By ED MURPHY
Staff reporter
05/12/2002

FELTON -- Dover High's Jason Lilly and Caesar Rodney's James Handley established meet records at the Henlopen Conference Track and Field Championships on Saturday.

Lilly wrapped up a spectacular career in the conference with four gold medals. His time of 47.3 seconds in the 400 meters set a Henlopen record and tied a state mark.

The Boston College-bound sprinter also won the 100 and 200 and ran the anchor leg on the winning 1,600 relay team. He finished his conference career with 12 overall titles during the past three years.

"I felt pretty good," Lilly said. "I was coming off a good meet at the T.C. Williams Invitational in Virginia and carried it over. Hopefully, I can keep it going for the states [next weekend at Lake Forest]."

Handley set a new conference standard in the pole vault by clearing 14 feet, 3 inches. He attempted to break the state record, but missed on three attempts at 14-6.

"That was my personal best," Handley said. "I was determined. It has been a gradual progression since I started vaulting in ninth grade."

Handley, who missed his sophomore year because of a broken wrist, shattered the old record (13-8) before running out of steam on his later attempts.

While Lilly and Handley were putting forth strong individual efforts, Cape Henlopen turned in the top team effort and repeated as boys champion.

Antonio Alford, who won the long jump and ran a leg on the winning 3,200 relay team Friday, added a solo win in the triple jump, a second in the 100 and helped Cape's 400 relay team win.

"I had a quad injury and I wasn't jumping real well coming in," Alford said. "This was my last conference meet, so I gave it my all."

Matt Jackson captured the 800 title and finished second to teammate Nick Adams in the 1,600. Adams and Jackson also ran legs on the winning 3,200 relay squad Friday.

The Vikings also scored big points in the field events to win the team title by 21 points over second-place Dover.

Rob Dorman earned a second-place finish in the triple jump and a sixth in the high jump and Thaddeus Shockley scored in the discus and finished second in the shot put.

"I've been blessed with some outstanding young men," Cape coach Pat Pollock said. "We won it with depth and a strong effort in the field events."

Pollock was named coach of the year. He credited assistants Lew Overbeck, John Keevan and Bob Kester for improving the Vikings' field performers.

Polytech's John Drummond won the 110 and 300 hurdles.

In the girls meet, defending champion Caesar Rodney rolled to a 77-point win over second-place Cape Henlopen.

CR senior Jill Hajec won the 1,600 and the 3,200 and Jessica Schultz captured the 400 and ran the anchor on the winning 800 and 1,600 relay teams.

Hajec won state titles in the 3,200 as a sophomore and junior and won the 1,600 as a junior.

"That was my personal best in the 1,600," she said. "Rebecca Singh [of Sussex Tech] really pushed me in that race."

Rosa White took gold in the 800 and ran the third leg of the 1,600 relay squad for the Riders. White was second in the long jump Friday.

Cape's Katherine DeVilbiss won both hurdles races and won Friday's pole vault.

Terez Partlow won the 100 and 200 for the Vikings.