa, a teammate on the Ravens with current Cape coach Mike Frederick, who said, “Sal is the strongest player on the roster as the starting nose tackle and a backup offensive lineman. He is only a junior and already is nearly impossible to move. One of his top qualities is he never takes a play off. Sal is physically different from most high school players, and his game is different as well. Sal plays with brute strength and tenacity. Everything that we do on the defensive side of the ball starts with Sal. He is responsible for playing both sides of the center and making sure there is no movement in the middle of the defense. Sal has agile feet for a large lineman type. He is equally talented at stopping the run and providing a pass rush up the middle of the pocket.”

Bree Terhune

This Mariner eighth-grader has kicked off her cross country season with one eye-popping performance after another. Bree opened the year with a 12:08 time over a 3K to help Mariner defeat Fred Thomas Middle, then clocked 12:13 at Georgetown to outpace not just the girls’ field, but all 61 boys in the race. Most recently, in a dual meet with Seaford at the brutal Chapel Branch Trail course, Bree blazed 9:39 for 1.5 miles to set a Mariner course record by 41 seconds. “I did more summer training than I ever have,” Bree said of her early-season exploits for the 3-0 Mariner girls. “By running so much in the summer, I built my confidence going into the season.” Bree is a talented all-around athlete who also plays soccer and softball. In her free time, she shows goats at the Delaware State Fair and loves hanging out with friends.