DELAWARE STATE MEET

Padua Academy Girls, Cape Henlopen Boys Claim DIAA D1 Titles

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Expect anything but the usual. That is how Padua Academy cross country coach Marnie Giunta has summed up 2020. For high cross country teams in Delaware, a season at the start of the fall was not supposed to happen, and then it did. An abbreviated and much different season of running that started competition in October ended on Saturday, the first weekend of December, at Killens Pond State Park in Felton with the DIAA State Championships.

However the one constant during an unusual fall was the dominance of the Padua girls. Led by junior Mary Katherine Dorsey’s first-place finish (19:33), the Panda’s placed five runners in the top 20 to score 41 points and claim their eighth consecutive Delaware Division 1 state title. Padua had six of its runners in the top 21, five of which are underclassmen. Charter School of Wilmington finished runner-up as a team with 105 points.

In the boys Division 1 race, the Cape Henlopen boys put together a total team effort to win the state title with 42 points. Ryan Baker’s third-place finish (16:30.6) led the way as three runners finished in the top six, and all seven were in the top 22. Individually, Salesianum’s Ryan Banko won the 5,000-meter race in 16:09.3. Salesianum finished second as a team with 60 points. 

The Ursuline Academy girls repeated as Division 2 state champions as three runners finished in the top 10 and five in the top 20. Individually, St. Mark’s junior Tiffany Herrera put down the fastest time of the day, winning in 18:51.2. 

Tatnall senior Declan McDonnell guided his team to a state title as he repeated as the Division 2 champion, clocking 15:51.8, the fastest of the day and only runner under 16 minutes. Tatnall nearly had a perfect day with four runners in the top six, and six in the top 12 to score 25 points.

Delaware was the last state that to conduct a state championship event in 2021.

Team Champions

Division 1: Cape Henlopen boys 42 points; Padua Academy girls 41 points - RESULTS

Division 2: Tatnall boys 25 points; Ursuline Academy girls 56 points - RESULTS