Last week’s win by Birmingham senior YESENIA VALDEZ at the West Valley league finals was a statement performance that gives notice that she’s a contender for the D1 individual City title on November 20th.
Elysian Park - Thursday, November 20th
First Race 8:00am
LACXC.com POWER RANKINGS
Girls - Division 1
Palisades Charter is no longer the young team of freshman and sophomores that wowed City 2 years ago. In 2025, the Pali girls are a seasoned team of mostly seniors with loads of talent. We probably won’t see the Dolphins in full flight until State but even at less than 100% the team is impressive. They’ve run as a cohesive group without any major injuries or sickness since early summer and that’ll play well on the difficult Elysian course that will impose a stiff penalty on other teams and runners not matching this level of preparation. That’s all to say that this team will win the D1 title in decisive fashion, no shocker there. The battle for 2nd place and the other bid to State is another story. Three valley teams located within 10 miles of each other will face off in a race that will be part grudge match and part ‘David vs Goliath”. When the dust settled after last week’s league finals the Taft girls had beaten Granada Hills in head-to-head competition fairly convincingly, but Kennedy was just 6 points behind Taft in simulated scoring and ahead of Granada. And unlike the Kennedy boys that may have overextended a bit at League, the girls appeared to have something left for a bigger performance at City Finals. The Kennedy girls are probably a year away from State qualification but it’s also very possible that the Golden Cougars qualify in 2025. That’s not to dismiss Granada Hills. Based on PR’s the Highlanders are the best of the 3 Valley teams and could even make a run at Palisades on a good day. But to a person none of their top 5 ran close to these marks at League (and some of these PRs go back to 2024). So, if they were holding back at League, look out, this team could surprise everyone. But that hasn’t been how they’ve approached previous League Finals. Finally, there’s San Pedro. A team that wasn’t even in the conversation a month ago but some nice improvements by a couple underclassmen and consistent performances by their top 2 have them ranked #4. Much like their boys, they need their #5 to improve by at least 40 seconds to make a run at the top 3. For the individual title, reigning City champion ANANYA BALARAMAN is the favorite but she comes into the Finals with very few races and is likely looking towards State for her big race. That’s not to say she’s losing the race just that it might be closer than imagined. If anyone is going to challenge Ananya it’s likely going to be Birmingham’s YESENIA VALDEZ who looked strong and confident, particularly in the final mile, in winning the West Valley league title. And her time of 18:08.9 is much closer to Ananya’s time at league finals due to the course differences at Pierce on Wednesday and Thursday. Senior DAILA HARINCK has led Palisades since September and was only 10 seconds behind Ananya at League. Depending on how she tapers for City she is definitely a threat as is SAMMY PACHECO who if she runs HER race should see better results. And last but not least, Kennedy sophomore EMILY RODRIGUEZ. After her phenomenal League performance it’s hard to call her a dark horse but of any of the top runners Emily has the potential to pop a big race. She ran exceptionally well at Mt. SAC , has improved in every race she’s run this year, and looked impressive winning the Valley Mission league finals. This girl is really good!
Girls - Division 2
In simulated scoring based on converted league final results Canoga Park beats Eagle Rock by 2 points. So this one is incredibly close. Eagle Rock has the upfront fire-power but overall Canoga is the team that’s been showing better overall improvements throughout the season and proved that at the Valley Mission league finals. Eagle Rock’s seniors will need to get back to their early season form to help the Eagle’s cause and if they’re able to Eagle Rock can win this. In the end, the team that executes perfectly wins the D2 team title. San Fernando should take 3rd but will be pushed by a strong Bravo Medical team. Until a week ago, Eagle Rock sophomore OLIVIA CORRIGAN was the clear favorite to win the individual D2 title. But at the Northern league finals her teammate sophomore FIONA WALTS ran a PR and course record of 19:06.0 on the same Elysian course that is the venue for the City Finals. The individual D3 title race will be incredible but it will be won by Eagle Rock. Another sophomore, Sylmar’s ELIANNA RAMIREZ has shown big improvements this year and could pose a threat but likely will settle for 3rd.
