Head Coach: Bill Eichinger
Assistant Coaches: Jacki Hamaday, Colleen Mullins, Leslie Drewes
Time for some thoughts about the cross
country championships and the volleyball championship last weekend
now.
When I shoot these things for the TV show, I'm always
looking for something or someone to stand out. Dogs dressed up in
school colors is always cool, but this year, it was Bulldogs dressed
in a pink feather boa that stuck out at Bellevue State Park.
Not only did Brandywine freshman Jessica Leitsch make a
name for herself on the X-C courses all year, but she made fashion
statements along the way. At the county championships, a rainbow
colored pair of arm-length wool gloves turned more than a few heads.
On the boy's side, Salesianum's Tom Lord sported something
resembling an fro even when the rest of his team shaved their heads
for the Counties. It wasn't a true fro though because it lacked curls,
but it was a great enough attempt to attract my attention enough to
pull out this picture of when I was about the same age.
I love that picture. And damn was I good looking
or what!?
Of course all of these gimmicks are designed to attract
attention to ourselves. So what? We all desire attention in some form
or another. Some of us just like to take things to the extreme.
Congratulations to Brandywine's Jenn Kutney for
becoming just the third athlete to make the all-state team in all four
years of competition. She ran a heck of a final race finishing second
to the overall winner Jill Hajec from Caesar Rodney.
The boy's races were loaded with under classmen
finishing in the top ten. Tatnall's Kyle Kershner is just a sophomore
and Lord is a junior. In fact, the whole Sallies starting seven should
be back next year- Lord, Hamill, Zeberkiewicz (who finished 1-2-3)
Donnelly (the freshman) Meany, Corey, and DeCecchis (a sophomore.)
We all know that Tatnall's Meredith Lambert
will be a successful person in college athletics and academics, and
then in life. I thought that it was ironic that at the Bellevue course
where she held the course record, was where she lost her two
races this year. Then again, she holds many course records, so it may
not be such a big deal. But, by her own admission, her fast starts
were what she needed to be mindful of and indeed she ran a 5:30 in the
first mile of the final. (By the way, she may very well run track this
year, so if you happen to be a girl who is trying to decide between
running the mile and something else, keep that in mind.) Coming into
the final 200 yards is where she was passed, just as Leitsch passed
her a couple weeks ago, by the freshman from Tower Hill, Lisa
Klein.
Klein's eyes lit up when she came around that corner too. She
didn't think she had a shot at a championship and was gunning for
second place when all of a sudden the window of opportunity was
opened. Her kick was incredible and certainly showed that she possesses
a killer instinct.
As I've talked about before, we have defined a team that
earns the label of being a "dynasty" as one that wins at
least four championships in a row. The St. Marks volleyball team
entered "The Dynasty Zone" this past Saturday with their win
against St. Elizabeth, the only team to beat them in a match since
1997.
The Vikings had the crowd on their side. Remaining
Archmere and Ursuline fans from the third place game were clearly
cheering for St. Elizabeth because I guess everyone just can't stand a
winner. I never understood that because I'm not someone who believes
in wealth re-distribution, but nonetheless that what was
happening.
Ok, I'm staying on that point for a second. I think that
what is truly inspiring is watching a team win over and over again. I
wonder how many people can appreciate what it takes to accomplish
that. When we talk about the greatest teams of all time, the
conversation always leads to teams that have won at least four
championships in a row, the Yankees, the Islanders, the Canadiens,
UCLA, etc. The measure is how many crowns in a row a team has won. We
tend to think that a big season (like the 108 wins the Mets had in
1986) is more of an aberration than it is a well-planned and developed
program.
Yet, there are groups of people out there that seemingly
demand that there be new winners each year. It's a Middle-School
mentality which borders on Socialism that I just don't get. I want to
talk about the great Delaware High School teams that I got to see in
person years from now that have accomplished these great things.
Current teams like the Newark Football team, the Hodgson Wrestling
team, the St. Marks Swim team and Volleyball team and Boy's Soccer
team, etc., etc.
Of course we all want to see our OWN team win, no one can
fault anyone for that, but for crying out loud, there is almost a
hatred out there for some of these teams that just isn't justified. I
don't even get the Red Sox hating the Yankees for all of these years.
They were the ones that traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees, the Yankees
didn't steal him or anything like that. It was their own fault and the
fans seem to use that excuse for their team's failures for over 80
years.
We have to have these superior programs as ones to model
others after also. The steps taken to achieve all of these
championships should be dissected, analyzed, and applied so that we
can breed more success. If there was a new winner every year, there
would never be any overall improvement to any program because there
would be any need to improve. Single-season successes would be chalked
off to a series of coincidences and happenstances rather than a
successfully prosecuted long-term program.
Anyway.....
Kudos to the Spartans and Nancy
Grisgowitz for their fourth championship in a row. Give some extra
credit to the Spartan defense as well since, as I was told before the
third place game, that I have not been giving the defense enough
credit when talking about Volleyball.
Lauren Strong earned a second-team all-state honor for
her defensive play for the Spartans. Erica Razze earned a first-team
all-state honor for her all-around efforts of which she is probably
more proud of her defensive contributions.
