Sports
Mustang Cross Country Runner Qualifies For State Meet
Rocco Cipolla will race in Peoria this weekend after a strong finish at the sectional hosted by Fenton High School in Bensenville.
EVERGREEN PARK, IL – Evergreen Park Community High School will send a sophomore cross country runner to the state final meet in Peoria this weekend.
Rocco Cipolla qualified for state with a 17 minute, 52 seconds finish in the three-mile sectional cross country run at Fenton High School in Bensenville on Saturday. Cipolla finished 38th out of 130 male runners at the meet, guiding the Mustangs to a 14th place finish out of 17 teams.
Cipolla will represent Evergreen Park this Saturday, November 6, at the state meet that begins at Detweiller Park in Peoria. His coach has high expectations for the upcoming weekend.
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“We all know the state course is one of, if not the, fastest in the state,” EPCHS head boys and girls cross country coach Steven Bugarin said. “It would be nice if he runs under 16 minutes.”
Ariana Martinez paced the Evergreen Park girls squad at the Bensenville sectional, finish 47th among the female runners with a 21:56 time.
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Cipolla was followed by his Mustang teammates Nathan Fernandez (71st place, 18:56), John Bledsoe (99th, 20:44), Riley Gore (106th, 21:15) and Luke Schneider (125th, 23:39) in Bensenville.
After Martinez, Evergreen Park finishers on the girls side were Kristen Smith (76th, 23:23), Mya Ortiz (91st, 24:19), Carmela Woods (107th, 25:29), Lily Gagner (114th, 26:15), Katherine Beyer (120th, 26:35) and Skye Godowic (137th, 32:41).
The girls team finished 13th out of 18 at the Bensenville sectional.
