JUPITER, Fla. — Friday has made its way back to South Florida once again, and that means we welcome another student-athlete to the spotlight.
At Jupiter High School, there is a dynamic teenager who wears many hats at the school.
What started as a way to stay in shape, turned into a passion for Cash Ciliento.
"I was looking for a fall sport to do, and I saw cross-country, and I figured it would get me in the best shape for wrestling as possible," Ciliento said.
Now he's become an integral part of the Warriors cross-country team.
"What makes him so valuable is his work ethic and his leadership and his enthusiasm for his sport," Jupiter cross-country coach Franci Jefferson said. "Not just this sport, but all of his sports."
For Ciliento, he's got a bright future ahead of him — but not just on the track.
When he's not playing sports, you can find him at the school's nursery. Jupiter High School has the only horticulture academy in Palm Beach County.
"Cash has been helping me since about when he could walk," Ciliento's father said.
It's been a family tradition since 1978 for a Ciliento to be at the reigns of this program.
"Cash has always had an interest in the outdoors," his father said. "[He is] always finding himself outside, working with me through landscape jobs. It's definitely where his passion lies."
"I've had a John Deere tractor since I was 3," Ciliento said.
For him, it comes naturally.
"I always really liked plants and being out in nature and stuff," Ciliento said. "Coming to the school and joining the horticulture academy. I really just fell in love with it."
Whatever path he chooses, he has his father's full support. But it seems that Ciliento will be looking to keep the tradition going for years to come.