Girls - Division 3
Sherman Oaks CES will have a fight on their hands to win the D3 title against University. And the winner will likely depend on the performances of each team’s #4 and 5 which are separated by less than 9 seconds. This is SOCES first year in D3 and the University girls have not won a title since moving to D3 since in 2022. Verdugo Hills sophomore HANNAH GALLIDORA is the top ranked SD3 individual and has a 20-second advantage over her competition. Jefferson senior KAYLAH QUIROZ and University freshman NATALIE CHEN will compete for 2nd place.
Girls - Division 4
Belmont will win the D4 City title, decisively. I know I said the same for Belmont’s boys but that’s even more the case for the girls who could sweep the D3 team title (we have them scoring 17 points in simulated scoring). GALA will take 2nd place comfortably and MaCES will place 3rd. Of all the divisions, boy and girls, this race looks to be the most predictable. We’ve talked alot about the Belmont program, and rightfully so. But GALA deserves some recognition as well. The program began competing in City in 2019 and since 2023 has been a top performing team in D4. Last year they placed 2nd to power house Verdugo Hills team and this year they face the same plight against Belmont. Their day will come.
Girls - Division 5
Maybe the second easiest race to call is the girls D5. New West Charter is on their way to their 5th consecutive City title and it won’t even be close; the Eagle should get all 5 of their scoring runners in the top 10. And if your looking at 2026, make that #6 as 5 of their top 7 should be back next year. Harbor Teacher Prep and USC-MaSt will have an epic battle on their hands for 2nd place; both teams scored 119 points in simulations. The 2nd race on November 20th will be one to watch. Freshman AVERY CAVALIER will look to give Larchmont its 2nd consecutive D5 individual title and if her performances in league competition are any indication she should do this in record time. Avery’s converted time from her Crosstown League title run ranks #9 across all divisions and is the top ranking freshman time in City. Last year’s runner-up VALERIE PALMA (St.-Stern) should keep things interesting but will likely place 2nd and New West Charter’s DAISY HUBER should take 3rd.
Boys - Division 1
Though the Pali boys looked vulnerable at league finals that was probably as bad as it gets. ZACH COHEN was sick the prior week and their #2 ETHAN FUNK and MAKO HOLT didn’t run. Mako who you ask? He hasn’t run much this year but at his best Mako’s a phenomenal talent and he’s in top form now; inside scoop says he’s training with Pali’s top 2 runners. If Mako’s eligible for City finals he’ll be dangerous. If things really go well for Palisades, ERNESTO JALOMO, the transfer they’ve been trying to get approved all season, will run at Finals as well. Ernesto’s probably a long shot but if he’s eligible he has the ability to win the D1 title. That said, even if Ethan, Mako and Ernesto don’t run Palisades still has the fire power to win the D1 City team championships. They’re that good! The #2 ranking is a much less obvious pick. Four teams can easily place 2nd including perennial powerhouse Granada Hills, red-hot Kennedy, San Pedro and Taft. Taft’s ascension to West Valley league champions this year is part of a roadmap that begin 3 years ago. In that time, Coach Mario Castillo has taken the Toreador’s out of the marais of middle-of-the-table standings to D1 elite status. But the map doesn’t end at league finals rather with a State berth and the Taft boys will have their work cut out for them to get to State. Granada Hills has a lot to prove after a league finals that went about as bad as it gets; they’ll have plenty of incentive to show their true potential at City Finals. At their best, Granada’s top 5 has the better times this year and this program knows how to run at Finals. That is a very dangerous combination if your Taft. Three of Kennedy’s top 5 posted PR’s at league finals and one a season best, unprecedented performances across all D1 varsity teams on a course that is an honest 3-miles, with hills. The open question is can they repeat at this level (or better) at Finals. If the answere is “Yes”, the Golden Cougars are going to State for the first time ever. If recent history is any indication, San Pedro will deliver unlike they have all year. Starting in 2019, they have been mostly out of the conversation leading up to the finals only to remind everyone with short memories that they are a big-race program. Lots of talent and a well-coached team that will need a strong 5th-man performance to get to State. And speaking of State, Kennedy’s never been and Taft last ran State in 2000 so a lot at stake for the #3 spot at City Finals. Do not miss the D1 boys race - it should be epic!
