Warsaw's Joey Rastrelli had no trouble outrunning the competition to win IHSAA Sectional 7 at Manchester High School on October 8, 2022. Photo by Gary Nieter
Warsaw's Joey Rastrelli had no trouble outrunning the competition to win IHSAA Sectional 7 at Manchester High School on October 8, 2022. Photo by Gary Nieter
Warsaw cross-country runner Josefina Rastrelli has been nominated for the Indiana High School Sports Awards Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Rastrelli is one of 12 athletes nominated for the award, and one of five non-seniors nominated. The Indiana High School Sports Awards, presented by the Indiana Pacers, is part of the USA Today High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.

The nomination is just another cherry on top of an absolutely marvelous season Rastrelli has had. Winning her sectional race by 40 seconds, it was just the start of a remarkable postseason run for the junior. Rastrelli would go on to finish in third place at the semi-state race before capping off her fall season with a seventh place finish at the state finals in Terre Haute. She also finished with the second best time of any non-senior runner and her 18:05.6 time was the best by a Warsaw junior in the history of the state finals.

Her hard work was rewarded when she was named to the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches all-state team in November.

Rastrelli is currently competing in her indoor season. Competing at in indoor meet in Michigan this past Saturday, Rastrelli set a new PR and Warsaw school record by running a sub-five minute 1600-meter race. The junior now holds the second most records of any Warsaw Community High School girl runner.

The winner of the Cross Country Runner of the Year award, along with athletes of the year in 21 other sports, will be announced during a live show April 19 at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University.