The boys and girls cross country season came to a close with six big three-mile state championship races Saturday at Detweiller Park in Peoria, and the best local finish for the Rockford-area runners was Winnebago's Nicolai Martino, who soared in at seventh place in the Class 1A boys showdown.
More: State cross country 2023 IHSA cross country state finals: Top teams, top times and all-staters in Peoria
BOYS STATE
Martino, who won last week's Oregon Sectional title with a powerful kick down the stretch, had it again down the stretch this week and passed three runners late to finish in seventh place and ahead of all of the other strong Rockford-area runners in the 1A boys showdown. It was Martino's personal-best time for a three-mile race for the second week in a row.
"I don't know what it was, but I just finished strong this season," Martino said. "I learned a lot about myself. I learned I have a pretty good kick these days. I just felt strong."
And he looked strong, too, posting a time of 14:57.55.
"Nicolai had a great season, but in his last two meets he's been on fire," Winnebago head coach Joe Erb said. "He was awesome last week at sectionals and even better at state."
Rockford Christian's Weston Forward was next up for the locals, clocking in at 15:09.87 for 11th place in the 1A race. His teammate Andrew Kurien took 14th; Byron's Tim Starwalt placed 32nd; Winnebago's Joe Erb Jr., placed 34th; Dakota's Aiden Ruiz placed 55th; and Rockford Christian's Evan White came in 73rd.
In the Class 2A boys showdown, Boylan's Nolan Coen was the top local, coming in 105th. Guilford's Brandon Lawson came in 207th place in the 3A race.
GIRLS STATE
Winnebago's girls placed 13th as a team in the 1A finale this year, led by sophomore Morgan Capriola, who took 43rd with a time of 18:42.89. Her teammate Reese Erdahl was the next local finisher, but was a ways back, coming in in 99th place. Rockford's Our Lady of the Sacred Heart's Rebecca Krein came in at 110th place.
Belvidere's Nina Fiore took 38th in the 2A girls race, and was one of the top local girls in the three-mile showdowns at Detweiller Park. Boylan's Natalie Tekampe came in 41st, and her teammate Johanna Hawley placed 103rd.
Hononegah sophomore Kylie Simpson came in 38th place in the 3A girls contest, and she was followed by her teammate Allyson Niedfeldt in 55th.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Winnebago's Nicolai Martino and Belvidere's Nina Fiore are top finishing locals at state
