November 16, 2025

Written by Mario Machuca

FULL RESULTS:    GIRLS      BOYS

WALNUT:   This past Saturday, the Wolves lined up at the CIF-SS Cross Country Division 1 Prelims, where the best teams in the Southern Section battled for 16 coveted spots at next week’s Finals. With four heats for both boys and girls, only the top four teams from each heat would advance.

Heavy rainstorms shifted the usual challenge, forcing athletes onto a much flatter “rain course” in place of the legendary hills of Mt. SAC. The change meant faster times across the board, but the mission remained the same: race with confidence and punch a ticket to Finals.

The boys kicked off the day. Maximo Zavaleta, Logan Carlson, Bradley Quezada, Smooth Watkins, Marc Gonzalez, Frank Stewart, and Mason Stehmeier represented ML King with poise and purpose. Zavaleta surged to the front early, while Carlson and Quezada settled into strong 3rd- and 4th-place positions for most of the race. Watkins and Gonzalez worked together to close out scoring, with Watkins dropping a new season best at the perfect time. The Wolves executed exactly what they needed, finishing 2nd in their heat with 81 points.  This is the 7th straight trip to CIF Finals (COVID canceled 2020 CIF) for the Wolves.  Zavaleta capped the effort with a commanding individual win, showcasing championship form for the defending Division 1 champion.

The girls followed with the same mindset. Elizabeth Jacklin, Jude Abu-Ghazaleh, Natalie Drewitz, Jordyn Ramirez, Gracie Guzzetta, Taylor Starling, and Abbey Starling took the course ready to match the boys’ momentum. Jacklin took control from the gun, mirroring Zavaleta’s aggressive front-running. Abu-Ghazaleh and Drewitz packed well behind her, finishing 9th and 16th, while Ramirez delivered one of her best efforts of the year, matching her season best in 23rd. Guzzetta sealed the scoring as the Wolves secured another 2nd-place finish in their heat. Next week’s CIF Finals will be the 18th time King High has put a team on the line of the Final in school history, and its the third-straight.

Both squads delivered nearly identical performances—steady, confident, and Finals-worthy. With hopes of clearer skies next weekend, the Wolves now turn their attention to CIF-SS Finals, where the top seven teams will advance to the state meet. After training since June for this moment, ML King heads into championship week ready to compete, ready to respond, and ready to prove exactly what they’re capable of.