Region 4 men's cross country titles awarded to Moraine Valley, Harper
GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - Two teams returned to the top of the podium at the 2025 Region 4 Divisions II & III Men's Cross Country Championships as Moraine Valley Community College earned its first title in eight years and Harper College returned to the top after a one-year hiatus. The Cyclones third championship came by a 33-point margin over Waubonsee Community College, while the Hawks' 18th title overall was a ten-point victory over Joliet Junior College. Charles Link of Sauk Valley Community College earned Region 4 Division II Athlete of the Year, while Nathan Ciarlette of JJC took top honors in Division III. Dimitri Dimizas from MVCC and Jim Macnider of Harper were awarded Region 4 Coach of the Year accolades.
2025 NJCAA Region 4 Division II & III Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships Final Results
A trio of top five finishes by Moraine Valley propelled the Cyclones to the top of points standings as Andrew Leon, David Santiago, and Angelo Esparza placed second through fourth. Gavin Rybicki wasn't far behind with a sixth place time, and teammates Brennan Rudolph, Matthew Busch, Jacob Madera, and Juan Macias each earned All-Region accolades with a top-15 finish. Link, a sophomore from Prophetstown, Illinois, sprinted to the individual title in a time of 27:02.7, sitting more than a minute clear of Leon. Moraine Valley finished with 18 points, with the Chiefs in second at 51 points and Carl Sandburg College in third with 66. (Recaps: Moraine Valley)
The race for the individual crown in Division III provided the best drama of the day, with Ciarlette, a sophomore from Joliet, Illinois, breaking the tape less than three seconds ahead of Harper's Ryan Golden. Sebastian Welc of Harper was third, followed by JJC's Gavin Carlson in fourth and Adriano Quintero of the College of DuPage in fifth. The Hawks placed four more runners in the top 16, including Jerome Graessle in sixth, Ethan Waddell in ninth, Michael Johnson in 12th, and RJ Moniri in 16th en route to 32 team points. The Wolves were second with 42 points, followed by the Chaparrals at 48 points. (Recaps: Harper | Joliet)
The 2025 NJCAA Division II & III Cross Country Championships will be held November 8 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
2025 All-Region 4 Team
Division II
First Team
Charles Link - Sauk Valley Community College
Andrew Leon - Moraine Valley Community College
David Santiago - Moraine Valley Community College
Angelo Esparza - Moraine Valley Community College
Tyson Skinner - Sauk Valley Community College
Second Team
Gavin Rybicki - Moraine Valley Community College
Andrew Peterson - Carl Sandburg College
Luis Baez - Waubonsee Community College
Marcos Corral - Waubonsee Community College
Kaden Nauman - Kishwaukee College
Third Team
Brennan Rudolph - Moraine Valley Community College
Matthew Busch - Moraine Valley Community College
Russell Abner - Waubonsee Community College
Jacob Madera - Moraine Valley Community College
Juan Macias - Moraine Valley Community College
2025 Region 4 Athlete of the Year
Charles Link - Sauk Valley Community College
2025 Region 4 Coach of the Year
Dimitri Dimizas - Moraine Valley Community College
Division III
First Team
Nathan Ciarlette - Joliet Junior College
Ryan Golden - Harper College
Sebastian Welc - Harper College
Gavin Carlson - Joliet Junior College
Adriano Quintero - College of DuPage
2025 Region 4 Athlete of the Year
Nathan Ciarlette - Joliet Junior College
2025 Region 4 Coach of the Year
Jim Macnider - Harper College
(Images courtesy of Moraine Valley Community College Athletics and Harper College Athletics)
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