Clare Phillips from St. Elizabeth played a key role in
the Vikings success stepping up in front row play, but it's her
defense that will land her a role on the Wilmington College volleyball
team next year which she is planning to attend.
Ok, I admit that I like the offensive part of the game
and can't think of many more names off of the top of my head who play
an outstanding defensive game. Give me a bone rattling spike off of someone's
noodle any day! Afterall, baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner said
something to the effect that "Home Run hitters drive Cadillacs
and those who aren't drive Edsels." (I know, I know, that's
not exactly it, but you get my point.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Mark down January 7 and 21 and when we get the
two dates in February I'll pass them on as well. On those days we will
begin a four-show trial run of "Delaware Sports - On
Location" from the Charcoal Pit on Kirkwood Highway. Those are
Monday evenings and the times will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. We will
basically do a radio show shot for television on those dates which
should be a lot of fun.
When we do the radio show each week at WMPH, we like to invite
full teams up to interview. Although the station isn't tiny, it isn't
large, and it doesn't allow for friends and families to come and watch
what happens and cheer and holler for their favorite athlete. Well,
this will change. We will invite full teams or have a particular
school night and there will be plenty of room for friends and families
to attend.
I like the show TRL on MTV and for the last year I've
been trying to figure out how to pull off something similar. The Pit
is a great place for this and since we will have a camera shooting out
towards the audience, we will absolutely encourage those who come to
bring signs and wear attention grabbing attire.
The Tuesday following the immediate Tuesday after the taping
will be when the show will air. We'll put the highlights from the hour
and a half into the half hour show. (If you are a club owner or
something similar and would like to discuss bring the road show to
your establishment, give me a call.)|
Please go back to the front page after you are done
here and check out the All-Heart Team awards page again. We have
received a few nominations, but would love to see some more since we
know that there are plenty of deserving athletes. We also know that
this was a popular award that we gave out twice last year, and would
like to give out two sets again this year. At this rate however, it
looks like we may just have one, so please take some extra time to
think about a deserving candidate.
The Delaware Sports Cup has been
drawing some attention as well even if, once again, the rest of the
local media wishes to ignore our attempts at honoring athletes and
athletic programs. The standings are current at this point with St.
Marks opening up a giant lead going into the Soccer and Field Hockey
championships with a team each involved. There are a possible total 50
points up for grabs.
The Spartans with their girl's swimming team and
basketball team along with their wrestling team, should score heavily
again in the Winter.
Some mail that crossed my e-mail desk
recently included some bashing of other local sports reporters. For
the record, all of these people I know and they are all hard working
and all underpaid. So, I won't be baited into bashing anyone else
myself because it's just not cool.
It should also be addressed that the reason I am here at
Delaware Sports is because it is my own creation and basically I do
most of the work. I would perhaps entertain an offer from a newspaper
or tv station or radio station, but no one is offering me anything.
The reason is because I'm really not that talented, I just figured out
a way to step in the back door! Occasionally, I may do something that
someone compliments and I will do something like apply for a job
someplace else, but not only do I not get a job, I don't even get an
acknowledgement that I have sent in an application or a tape.
(Although one tape that I sent in prompted someone to change the name
of their show to something very similar to one of mine, so I'm
thinking that I'm on to something here.)
Delaware Sports is also growing in popularity and
credibility (believe that or not!) and we are even considered
competition for some people. That is basically funny since we don't
have a sales staff, but ok, whatever. I'm not going anywhere though
since I'm stubborn as a mule and, quite frankly, "I HAVE NO PLACE
LEFT TO GO" (sniff, sniff.) One would think that the competition
I am providing could be easily eliminated by simply assimilating me
like the Borg would. But NOOOOOO! So we keep on
growing!
This reminds me that we still have an
open door for those who wish to hone or develop their writing skills.
Become a member of the growing staff at Delaware Sports by sending me
an e-mail. It's simple!
Shouts out to the Christiana Vault Squad from a
year ago. I saw Matt Johnson, Rachel Alley, and Kristin Tunnell at the
state cross country meet recently. Kristin is now a member of the
Delaware track team where she will continue her pole vaulting career.
Rachel is over at Wilmington which is without a track team right now.
(Transfer Rachel so we can watch you vault again.) And Matt,
well, I didn't speak with Matt and was rude not to ask what he was
doing with himself, so I can't pass on anymore information about him.
Shouts out to Jill Brobst from Concord and now Elizabethtown
College who said hello at the states. I miss Jill already and it will
only get worse with the indoor track season now upon us.
By the way, DSSAA has scheduled the state
indoor track championships, the state swimming championships, and the
individual state wrestling championships all on the same day this
year. It was already difficult to do the swimming and wrestling on the
same day (by do, I mean tape for the show) and the track meet runs all
day. I just don't know how to handle that one yet. I like to
personally attend all of these events, but won't be able to. This will
most likely mean that I won't attend the boy's swimming championships
and the wrestling finals and will have to bounce back and forth to
track and to girl's swimming. What's up with that???
Marshal Manlove
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