Any one of five boys has a legitimate shot at the D1 individual title and the winner will likely be the athlete that nails their taper and runs a smart race. ZACH COHEN has the top City time and is the presumptive favorite but there are at least 4 others, including 2 on the Palisades team, that can win. Most recently, Taft’s HUNTER BENNETT and Granada Hill’s JOAQUIN-ORTEGA TOMASELLI have shown their ability to post top times in big races. Joaquin posted the top City time at Mt. SAC while Hunter won the West League title last week. Both of these runners have shown an uncanny ability to pop big performances at City Finals. Palisades sophomore ETHAN FUNK had an amazing Woodbridge performance, the best by a City sophomore ever! Based on that performance alone he’s a contender for the title. But he’s been working on some hip issues since Woodbridge so his fitness for the Elysian course is unknown. Teammate JACKSON TAYLOR has shown he can run with the best, and win, and looks to be improving more than others in the latter part of the season. Much like the team contest, the D1 individual title race should be a barn burner!
Boys - Division 2
Based solely on league final results last week, Santee would be the favorite in the boys’ D2 City Finals. BUT, Marshall ran without there #1 and #3 at league finals and both should be back for the City Championships. And with these two Marshall should be a clear winner.
Bravo Medical’s top 3 runners keep the team in the conversation but they will need some help from their #4 & #5 to make inroads on Santee who should place 2nd comfortably. The San Fernando program continues to impress as consistent top-level performers in D2 ranking 4th; a nice improvement over their 9th place finish in 2024.
Marshall’s top 2 FAUSTO NOBOA and RYE JUNKER are the favorites for an individual D2 title but they’ll see stiff competition from Bravo Medical’s DAMIAN MENDOZA and Santee’s ADRIAN AGUIRRE, who edged out Rye in last year’s City Final and should be 100% by November 20th. This will be a fun one!.
Boys - Division 3
Three teams are in the running for the D3 title and newly promoted Sherman Oaks CES is the favorite. An unheralded program for everything they’ve accomplished in that last 2 years, the Knights show up for big invitationals (a rarity in D3 and D4) and consistently have top runners at City Finals. This year the Knights are led by sophomore MILES GOHIL and senior DAVID BOUSSI. But resurgent King Drew and perennial powerhouse Verdugo Hills are dangerous and within striking distance and a win by King Drew would be their first ever at City Finals. Franklin sophomore YAEL MEZA is the top ranked D3 runner from league finals and should win the individual title going away. DAVID CASTILLO (sr-King Drew), ANDY TOBAR (sr-Panarama) and ADOLFO RIVERA (sr-Helen Bernstein) are threats but will likely be competing for 2nd place.
Boys - Division 4
Belmont will win the D4 City title, decisively. And that statement says a lot about the program that coach Julian Parada has developed over the last several years. Their top 4 compete way ahead of their weight class, easily matching most D1 and D2 teams. EDWIN GOMEZ is their top returner from last year’s 2nd place team and he has the best time this year at Elysian but it was junior SERGIO GUARCHAJ who led the Sentinels to victory at the Central league finals at Elysian Park and is the favorite for the individual title. Look for Mendez senior MICHAEL JUAREZ ESTRADA to challenge. He placed 2nd last year with a huge PR; expect more of the same this year from another superlative XC program. Junior MOISES ARANDA (Orthopeadic) is certainly capable of winning and like Michael has shown an ability to set massive PR’s at Finals.
Boys - Division 5
New West Charter is without a doubt the most successful D5 program in LA City Section history and they’ll continue that tradition in 2025. Senior AARON LEE leads the Eagles who should win the D5 title over Stella Charter Academy and Rancho Dominguez Prep, who’ll fight mightily for 2nd place. Sun Valley Magnet senior ANGEL SOLORIO is the presumptive favorite for the individual title. He has school and City D5 records on most courses and will look to accomplish the same at Elysian Park. Elysian Park is MAXIMILIANO ARCE’s (sr, USC-MaST) is the #2 ranked D5 runner and Elysian is his home course which he’ll use to his advantage to hold off Aaron Lee and LEONEL HERNANDEZ (so-Stern) for 2nd place.
