The Whitewater Whippets Cross Country Teams toed the line at the Rock Valley Conference Championships on Thursday, October 16, turning in several standout performances on a notoriously difficult course at UW-Whitewater.
Led by freshman Tyler Carollo, the boys’ team placed 10th overall in the conference and fifth in the Valley Division. Carollo earned Second Team All-Conference honors, finishing 14th overall with a time of 18:50. The freshman showed exceptional composure and grit, racing his way into the top 16 to secure all-conference recognition in his first varsity season.
Marcus Roselle delivered his strongest race of the year, running a lifetime personal best of 20:26 to finish 52nd overall. Wyatt Esch followed close behind in 20:32 for 55th place, while Isaiah Mendez clocked 20:47 for 60th, just 13 seconds shy of his all-time best. Quinton O’Toole rounded out the top five in 21:47, placing 67th.
Also competing for the varsity squad were Angel Kilar (72nd, 22:44) and Carson Miller, who capped off his season with a personal best of 23:39 to finish 74th.
In the junior varsity race, Sam Nickelsburg led the Whippets with a career-best 23:25, good for 35th overall. All four JV runners recorded lifetime bests, including Jameson Rothwell (24:07), Ian Agen (26:22), and Steinar Truesdale (30:29), who completed his first race of the season after battling injuries.
On the girls' side, Virginia Nelson led the way once again, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference honors with a 19th-place finish in 22:56, improving on her 22nd-place finish from last year.
Freshman Melody Smith had a breakthrough performance, taking nearly a minute off her previous best to finish 34th in 24:35. Ema Aranda (35th, 24:36) and Delaney Hammack (40th, 24:54) weren’t far behind, providing steady depth for the Whippets.
Payton Brautigam and Noelia Villegas-Korbel crossed the line nearly together, with Brautigam edging ahead for 57th in 28:19 and Villegas-Korbel following in 28:20. Madelyn Taylor rounded out the varsity lineup in 28:47 for 61st.
The girls' team placed sixth overall out of 11 schools, finishing third in the Valley Division.
In JV action, Peyton Comfort highlighted the day with a massive personal best of 27:00 to take 14th. Kelly Mayorga finished 23rd in 32:31.
Head Coach Chad Carstens praised the team’s effort and progress over the season, saying, “We’re really proud of how our athletes competed today. It’s always rewarding to see so many lifetime bests and strong finishes at the conference meet. Tyler and Virginia led with outstanding races, but what stood out most was how much grit not only Tyler and Virginia have, but the team as a whole. Competing in cross country is not easy, and they rose to the challenge and gave it their all.”
Full results: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/259066/info
Next up will be the WIAA Sectional CC meet in Cambridge at Cam Rock Park #2.