T
he Beacon girls’ track
and field team closed
out their season by tak-
ing part in a Regional Middle
School Championship Meet
May 18 at Mount Pleasant High
School in Wilmington. It was
expected to include 14 teams
invited from Wilmington, Balti-
more, Philadelphia, and nearby
Pennsylvania with middle
school events from the 100
meters to the 1,600 meters, four
relays, and three field events.
Mount Pleasant High School
sponsors the championships in
honor of Rich McKinnon, a for-
mer athletic director at Mount
Pleasant. Rich died of heart
disease in 2004. To honor McK-
innon and raise money for the
American Heart Association,
the MPHS track team began
the McKinnon Meet in 2006.
Only athletes who are in sixth
to eighth grade are allowed to
compete.
The Rich McKinnon Track
Championship is a way to honor
his memory by hosting an event
based on Rich's principles -
competition, sportsmanship,
teamwork, and striving for
excellence.
Part of the proceeds from this
event will be donated in Rich's
name to the American Heart
Association.
Running and racing in the heat
Why do people go running
in the middle of the day when
it is 90 degrees with 85 percent
humidity? I have no idea, but
one word comes to mind - dan-
gerous. July and August are the
two months where I worry the
most while directing races, and
extra water, ice, and emergency
personnel are close by during
these times.
When I drive down Rehoboth
Avenue at 1 p.m., I frequently
see runners wearing long-
sleeved T-shirts, wearing dark
clothing that absorbs the sun’s
heat, and looking as red as a
tomato in the face. I personally
was never a decent heat runner
and would try my best to avoid
the hot weather or high humid-
ity if I could. Early morning or
late night was always my favor-
ite time to train.
This week, summer moved in
as we had a bit of a heat wave
with temperatures reaching 90
degrees. Here are some hot-
weather tips for runners:
• If temperatures are expected
to be high, try to plan your
workout for early in the morn-
ing when heat is less intense.
• Drink a lot of fluid. Take in
at least 6 to 12 oz. of fluid every
15 minutes. If your workout or
race is going to last longer than
1 hour, drink a sports drink con-
taining sodium, instead of water.
• Wear sunscreen. Make sure
you use a brand that is sweat
proof.
• Wear a hat. A hat with a
brim will keep much of the sun
off your head and face.
• Wear loose fitting, light-col-
ored clothing. Light colors will
reflect some of the heat. There
are a number of high-tech fab-
rics available that will wick the
moisture away from your body
and aid in cooling.
• Warm up, rest and cool
down in the shade. Direct
sunlight can cause a rise in body
temperature.
• If you are planning a race in
hot weather, try to get in at least
two weeks of training in similar
weather. This will help accli-
mate your body to the higher
temperatures.
• Check your urine color. If
your urine becomes dark, you
are dehydrated.
What running means to me
Most runners will say that
their sport means the world to
them when asked "What does
running mean to you?" There
are runners in our area who
have streaks, meaning they have
run every day for a number of
years or decades, which shows
dedication, commitment, or
maybe it's all they know how
to do.
Guys like John Wolff and
Chico Barranco are two who
I know have streaks to their
name, and very impressive
ones dating back into the ‘80s,
I do believe. For myself, run-
ning has provided me with road
race wins, conference and state
individual and team champion-
ships, national championships
as a coach, and currently a track
& field team that is one of the
most talented teams I have ever
coached.
Even thought I do not run
myself much anymore, I still
enjoy what running has done
and continues to do for me.
Last week I featured two
fifth-grade students who wrote
a piece about what Jump Rope
for Heart means to them. This
week, I thought it would be
interesting to ask one of my
fifth-grade girls what running
means to her. The perspective
of asking an adult and asking a
child is different views, but with
the same ideas.
What Running Means to Me
By Ashlyn Andrew
I've loved running since I
could walk. I've always ran a lot
as a kid. When I started kinder-
garten and heard about the 4-by-
100 relay, I thought it was the
perfect race for me. I tried out
and made the
anchor posi-
tion. Over the
years I have
always partici-
pated in the
relays. I love
the experience
and the people
I race is fun. I
love this relay
because it is
fast and you
never know what is going to
happen. If you start last, you can
still win the race depending on
your whole team. I love Coach
B and thank him so much for his
inspiring support of me.
