Boys cross country: Top 5 breakout performers
Aidan Urquiola of Long Beach. Credit: Joseph Lattanzi
Here are five boys cross country runners who are having breakout performances this season:
Lucas Aguilar, Division, Jr.
His 15 minute, 47.1 second 5-kilometer time at Nassau’s second league meet at Eisenhower Park is the second-best time on any course in the county. It is also 1:18.6 faster than his top time on Eisenhower from last year. His slowest time on a Nassau course this year would still rank 11th in the county.
Aguilar’s 17:13.7 ranks 16th on Long Island on Sunken Meadow’s strenuous course and is a more than 2:42 improvement from last year.
Nicholas Caroddo, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
He has shaved over 1:03 off his season-best time at Sunken Meadow, running 17:35.2 to make him a viable No. 3 runner for the Friars, behind Edward Lessing and Zach Guber. His Sunken Meadow time ranks 26th on Long Island.
Chase Miller, West Islip, Sr.
Last season, he was sixth on his own team with an 18:49.3 at Sunken Meadow. But West Islip needed a new No. 1 and found one in Miller, who ranks in Long Island’s top 20 at Sunken Meadow with a 17:21.9.
Esteban Quintero, Comsewogue, Fr.
After showing promise as an eighth grader, he has broken into Long Island’s top 25 at Sunken Meadow with a 17:30.2, which is just under a minute faster than his season-best time last fall.
Aidan Urquiola, Long Beach, Sr.
He spent last season with Chaminade and ran 19:21.15 at Sunken Meadow and 19:25.1 at Bowdoin Park. He transferred to Long Beach for the indoor track and field season and has stayed with the running program.
Urquiola’s 17:12.4 at Sunken Meadow ranks 15th on Long Island. His overall best time of 16:24.32 is in Long Island’s top 25.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
