The Whitewater Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country Teams raced under the Friday night lights on October 3 at the Nightfall Classic in Green Lake, an event known for its unique atmosphere and large, competitive field. With strong Division 2 schools from across the state toeing the line, the meet provided both stiff competition and memorable racing opportunities.
Boys’ Varsity
Whitewater placed 11th overall with 281 points, led by freshman Tyler Carollo, who crossed the line in 18:58.9 for 31st place. He was followed by Wyatt Esch (55th, 20:09.9), Quinton O’Toole (63rd, 20:27.6), Marcus Roselle (65th, 20:34.2), and Isaiah Mendez (67th, 20:36.9) to complete the scoring five. Depth came from Angel Kilar (77th, 22:11.0), Carson Miller (87th, 23:54.5), Sam Nickelsburg (88th, 23:58.1), and Jameson Rothwell (131st, 25:07.0).
Head coach Chad Carstens was pleased with his team’s effort in the electric environment. “It’s always fun to run under the lights, and the kids really fed off the atmosphere tonight,” Carstens said. “Tyler continues to impress as a freshman, and our pack is showing signs of tightening up, which will be critical heading into the conference meet.”
Girls’ Varsity
Whitewater finished 12th with 307 points, led by sophomore Virginia Nelson, who ran a composed race to place 35th in 22:25.6. Teammate Delaney Hammack followed in 56th (24:05.9), with Ema Aranda (62nd, 24:24), Melody Smith (74th, 25:38.2), and Payton Brautigam (80th, 27:18.7) rounding out the scoring. Additional depth came from Noelia Villegas-Korbel (81st, 27:31.2) and Madelyn Taylor (82nd, 27:32.1).
Carstens highlighted the girls’ steady development. “Virginia set the tone for us again, and it was great to see Melody getting back to form after missing some meets due to injury,” he said.
The Nightfall Classic served as a valuable tune-up for Whitewater as they approach the postseason. With the Rock Valley Conference Championships on the 16th, the Whippets are focused on being the best they can be in the championship phase of their season.
Full results: https://my.raceresult.com/364682/results