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Freshmen were the key to a successful season for the 911������ men’s cross country team. The newcomers did not disappoint.

For the first time since 2017, the squad earned an NJCAA Region 4 championship with seven of the 10 runners earning personal records and eight being named to the All-Region team. Then, they ran at the national tournament in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where they finished 34^th out of 46 colleges.

“I was sure we’d be led by freshmen, and we were. It was a learning curve for them from high school to collegiate racing and moving from three to nearly five-mile races. They adjusted quicker than I expected,” said Head Coach Dimitri Dimizas, in his 10^th season leading the program.

At the start of the season, Dimizas wasn’t expecting his team to earn a region championship. But with every competition, he saw the men getting faster and stronger. “As the season went on, I could see we could win. Going into the region meet, I thought there’s no reason we could lose! We had more depth than the other teams,” Dimizas noted.

It was the third championship in the program’s history and the first time both the men’s and women’s cross country teams were region champs in the same season. This also was the first year the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference did not have enough colleges with cross country teams to justify championships or awards.

The Cyclones were led by three newcomers who each were top runners at their respective high schools and earned All-Region honors this year – Angelo Esparza (Argo), Andrew Leon (Oak Lawn) and David Santiago (Bremen). Esparza and Leon traded places all season leading the pack with Santiago close behind. Esparza, who suffered an injury throughout the season, missed some races yet pushed through.

“Angelo is so mentally tough, and that carried his season. I give him so much credit for dealing with that, and he was still the top guy at almost every meet,” Dimizas said. “Andrew has a quiet confidence, which I appreciate. He does everything he needs to do and has a strong work ethic. David is the most knowledgeable about running. He loves the sport, and that’s benefited him.”

Gavin Rybicki (Oak Lawn) was another surprise addition to the team, as he came in with limited distance running experience, but also earned All-Region honors. “He was a consistent No. 4 guy and bought into everything,” Dimizas noted.

Freshman Matthew Busch (Stagg) was a slower runner at the start of the season but made big strides to become an All-Region runner. “He had incredible growth. Halfway through the season it clicked. I feel he really fell in love with the sport and got faster,” Dimizas said.

Freshmen Juan Macias (Oak Lawn) and Jacob Silva (Argo) brought good energy to the team and worked hard all year. Macias earned All-Region honors. “They fit in well and had a good work ethic. They wanted to improve and accomplish things together,” Dimizas added.

As for the three sophomores – Jacob Madera (Shepard), Brennan Rudolph (Andrew) and Josue Trujillo (Reavis) – they each put in a ton of work after their first season. Madera and Rudolph just missed qualifying for nationals last season but fought to make the championship race this year; each earned All-Region honors as well. “I’m happy for them and what they accomplished,” Dimizas said. “Josue improved by three or four minutes over last year. He had a lot of growth and maturity.”

In addition to his teams’ successes, Dimizas was named Region Coach of the Year and prior to nationals was recognized as the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NJCAA Division II Cross Country Women’s Coach of the Year in the Midwest Region. His assistant coach, David Alvarez, finished his fourth season with the team. An alumnus of the program, Alvarez won the region title for the men’s team in 2017 as a runner, marking the first time in program history that a former Cyclone has coached the team to a region championship.

“This was more of an exciting season than I thought it’d be. I’m proud of everybody. I’m fortunate both teams were successful, and I’m happy for the runners,” Dimizas said. “What they did this year makes me very excited for next season. I’m looking forward to the future already.”

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For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.