Cross country teams start strong
HUNTLEY — A veteran boys runner and a newcomer to the Huntley girls team had solid starts for their Red Raiders contingents at the McHenry County Cross Country Meet in Woodstock Aug. 26.
Freshman Haley Rahman is the newcomer on the Huntley High girls team and completed the three-mile Emricson Park course in third place, with a time of 19:49.25. The girls won the team championship with 35 points.
Senior Zach Zuzzio ended fifth overall in 16:23.26, behind teammate and runner-up Tommy Nitz’s 19:53.83. Nitz was edged by Woodstock’s Isham Patel’s 15:53.83.
“I’ve been running for seven years,” Zuzzio said. “The hardest part in the beginning was consistency. This year I would like to get under 15 minutes. It helps to run in a pack with Nitz.”
Nitz praised the performance of the winner, Patel, of the Blue Streaks and teammate Nitz. “He (Patel) ran such a good race, he led wire to wire; he deserved to win.”
The boys concluded in third place with 82 points.
HHS head coach Matt Kaplan was pleased with the overall efforts in the season opener.
“Both boys and girls varsity had positives in their first meet of the season,” Kaplan said. “The boys will continue to work on strengthening our top five split. Our boys team definitely has a strong one-two punch with Zitz and Zuzzio. Our varsity girls looked good today. The trio of Rahman, Ava Allison and Mackenzie Billard did a great job closing it out for the team. This girls group will continue to learn what they’re capable of as they move forward. This group will be fun to watch.”
For the winning girls team, Allison was sixth overall in 19:59.08; Morgan Saber, eighth, 20:31.71; Corrine Klivinger, ninth, 20:41.65; Aspen Maldonado, 13th, 21:24.46 and Billard, 14th, 21:33.70.