The Process: Individual league final times were converted to ‘standard-based’ times in order to rank and score runners’ results from the 3 different league final venues: Elysian Park, Pierce College and 22nd St Park. These standard times were used to determine divisional scoring based on simulated competitions from the top 7 runners from the top 12 schools in each division. These simulated scores provided the initial rankings which were then amended based on analysis and interviews to produce the LACXC.com Power Rankings presented above.
PIERCE COLLEGE - LEAGUE FINALS
Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
Zach Cohen (1581)- Sr. Palisades 15:38.5
Josiah Castro (1429) - Sr. Kennedy 15:41.3
Emily Rodriguez - So. Kennedy
1st Place - Valley Mission - 18:18.3
Jackson Taylor (1586)- Sr. Palisades 15:38.5
Felipe Perez (1433) - So. Kennedy 15:45.3
Kensuke Ohshima - So. N. Hollywood 15:48.4
Elianna Ramirez - So. Sylmar
2nd Place - Valley Mission - 18:54.1
Ryan Perrella (1861)- Sr. Venice 15:47.4
Alejandro Escobar (1857) - Sr. Venice 15:58.1
Maya Bhasin (1561)- Sr. Palisades 18:55.2
Daila Harrinck (1562) - Sr. Palisdes 18:05.9
PIERCE COLLEGE - LEAGUE FINALS
Thursday, November 6th, 2025
Isabella Sakalowski - Jr. Taft
3rd Place - West Valley - 18:51.4
Tristan Bookman - Sr. Granada Hills
3rd Place - West Valley - 15:38.9
Scarlet Harris - Sr. El Camino Real
4th Place - West Valley - 19:02.9
Ethan Barok - Sr. Taft
4th Place - West Valley - 15:53.7
Alexis Huerta - Sr. Birmingham
5th Place - West Valley - 15:59.5
Hudson Song (2488)- So. Taft 6th 19:32.1
Shannon Fabro (2484) - Sr. Taft 5th 19:04.3
Trinidad Montenegro - So. Granada Hills
7th Place - West Valley - 19:51.9
Congratulations
Your 2025 City Section League Final Champions
Over 3,000 athletes from 21 leagues competed in the 2025 XC City Section Finals competitions (the biggest showing by over 30%) and the teams and athletes below are the cream of the crop, the LA City Section League Champions
Team Champions & State Qualifiers:
The top 3 teams from each LA City Section league final automatically qualify for the LA City Championships on November 20th at Elysian Park. To see a complete list that includes ‘at large’ teams that have petitioned to run at City Finals click here.
Individual City League Final Champions:
CITY SECTION LEAGUE FINALS RECAP
22nd St Park, San Pedro - Thu. Nov 6th
There is exactly one City athlete that is undefeated in varsity competition this year and that’s Larchmont freshman AVERY CAVALIER. She continued that streak at the LAUSD League Cluster Championships* where she posted her 4th PR of the season to win the Crosstown League title and the combined race in a time of 19:09.2. Converted, Avery’s time ranks as the #9 performance by a City athlete across all league finals last week. Not bad for a D5 freshman! Santee junior DESTINY GALVAN won the section 2 varsity race in 19:53.3.
In boys’ competitions Santee junior ADRIAN AGUIRRE looks to be almost 100% after sustaining a thigh injury at Rosemead. He won the Exposition league title and ran the top time at 22nd St. Park in the section 2 varsity race of 16:13.9. Adrian and San Pedro runners ZACARY MCGRATH and CAMILO VISESSIRI-PETITE all posted times that convert to sub-16 Pierce performances. Just seconds behind was teammate TRISTAN LOMEDICO and Roosevelt’s ANDREW ALBA ROMERO. Andrew won the section 1 race by 30 seconds over 2nd place finisher AARON LEE of New West Charter.
*48 schools and 809 athletes from 7 leagues (Coliseum, Crosstown, Exposition, Imperial, Marine, Metro, Ocean) competed in the LAUSD League Cluster Championships. Varsity races were run in 2 sections (heats) for both the boys and girls and each section had 119-145 runners.
