Gulliver’s Adrian Iziliaev runs behind North Broward Prep’s Wills Gillis (left) during the Class 2A boys’ cross-country state championship race at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. on Saturday. The Raiders finished third as a team.
Courtesy photo
Adrian Iziliaev of the Gulliver Prep boys’ cross-country team is the Miami Herald Athlete of the Week for Week 13.
The junior won the Region 4-2A boys’ championship in 16 minutes 10.9 seconds at South County Regional Park in Boca Raton. He led the Raiders to the team title as well.
Other nominees: Gioia Balzano, Miami Beach swimming; Hans Johan van de Kreeke, Ransom Everglades football; Gabriella Socarras, Carrollton cross-country; Marisa Mantecon, Lourdes cross-country; Cecil Smith, True North football; Nicolas Kokidko, Braddock swimming; Armando Cruz, Belen Jesuit cross-country; Lucas Latimore, Westminster Academy cross-country; Noelle Richardson, Westminster Academy cross-country.
To be considered for a nomination (Broward and Miami-Dade high school varsity athletes only), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
This story was originally published November 28, 2025 at 11:28 PM.
Jim Varsallone writes a high school sports column twice a week, featuring top performers in all varsity sports (boys and girls) in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He also covers pro wrestling, something he’s done since his college days in the late 1980s. Now in his fifth decade of coverage, he currently follows WWE (Raw, SmackDown and NXT), AEW, Ring of Honor, TNA Impact Wrestling, MLW, WOW, NWA, and the South Florida indies, mainly CCW. He writes MMA, too -- mostly profile stories and video interviews with American Top Team and Sanford MMA fighters in South Florida. As for pro wrestling, he writes feature stories and profile pieces, updates upcoming show schedules in South Florida, photographs the action and interviews talent (audio and video) -- sharing the content here and via social media on his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel).Support my work with a digital subscription
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