Hall of Fame induction: 2016

When Philadelphia-born Dave Frederick moved to Lewes in 1975 to accept a Cape teaching and coaching position, he quickly found his second hometown. Frederick coached three seasons a year for the next 13 years.

As head track coach 1976 – 86 and head cross country coach 1977 – 78, he led his teams to 1976 &1978 state titles in track ,1977 in cross country and 1984 and 1985 indoor track.

Frederick began his photo-journalism career in 1982 with his column, “People in Sports.” The column grew into full coverage of Cape teams as Frederick assumed sports editorship of the “Whale” and later the “Cape Gazette.”

His biweekly Athletes of the Week section has showcased thousands of smiling Cape district students. Frederick claims the Viking fields as his turf, the Viking gym as his house and Viking athletes as his kids. They all know him and they all still call him what his track team called the new coach from Philly in 1975: Fredman.

Hall of Fame induction: 2015

Chelley was a huge force in the sprinter/hurdler/jumper world of Delaware track & field in the early 90’s. She won national championships in the 100m HH and the triple Jump (setting an age-group national record in the triple jump), placed second in the high and triple jumps in other national meets, and placed third in the 100m HH and earned the good sportsmanship award at the Keebler International Invitational. She set multiple state records in the triple jump and the high jump and was nationally ranked (top 10) in the 100mHH, 300mhurdles, and the triple jump for high school girls.

In 1992, running for Glasgow as a junior, she won four events indoor – 55m, 55m HH, 300mH, and TJ – and was the overall Grand Prix Winner and the State Indoor MVP. She was also Outdoor State Champion that year in four events – 100m HH, HJ, TJ and sprint relay– and the State Outdoor MVP. In 1993, she repeated these accomplishments as a senior, winning four events at both the indoor and outdoor state championships and was again selected as both the indoor and outdoor state MVP. In all, Chelley won 17 state championship titles. She was the Gatorade Delaware Girl’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year in 1992 and 1993.

Hall of Fame induction: 2015

Jill Hajec was the Division I state cross country champion for Caesar Rodney in 1999 and 2001. She also was the Division I champion in the 1600m run in 2001 and the 3200m run in 2000, 2001, and 2002. She was a member of the Division I state championship 4×800 relay in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Her performances were outstanding, running one of the fastest times on the Brandywine Creek State Park course as well as running 5:13.79 in the 1600m and 11:13.87 in the 3200m.

She went on to have an outstanding career at Army West Point including a Patriot Conference title in the steeplechase in 2005. She remains one of the top runners in Army history with personal bests of 10:59.07 in the steeplechase, 17:24.20 in the 5000m, and 37:01.37 in the 10,000m.

Hall of Fame induction: 2015

One of the top performers in state outdoor track & field history, Roberts won 14 gold medals with 18 top-three finishes from 1994-98 for Tower Hill. Mike won Division II titles in the high jumps (five – the first as an eighth grader), four in the triple jump, two in the 300m intermediate hurdles, two in the long jump, and one in the 110m high hurdles. His 49’ 5½” jump in the triple jump at the 1998 state meet was the state record until Marquis Dendy broke it in 2010. His 6’8” high jump ranks number seven all-time in Delaware.

Roberts went on to excel at Seton Hall, where he earned All-American status with an eighth-place finish in the triple jump at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He was a finalist in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, placing tenth.

Hall of Fame induction: 2015

Dayne was an outstanding sprinter for both Hodgson and Lincoln University. While at Hodgson, he set state records in the 55m, 100m, and 200m dashes. In 1996, he won the state indoor 200m and 400m and the 100m, 200m, and 400m outdoor titles He followed that with the 1997 indoor state titles in the 55m, 200m, 400m, and 4 x 400m.

He won national outdoor high school championships in 1997 in the 100m and 200m while finishing third in the 60m and second in the 200m at the 1997 indoor high school championships.

Five times he was a part of the great Lincoln University national championships. He was a 15 time NCAA All-American, 4-time NCAA National Champion – Indoor 55m in :06.25 (2000), Outdoor 100m in :10.55 (1999), 200m in :21.13 (2000), and the 4x100m :40.19 (2000), and has one indoor school record – indoor 200m in :21.45.