Scamper for Paws & Claws
The fifth stop on the Sea-
shore Strider Trail Series will
be the 16th Scamper for Paws
& Claws 5K Run & Walk to
be held this Saturday, May 20,
beginning at 9 a.m. from Killens
Pond State Park in Felton. The
event is presented by the First
State Animal Center - SPCA.
In 2013, the Kent County SPCA
was officially renamed the First
State Animal Center and SPCA,
in recognition of its statewide
animal welfare focus and to help
the public easily identify the full
suite of services the organiza-
tion provides Delaware's pets
and the people who care for
them. Registration will begin at
8 a.m.
Wild Goose Chase
The sixth event on the Sea-
shore Strider Trail Series will
be held Sunday, May 21, begin-
ning at 9:30 a.m. from Trap
Pond State Park in Laurel. It’s a
beautiful 3.1-mile run and 1-mile
walk to benefit the Kat Chil-
dren Trust Fund. Run and walk
through the scenic woods and
ponds of the park and let nature
take over. A great event and an
even better cause. Registration
will begin at 8 a.m. Both events
are a part of the Seashore Strid-
er Trail Series which includes a
total of 10 events.
Upcoming races
Saturday, May 20 - 2nd Re-
hoboth Run-for-the-Books 5K,
Rehoboth Beach, races2run.com
Saturday, May 20 - 2nd Schell
Brothers Run Happy 5K, Coastal
Club, Lewes, races2run.com
Sunday, May 21 - 8th DE-feet
Breast Cancer 5K, Rehoboth
Beach, races2run.com.
Cape Gazette SPORTS & OUTDOORS FRIDAY, MAY 19 - MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017 109
Cape Region Athletes Of The Week »
DALTON DEEVEY
A Beacon seventh-grader, a
football linebacker and a wres-
tler, he finished last wrestling
season in the 130-pound weight
class with a 12-0 record, then
went on to capture the Hen-
lopen Conference wrestling
championship. Last weekend at
the MAWA Eastern Regionals in
Salisbury, Dalton placed fifth in-
side a four-region bracket, going
3-2 to earn All-American status.
“The matches I lost were close
by 3 and 2 points; there were
no slouches in the tournament,”
Dalton said. When asked what it
felt like to handle a loss, Dalton
said, “I handled it well.” Dalton
is an honors student who also
is schooled in judo, so approach
him prudently.
LEXI WOODRUFF
Lexi was named to the Division
One All Tournament team last
weekend, and she and her team-
mates from the University of
Delaware Club Lacrosse team
went 4-0 at the National Club
Championships in Utah, upset-
ting Santa Clara and Pittsburgh
in consecutive games to win the
championship. Lexi is a sopho-
more at Delaware who plays
attack and is working toward
her degree in nursing. “Electron”
was a two-sport all-state player
at Cape in field hockey and
lacrosse. She has always been a
Division One talent and now has
a National Championship to add
to those state championships
she was a part of while at Cape.
AMANDA SPONAUGLE
This Cape sophomore just
picked up a racket the day
before tennis team tryouts and
took to the sport like a seasoned
veteran. Amanda not only
picked up the sport, she moved
up the challenge ladder and
went 10-4 at the first doubles
position, placing third at the
Henlopen Conference Tourna-
ment last weekend with partner
Mel McCloy. She is a member
of the Cape Henlopen Leo Club,
the Honor Society and the FFA.
Amanda plays attack on the
Vikings field hockey team and
swims the 100- and 200-meter
freestyle and free relays on the
swim team. In her spare time
she loves hanging out at the
beach and body boarding.
MEL MCCLOY
A second-year player on the
Cape tennis team, this junior
honors student was the perfect
fit on the first doubles team, ac-
cording to assistant coach Dave
Shook. “She helped mentor first-
year player Amanda and made
them a extremely athletic and
aggressive first doubles squad
that took third place in the Hen-
lopen Conference Tournament,”
he said. An Academic Chal-
lenge student, McCloy is a also
member of the Cape Leo Club,
Green Club, Honor Society, and
the Class of 2018 treasurer. She
also plays guard on the girls’
basketball team, defense on the
field hockey team and performs
on the Cape Dance Team. In her
“spare” time she assists with the
Unified Basketball program.
A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC
Proud to Sponsor Cape Region Athletes of the Week
Community-Minded, Customer-Focused
GoToGallo.com
Running in the heat
is never a good idea
Ashlyn Andrew
Tim »
Bamforth
RUNNING
