ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: TIAGO RIVERO

a soccer goalie getting ready to block the ball
Photo by BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

TIAGO RIVERO
Sophomore, Marathon
Soccer

“Tiago has become an instant favorite on this team. He radiates positive vibes at every turn. He is a hard-working and extremely gifted athlete, a kind and supportive person, and a stellar example of what a student-athlete should be on and off the field.” – Shannon Wiley, Marathon head coach

In Marathon’s Dec. 1 match against cross-county rivals Coral Shores, Dolphin goalkeeper Tiago Rivero made it very clear that his team was not to be taken lightly. The tied match could have been a completely different story had Rivero not endured a peppering of 37 shots on goal, allowing just one ball to cross the goal line.

Rivero’s presence on the field is intimidating to teams and inspiring to his own. “The players and I love and respect him as he proves, time and again, what a keystone player is as our starting goalkeeper,” explained head coach Shannon Wiley.

For his incredible and acrobatic play in goal and supreme sportsmanship, Marathon’s Tiago Rivero is the Keys Weekly Athlete of the Week.

Tracy McDonald
Tracy McDonald fled to the Keys from the frozen mountains of Pennsylvania hours after graduating from college and never looked back. She is a second generation coach and educator, and has taught in the public school system for over 25 years. She and her husband met at a beginning teacher meeting in 1997 and have three children born and raised in Monroe County. In her free time, McDonald loves flea markets, historical fiction and long runs in the heat.