Elysian Park - Wed. Nov 5th and Thu. Nov 6th
In the two days of competition at Elysian park, 44 teams and 1,170 athletes competed for league team and individual titles. In the boys’ races, 3 juniors posted the top times that all convert to sub-16 Pierce performance: FAUSTO NOBOA (Marshall), JEOVANNY RODRIGUEZ (Roosevelt), and DAMIAN MENDOZA (Bravo Medical). Northern league runners posted 4 of the top 5 performances at Elysian. Eagle Rock’s DAVID KANNER was the top sophomore across both days but Franklin’s YAEL MEZA was only a second behind in 18:08.1. Both David and Yael will be runners to watch from programs that have produced superlative runners over the last 5 years. SERGIO GUARCHAJ from D4 Belmont ran the 7th fastest time at Elysian, 18:11.9. Marshall’s ALEXANDER SWARTZ was the top freshman placing 6th in the Northern league varsity race.
In the girls races, Eagle Rock sophomore FIONA WALTS crushed a 20:31.7 to take top honors in the Northern league and the best time over the 2 days at Elysian. Her converted time ranks as the #5 performance across all City leagues performances that includes 1,373 girls! Fiona’s teammate OLIVIA CORRIGAN was 5 seconds behind placing 2nd in the league and 2nd overall at Elysian. The City girls sophomore class is absolutely stacked! Belmont senior GABRIELA ZARAT won the Central league finals and ran the 3rd best time overall at Elysian, 20:55.7. All 3 of these girls’ converted times are sub-19 performances. Bravo Medical’s ELIANEE CHAVEZ posted the top frosh time of 23:25.2 to place 5th in the Northern league varsity race.
Pierce College
Thursday, Nov 6th
Amazing performances on both Wednesday and Thursday with new course records set for both boys and girls, a precocious Kennedy program showing their stuff, and Taft sweeping all 6 team contests in the hotly contested West Valley. The girls’ varsity kicked off Thursday’s West Valley competitions and as expected Taft and Granada Hills came to play - No trainers and thresholds today! For the 3rd time in 3 weeks YESENIA VALDEZ (Birmingham) and SAMMY PACHECO (Granada) toed the same starting line and, so far, Sammy was undefeated. But unlike Mt. SAC where Yesenia went out too hard on an unforgiving course, on Thursday she held back until the final lap where she surged to an almost 30-second advantage to win the race and the West Valley title. Her time of 18:08.9 was the 3rd fastest* on the new Pierce course. Sammy placed 2nd in 18:37.6 and junior ISABELLA SAKALOWSY (Taft) finished in 3rd in 18:51.4. And for the 1st time in over 15 years the Taft girls’ varsity won the West Valley team title that Granada has owned since 2016. Taft senior SHANNON FABRO was a big part of the Toreadors’ success running a PR of 19:04.3 to place 5th followed by sophomore HUDSON SONG who placed 6th. UNICA GUERRERA had the top freshman time on the new Pierce course placing 9th in 20:01.2. El Camino Real junior SCARLET HARRIS placed 4th in 19:02.9 which has her ahead of schedule of ‘24 when she placed 7th in the City Finals. The next race was the boys West Valley varsity race which promised to be equally as exciting. Taft senior ETHAN BAROK led out the race in a blistering 4:50 1st mile with a chase pack 40 meters back that included JOAQUIN ORTEGA-TOMASELLI (Granada), HUNTER BENNETT (Taft), ALEXIS HUERTA (Birmingham) and TRISTAN BOOKMAN (Granada). The race was on! Ethan’s pace was not sustainable and by the final lap two runners led, Joaquin and Hunter. Joaquin made a big move up the final hill that appeared to be lethal but when the lead runner turned the corner to enter the final 300-meter straightaway to the finish it was Hunter Bennett for his 2nd consecutive West Valley title in a course record 15:15.1. Joaquin held on for 2nd place in 15:28.8, the 2nd best time on the new course this year, and Tristan placed 3rd in 15:38.9. The Toreadors also took the team title, their 1st in the West Valley in 25 years, thanks to strong performances by their #3-5 JOANH SIMKIN, INDIE HYMAN and MARK BANUELOS. Expect the competition between Taft and Granada to be fierce at Elysian Park on November 20th in a rematch that will introduce an interloper into the mix (that would be Kennedy).
