By now, Jay Whitby has gotten used to being near the top of the Delaware Amateur leaderboard.
This year looks like it will be no different for the 32-year-old golfer from Wyoming.
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By now, Jay Whitby has gotten used to being near the top of the Delaware Amateur leaderboard.
This year looks like it will be no different for the 32-year-old golfer from Wyoming.
Whitby fired an opening-round 70 to share the lead with two other players as the 68th annual DSGA Delaware Amateur Championship got started on Monday at Maple Dale Country Club.
Whitby, who plays out of Rehoboth Country Club, hasn’t finished lower than fourth in at least the last six Amateurs, winning the title in three of the past four tournaments.
The former Caesar Rodney High standout shares the first-round lead with Play Golf Delaware’s Greg Wolfe and DuPont’s Evan Brown after the first 18 holes of the 72-hole, three-day event. Rehoboth’s Noah Moss and Wilmington’s Jeff Ciconte are both one shot back after shooting one-under par 71s.
A total of seven players shot even-par 72s or lower.
Whitby finished the front nine with three birdies and two bogeys before carding eight pars on the back nine. His only birdie on the final nine holes came on the par-four 14th hole.
Moss, a 21-year-old from Rockville, Md., had the most birdies on the day with six. But that was balanced by three bogeys and then a double bogey on No. 18.
The three leaders — Whitby, Wolfe and Brown — are slated to tee off at 8 a.m. today with the final group going off at 11:30.
The low 36 players, plus ties, after today’s round advance to Wednesday, when the tourney concludes with two rounds.
Pat Knight tournament
M.O.T.-Blue 10, Smyrna-Clayton 0: M.O.T.-Blue (2-0) advanced to the winners’ bracket finals with the shutout victory on Sunday evening.
The Middletown-area squad will face Camden-Wyoming (2-0) today at 8:30 p.m. at Milford. The winner advances to the finals of the District I tournament, which will be played on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Milford.
Ethan Ziegler earned the shutout for M.O.T.-Blue, pitching a one-hitter with only one walk while striking out six in four innings. Chase Holston (double, 2 RBI), Matthew Bublitz (2 hits, 1 RBI) and Ziegler (2 RBI) paced M.O.T.-Blue, which got either an RBI or run scored from 12 of its 13 players.
Ethan Harvath had the lone hit and stole a base for Smyrna-Clayton.
Smyrna-Clayton 8, Milford 4: Smyrna-Clayton stayed alive in the tournament with the win on Monday evening.
It will play again today at Milford at 6 p.m.
Winning pitcher Riley Horsey struck out 11 for Smyrna-Clayton with Ethan Harvest adding a triple.
Alex Bennett homered for Milford.
Track & field
Middletown’s Vick honored: Middletown High’s Brahmir Vick has been named the Gatorade Delaware Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Vick is the first Gatorade Delaware Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Middletown.
The 5-foot-9, 153-pound junior won the 110-meter high hurdles in a state-record time of 14:00 at the Meet of Champions this past season. Vick also ran a leg on the 4x100 relay, which won in 42.47. He placed fifth in the long jump.
A member of his school’s student leadership committee, Vick has volunteered locally as a mentor for younger students.
“From day one, Brahmir came into this season completely focused,” said Middletown coach Eugene Ahmad. “All season, he stepped up in so many ways, and his determination and competitive nature helped set the tone for the entire team.”
Vick has maintained a 3.41 GPA in the classroom.
WNBA
Delle Donne earns weekly honor: Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time this season.
It is the 17th weekly honor of the former Delaware star’s career.
In Washington’s 29-point win against the Los Angeles Sparks, Delle Donne scored nine points and grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds. She followed with a double-double in Washington’s 95-72 victory against the Las Vegas Aces, leading all players with 29 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
The Mystics closed out the week by defeating the Dream 89-73 with Delle Donne recording another double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.