Michael Wardian will finish his epic run across the United States at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand about noon, Friday, July 1. Following the Forrest Gump footprints, Wardian, a 48-year-old ultra-marathoner, left San Francisco, Calif., May 1 and has averaged more than 50 miles a day for 65 days, totaling 3,184 miles for the journey. Wardian followed U.S. Route 50 without one rest day and is raising money for World Vision, an organization that works to provide clean, safe drinking water to families across the globe. His goal is to raise $100,000. Wardian, who will also run the Firecracker 5K the following morning, is known for incredible feats of the foot. In 2017, Wardian set the record for the fastest World Marathon Challenge – seven marathons on seven continents in seven days – as well as setting a 50K treadmill record in 2020. For the cross-country run, Wardian was supported along the way by his dad, who trailed in an RV, and prepared meals, did laundry and offered support.

Back in 2006, ultra-marathoner Paul Staso and I became friends, and I was the finish-line coordinator for his Run Across America journey from Oregon to Lewes. Paul ran the equivalent of 125 marathons in 108 days across the entire United States all alone.

The Cape Henlopen girls’ track & field team celebrated its spring season on the beach at Roosevelt Inlet with a Beach Banquet Bash. The girls went 6-1, only losing by a point to Caesar Rodney, while capturing the Northern Division title for the Henlopen Conference. The team will graduate five seniors. Returning for their senior year are distance ace Katie Kuhlman and hurdler Alexa Dougherty. Throwers Haley Archambault and Cailyn Bledsoe both return too, as does one of the best mid-distance runners in the conference, Hannah Maney.  

Tia Jarvis and Kuhlman shared co-MVP honors this season. The Most Improved Award went to rising junior Kennedy Johnson, who continued to show improvement and confidence in her sprint events, and will focus on the 200- and 400-meter events next year. The co-Rookie of the Year Award went to sprinter Anna Kucharik and mid-distance runner Ella Ruppert.  Kucharik battled some injuries during the indoor season and through March, but was able to get them under control and put together a great April and May for the Vikings. The Unsung Hero Award went to Emma Duffield and Hannah Maney, two athletes who had outstanding seasons and contributed greatly to the success of the program.

Elizabeth “E-Beth” Melson, heading to Penn State in the fall, gets the Sportsmanship Award. E-Beth would do anything to help the team and could go anywhere from the 200 meters to the 3,200 meters and throw in the high jump, pole vault, triple jump and hurdle events. Whatever she could do to help the team is where she went, and she always just gave her best – that’s who she is.

Rising senior Alexa Dougherty earned the Workhorse Award as the athlete who competed in four events in every meet this season, with the exception of the Penn Relays and the Meet of Champions. For the second year in a row, Dougherty was the athlete we used in events outside her comfort zone to get added points. The 3 Ds Award goes to an athlete who may not be a conference or state champion but comes to practice every day working to be the best they can be. The award stands for dedication, determination and desire, and athletes Ashley Carrier and Allison Head fit that description. The Century Club Award went to Haley Archambault and Timiah Jackson. Archambault reached the 100-foot mark in her favorite event, tossing the discus 102 feet, while Jackson asked more than 100 questions throughout the season to earn the award.  

The one statistic I keep track of throughout the year that the coaching staff is most proud of is the overall academic GPA the girls held. This year’s GPA was 3.9. It was evident the girls were students first, with all graduating seniors in the program heading to college. Congratulations to the Cape girls’ track & field team.

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The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.