*Due to the difference in course markings on Wednesday and Thursday’s course theres is approximately a 5-10 second difference (Thursday’s course runs longer) between the 2 days.
In afternoon racing Sun Valley senior ANGEL SOLORIO ripped a 15:51.7 in the Central Valley League finals, the 11th fastest City performance on the new Pierce course (when adjusted for course differences, probably closer to the 6th fastest time, with no competition, and much hotter temps).
Wednesday, Nov 5th
On Wednesday, ANANYA BALARAMAN ran in her first race since Woodbridge and didn’t miss a step. Competing in the same race as Palisades, Kennedy and Venice, Ananya took the lead early and held on for a perfunctory win in the combined race (East Valley, Valley Mission and Western leagues) and a course record of 17:55.4. Her teammate, sophomore KENSUKE OHSHIMA, also won the boys East Valley varsity title and placed 6th overall in a time of 15:48.4. On most days that would rank as the top sophomore time but Kennedy’s FELIPE PEREZ took that honor by 3 seconds with the 4th best time of the day 15:45.3. And in most years, Felipe’s performance would have ranked as Kennedy’s best but in one of the gutsiest performances of the race his teammate senior JOSIAH CASTRO went out with the City’s top runners and led the combined race going into the final mile, ultimately winning the Valley Mission title and posting the 3rd best time on the day. In the girls’ race, EMILY RODRIGUEZ performed similar magic for her Kennedy team also winning the Valley Mission title and posting the 3rd best time on the new Pierce course this year. GEORGIA ILLINGWORTH placed 2nd in the Valley Mission contest and 7th overall; a wonderful race for sure but the performance of the day was her incredible sportsmanship in attempting to assist an ailing competitor 20 meters from the finish. Really magical stuff from Kennedy! Both Palisades varsity teams won the combined and Western league contests handedly. In previous years Palisades has swept these races in trainers. This year Kennedy, Venice, North Hollywood and Sylmar provide some worthy competition. DAILA HARINCK led the Palisades girls with the 2nd best time this year on the new course to win the Western league individual title. In the category of ‘Most Improved’ runner, teammate MAYA BHASIN placed 2nd in league with the 5th best time overall, 18:55.2. And, maybe the biggest surprise, another sophomore, Sylmar’s ELIANNA RAMIREZ posted a 54-second PR of 18:54.1 to place 2nd in the Valley Mission league and the 7th best time on the Pierce course this year. Palisades senior ZACH COHEN led out the boys combined race but it was teammate senior JACKSON TAYLOR who stole the show in the final mile surging from 5 seconds behind the lead pack to win by 10 seconds in a new course record (for a day) of 15:29.6. Another “Most Improved” award to senior LAJUS COLLINS who finished as Palisades #3. The Venice boys’ varsity kept Palisades honest with big performances by seniors RYAN PERRELLA and ALEJANDRO ESCOBAR, who both broke 16 minutes.
Twenty-two leagues will compete at 3 venues on Wednesday, November 5th and Thursday, November 6th to determine qualifiers for the City Championship on November 20th. Unlike most years, there will be no Prelims so the league finals will carry additional import. The qualifications for City Finals are as follows:
1. The top three teams from each League Finals meet based on team finish at that meet will qualify for City Finals
2. Any individuals who finish in the top ten at their respective League Finals meet will qualify as an individual for City Finals
3. At-large teams will also be considered based on league final team time and converted times via peitition to LA City Section
The 3rd condition should provide remedy in situations where a team competes in a league with teams from other divisions and doesn’t qualify based on condition #1. We don’t see any specific recourse for individuals who fail to qualify based on condition #2 and are running against teams from other divisions.
