With a good mix of new and returning runners, Moraine Valley Community College men’s cross country is aiming for a fifth consecutive conference title and more qualifiers at nationals.
Last season, the Cyclones had a young squad with just one sophomore yet still earned an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship and qualified two runners for the national championship. This year, they’re hoping for more.
“Ideally, we want to go for a fifth conference title in a row. But it’ll be tough. The good thing is that they get along, which will be important when things get harder, and they need to rely on each other,” said Head Coach Dimitri Dimizas, entering his ninth season leading the program.
Five sophomores are back this season, including Andrew Sima (Shepard), who finished second overall in the Skyway championship and ran to a 139th place finish at nationals. He’s aiming to run even faster this season and return to the Big Dance. All-Conference runners Demario Angarita (Nazareth Academy) and Joel Vargas-Cortes (Argo) also are back. Angarita narrowly missed a trip to nationals last season, but he has put in the work and, along with Vargas-Cortes, wants to bring the entire team to the cross country championship in November.
Sophomores Noah Rigoni-Kreczmer (Stagg) and Robert Slezak (Oak Lawn), one of the most consistent runners on the team, also worked hard in the offseason and should see big improvements.
Newcomer Santana Garcia ran at Shepard High School when they were a powerhouse crew, and he was a key runner. He has been away from running and was a part-time college student the last few years but is back to make an impact with the Cyclones. Brennan Rudolph had a successful running career at Andrew High School, which Dimizas is hoping translates at the next level. Jacob Madera (Shepard) is a track runner with a good work ethic that Dimizas hopes will cross over to long-distance running. Jesse Correa (Oak Lawn) is still adjusting to college-level cross country but already has made progress this summer. Josue Trujillo (Reavis) was a late addition to the team, so Dimizas knows there’s still untapped potential.
The only thing new this year is a varied pre-run routine to minimize injuries. Otherwise, Dimizas is doing what works best. He is joined again by Assistant Coach David Alvarez, and the two of them are ready to get started.
“I’m looking forward to the season. We want to get as many runners to nationals as possible, and we can do it,” he said.
For updates on Cyclones Athletics, visit mvcyclones.com.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
