Cyclones cap season with run at nationals

Even with all the unknowns at the start of this running season, the men’s cross country team produced fast times and saw three runners compete at the NJCAA Division I Championships.

After last year’s NJCAA Region IV championship and run at nationals, a number of runners graduates, and the Cyclones had fewer returning students, making for a smaller crew. Six of the seven men on the roster were returners, including last year’s top runners David Alvarez (Sandburg) and Diego Arana (Oak Lawn). The duo continued their trend of success, being named All-Region and All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference runners for the second consecutive year, a feat only done by one other pair of teammates in Moraine Valley running history. Only six other Cyclones have earned the distinction of earning two honors both years. They also ran again at nationals, along with John Donovan (Lincoln-Way East), with Alvarez placing 80th for the best finish in Division I in Cyclone history.

“Alvarez may not have had the breakout race he was looking for, but he is going down in history with the fastest overall season that anyone has ever had at Moraine Valley. He was extremely consistent and averaged about a minute faster this season than he did last season. That speaks volumes to his work ethic and dedication to his craft. He's a natural born leader who always made sure things were getting done when they needed to. His finishing place at nationals set the bar high for future Cyclones, and that's a very good thing,” said head Coach Dimitri Dimizas, who ended his third season leading the program. "Arana was the consistent No. 2 runner. He brought a unique perspective to this team that made this season very interesting.”

Donovan made great strides this year. He went from being the 10th man on last year's roster to becoming an All-Conference and All-Region runner as well as a national qualifier. “I'm so proud of everything he's accomplished. It's been so great to see him mature not just as a runner but also as a person,” Dimizas said. “His greatest strength is his mind, and he used that to great success this season.”

Ettore Gaytan (Tinley Park), Salah Mustafa (Andrew) and Justin George (Andrew) all dealt with injuries and setbacks during their two years at Moraine Valley, which hindered their growth as runners. “Gaytan improved a lot from last year when he was forced to miss much of the season to injuries. He was a nice surprise at meets and kept improving throughout the season,” Dimizas said. “Mustafa has such an amazing work ethic. His positive mentality and natural ability to bring people together will be missed next year.”

Isaiah Flores (Solorio Academy) was the lone newcomer. “He handled himself well and will continue to improve throughout the offseason as he takes everything he learned from this group and passes it on to next year's newcomers,” Dimizas said.

With the season over, the Cyclones have some recruiting to fill the roster. “There are a lot of unknowns going into the next season, which is scary and exciting, but I'm confident the Cyclones will do just fine,” Dimizas said.