Nitz, Ciesla gain FVC cross country crowns
HUNTLEY — Two individual race titles and a girls team championship helped make the Fox Valley Conference race successful for Huntley.
Isabella Ciesla took first place in the girls race and Tommy Nitz did the same in the boys run. The Red Raiders girls team brought home the FVC team championship at Hickory Nut Grove Highlands in Cary Oct. 19.
Nitz beat 16 minutes in his final Fox Valley Conference race, for his third league race title. Nitz ended at 15:23 for three miles. Nitz beat host Cary-Grove’s Jameson Tenopir’s time of 15:26.35 Oct. 19.
“I was happy with it,” Nitz said. “He (Tenopir) would not let me pass him. I had beaten him easily the first time, but he gave me a real challenge. It was fun, though. This course was hard because it has a lot of uphills.”
Kaplan praised Nitz for his dedication to his cross country. He joined some elite company as a three-time champion.
“It’s amazing what Nitz has done to win the FVC for three straight years. He puts in a lot of work, doesn’t take anything for granted,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan also praised the team’s second finisher, Andrew Raistrick, who was sixth in 15:26.35.
“Raistrick finish was huge for himself and the team. Andrew has improved so much this year with his confidence and it is showing in the results. His performance helped our team finish second overall. Very proud of him and look forward to watching what he does in the final weeks of the season,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan said he was happy with the boys’ team finish, just a few points behind Crystal Lake Central, with 87 points to CLC’s 78.
Also for the Red Raiders boys, junior Logan Barreto clocked a 17:09.90 for 23rd while freshman Anthony Madison had a 17:32.19 for 28th and senior Derek Spaid ran a 17:40.57 for 31st.
Ciesla, team win girls race
Ciesla captured the girls individual championship on the Hickory Nut Grove Highlands course with a time of 19:59.16. Her effort was part of five Red Raiders runners who finished in the top 20. Ciesla just beat runner-up Abigail Burke of Burlington Central’s time of 19:01.53.
“Ciesla is one of the many girls on the team that works real hard. They set out a goal to win the FVC and they did it,” Kaplan said.
The girls beat runner-up Crystal Lake South, 35-62 to win the title.
Next for the boys and girls’ cross country teams will be the IHSA Class 2A Regional at Machesney Park Harlem’s Keisburg Park course Oct. 26. They will try to advance to the Lake Park Sectional Nov. 2.
Huntley’s girls had top six girls runners all turned in sub-20 minutes times. Also for the Red Raiders: junior Cori Kilvinger ran a 19:19.56 for sixth; sophomore Morgan Sauber clocked a 19:29.97 for eighth and junior Aspen Maldonado, had a 19:31.74 for ninth. Soph Haley Rahman had a 19:43.28 time for 11th.
