Kaylene and Nicki Sylvain: Athletes of the Week

Sometimes when siblings play sports together there is a rivalry that can hurt their performance.

That is not the case for sisters Kaylene and Nicki Sylvain, cross country runners for Berlin High School.

Kaylene, a senior, and Nicki, a junior, are Berlin Patch-Farmington Ave. Subway Athletes of the Week, for helping the Redcoats to unprecedented heights this season.

Berlin won the CCC championship and finished third at the state Class MM championship.

"We never compete, it is more encouragement," Nicki said. "We are really close and just want to see each other do better. There is not very much competition between us."

Kaylene echoes those sentiments.

"We just want the best for each other in everything we do," said the senior. "We will talk all the time before races and pump each other up."

Kaylene was a dominant runner this season while Nicki was solid in the big Berlin pack. Kaylene was able to be one of the top two runners in each race, with teammate Brittany Sullivan, while Nicki provided valuable points.

The highlight of the season for the girls came at the CCC Championship, when Berlin won its division title. The Redcoats were without one of their top runners but still hoped to run well and knock off perennial power Bristol Central. Kaylene was Berlin's top finisher in third place but just behind in sixth place was sister Nicki.

"We knew we were down a runner at the conference tournament so I knew I had to pick it up and it was my best race of the season," Nicki said. For her efforts, she and her sister both made the all-conference team.

The sisters both run cross country, indoor and outdoor track.

Kaylene, the senior, is being recruited by several colleges and right now her top choice is Central Connecticut, who would love to have her on their team next fall.