ALL-ORANGE COUNTY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM 2025
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Aidan Antonio, Woodbridge, Junior
Woodbridge junior Aidan Antonio signaled what kind of cross country season he would have when he finished first in the Dana Hills Invitational in early September.
The great results kept coming. He finished fifth in the prestigious Woodbridge Invitational, finished first in the Orange County Championships, and won the CIF Southern Section Championships Division 2 race before finishing third in the CIF State finals.
Antonio’s winning time of 14 minutes, 6.4 seconds in the CIF-SS Division 2 final was the second-fastest time of the day among all runners. His third-place time in the CIF State Division II race at Woodward Park in Fresno was 14:50.10, his personal-best time over 5,000 meters.
His winning time of 13:56 in the Orange County Championships was his personal record on a 3-mile course and broke the Irvine Regional Park course record set by three-time Orange County cross country athlete of the year Evan Noonan in 2023 (13:59.4).
Woodbridge also won the boys team championship at the Orange County meet.
Antonio, who qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals, chose his Orange County Championships day as the best day of his junior season.
“Because that gave us the Orange County championships team title,” he said. “And, honestly, it was my best race all season. I felt good the whole race. I was able to close well and I broke Evan Noonan’s record.”
He has impressed Woodbridge coach Bryan Pacheco.
“First of all, he’s obviously a very talented athlete,” Pacheco said. “But what’s impressive about Aidan is his focus. He’s not playing around, he’s not goofing off, and every aspect of what he is doing in the sport – his training, his diet, his sleeping – is highly controlled to optimize his performance.”
Antonio, whose junior year of athletics continues in this spring’s track and field season, gets special enjoyment from being in a very good cross country program. (Woodbridge finished fourth in the CIF-SS Division 2 finals team standings.)
“It’s great having a team like that to run with you,” Antonio said. “The guys are always pushing me to go faster even when they’re behind me. You see them improve and then I’ve got to keep up and keep improving, too.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dave Luciani, San Clemente
Dave Luciani of San Clemente is the Orange County boys cross country coach of the year.
The Tritons boys team, led by juniors, finished second in the CIF State Championships Division I team standings, behind Redondo Union. San Clemente was second to Beckman in Division 1 in the CIF Southern Section Championships and was third in the Orange County Championships.
Luciani, 45, completed his third season as San Clemente’s head coach. Also a runner himself, Luciani finished 10th in his age group in the Chicago Marathon this year.
ALL-COUNTY FIRST TEAM
Yohan Anderson, San Clemente, Jr.
Aidan Antonio, Woodbridge, Jr.
Ryan Barris, Beckman, Jr.
Mattheus Dos Santos, San Clemente, Jr.
Toren Habbestad, Yorba Linda, Sr.
Oliver Hunter, Dana Hills, Sr.
Inban Kathiravan, Woodbridge, Sr.
Chase Manning, Tesoro, Sr.
Aiden Morales, JSerra, Sr.
Aidan Zavala, Woodbridge, Sr.
ALL-COUNTY SECOND TEAM
Sebastian Bello, Trabuco Hills, Sr.
Jack Burnett, JSerra, Sr.
Luke Friedl, JSerra, Sr.
Conner Jaurigue, San Clemente, Jr.
Emmanuel Lopez, Servite, Sr.
Jack McDonald, El Dorado, Jr.
Mason Nguyen, Beckman, Sr.
Darin Spragno, Santa Margarita, Sr.
Dresden Taylor, Trabuco Hills, So.
Erik Troester, San Clemente, Jr.