October 11, 2026

Written by Mario Machuca

FULL RESULTS

FRESNO:  The Wolves made their annual trip to Fresno, California, this past weekend to compete in the Clovis Invitational, returning home with valuable racing experience, memorable performances, and plenty of team bonding. One of California’s premier cross country invitationals, Clovis brings teams to the legendary Woodward Park, the longtime home of the CIF State Cross Country Championships. After several seasons competing at Woodward, the Wolves are becoming increasingly familiar with the challenging course and the unique atmosphere that comes with racing on the state championship stage.

The Varsity Boys were the first Wolves to take on the course. Senior Andrew Moyo continued his impressive campaign, leading the King boys with Mason Stehmeier close behind. Ethan Pendleton delivered one of the day’s standout performances, recording a season-best effort and a one-minute personal record to finish as the Wolves’ third runner. As a team, the boys showed significant progress in their pack running, working together more effectively and beginning to find their rhythm. After the race, captain Max Guzzetta summed up the group’s mindset perfectly: “We are nowhere near our pack yet.” His words reflected the growing confidence within the squad and the belief that this group still has plenty of room to improve as the season progresses.

The Varsity Girls were next, welcoming captain Natalie Drewitz back to the lineup. After battling a hip injury during the first half of the season, Drewitz returned to a course she knows well, having raced at Woodward six times previously. She led the Wolves through the opening mile before teammate Jude Abu-Ghazaleh took over the lead, with freshman Leah Goodman close behind. Goodman continued her development with her best team placement of the season, finishing as the second-fastest King girl on the day. Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway was the way the younger Wolves stepped up to support their senior teammates. With the full squad coming back together, the girls will look to build momentum through several strong weeks of training as they enter the final month of the regular season.

The Frosh-Soph Boys followed with one of the team’s strongest collective performances. Despite having several athletes capable of competing at the varsity level, the group embraced the opportunity to race together and showcased the depth of the program. Abdu Alqaza led the way with an impressive 11th-place finish in his first race at Woodward Park, recording a 16:58 5K personal best. The rest of the pack faced a difficult start, getting caught in the massive opening-mile crowd and finding themselves deep in the field, with the team sitting in 20th place early in the race. Rather than backing down, the Wolves began working their way forward. Maverick Machuca led the charge, followed by David Kim and Isaiah Gallardo. The trio each passed approximately 100 runners throughout the race, helping propel King all the way back to an eighth-place team finish. It was a tremendous display of grit, resilience, and composure under challenging racing conditions, demonstrating just how much fight this sophomore-heavy group possesses.

The JV Girls closed out the day for the Wolves with several impressive performances of their own. Senior Sophia Balsells led the highlights, running a 90-second personal best. The team also demonstrated the value of pack running, with Olivia Chau leading the next four King runners across the finish line, separated by just six places. Freshman Sofia Dineshbabu Usharani also turned in a standout performance, running faster for 5K than her previous personal best for three miles. With personal records falling and the team continuing to tighten its pack, the JV girls provided a strong finish to the day.

Beyond the results, the Clovis trip provided the Wolves with something just as important: an opportunity to grow closer as a team. From the racing experience at Woodward Park to the laughs and memories made throughout the weekend, the trip helped build a renewed sense of camaraderie as the team heads into a busy stretch of competition. With the Inland Empire Challenge up next on Saturday, the Wolves will look to carry that energy into another week of racing and continue building toward their goals for the postseason.