The Venues for league finals are:
Elysian Park - 5k
Pierce College - 3 Mile
22nd Street Park, San Pedro - 3 Mile
Here is the schedule for all City league finals:
Click on the table above to see the league final schedule for each school and the top performance for each school as of 10.31.25.
Heard on the Trail . . .
Former Palisades Charter standout BLAKE SIGWORTH posted the top time at the Warrior Mile (actually 1,600m) at West Torrance High on Wednesday night. Now running for Palos Verdes Blake ran an incredible 4:11.72 to win in the elite race, only .5 seconds off his track PR set this past spring at CIF Prelims. Click here for a video of the race by hdRunners. Check out the cadence on the last 500m - approx. 205-210/minute; finished with a 2:02 final 800m and a :57 final 400m!
AVERY CAVALIER (Larchmont) went 4 for 4 in the LAUSD League Cluster series at 22nd Street Park in San Pedro, winning her 4th race in 19:20.7 on Thursday afternoon. This was a 26-second PR performance and puts Avery almost a minute ahead of her nearest competition in D5.
For the first time in the history of LA City Section Cross Country, ELYSIAN PARK will host the 2025 LA City Section Cross Country Championships on November 20th, 2025. There will be no Prelims this year so the League Finals will determine qualifying teams for the finals. Click here for details. Note, the Finals will be held on Thursday, November 20th. See more details below.
Correction: Emily Rodriguez was inadvertently identified as a junior in the photo from Mt. SAC. She is in fact a sophomore and the photo has been updated.
ELYSIAN COURSE INFORMATION
For the first time in the history of LA City Section Cross Country, ELYSIAN PARK will host the 2025 LA City Section Cross Country Championships on November 20th, 2025. There will be no Prelims this year so the League Finals will determine qualifying teams for the finals. Click here for details.
The courses are fairly similar. Like the Pierce hill course, Elysian’s 1st mile has the biggest elevation gain but of the key metrics that impact performance Elysian Park reads as the more difficult course - Elysian is longer, has steeper hills and greater overall elevation gain, though not as many hills as Pierce. Results substantiate the theory. Based on comparisons LACXC.com has done over the last 4 years on same-runner performances on Pierce and Elysian, Elysian runs approximately 12.3% slower than Pierce (that % is closer to 10% for the top runners). The difference in distance between the 2 courses accounts for approximately 8%, and without a doubt runners on average perform their best at City Finals so that contributes to the difference as well, but there is the remaining 2-3% that is course difficulty. For reference, 3% for a 16-minute runner is 28.8 seconds.
Where to start? Some big performances and equally big surprises at the 77th Annual Mt. SAC Invitational. The girls D1 Varsity Blue race was a City showcase with runners from different City teams placing 1st - 3rd. SAMMY PACHECO and YESENIA VALDEZ battled it out across 3 miles culminating in a photo finish that initially gave Yesenia the win but after review the decision and win went to Sammy. From atop Reservoir you could hear the roar from the stadium and the announcer’s call as the lead went back and forth on the last 300 meters on the track. An amazing race by 2 incredible athletes that should make for an epic showdown at City Finals.
Almost lost in the excitement was the performance by Kennedy sophomore EMILY RODRIGUEZ. In only her 4th high school XC race she ran the 3rd fastest City time at Mt. Sac this year, beating her Woodbridge time and nearly PR’ing on a course that no one PR’s on. Her teammate junior GEORGIA ILLINGWORTH was close behind in a superb performance that ranked her 6th overall in City and sets the grade-level City record for the course. And speaking of Kennedy, what a performance by the boys and girls’ teams. Both teams ranked 3rd against D1 City teams at Mt. SAC and on the current trajectory will definitely be making a statement on November 20th. Fantastic progress for a program that is shooting for the stars.
Granada Hills had impressive performances at Mt. SAC and JOAQUIN ORTEGA-TOMASELLI was part of that story. Joaquin’s always done well in big races but because of injuries in the past those big races were necessarily City Finals. This season has been different. Joaquin’s had a solid summer build and no injuries resulting in a string of nice performances. But Mt. SAC was special. Going toe-to-toe against City’s best he came out on top with a 3rd place finish in the Varsity Yellow race and a City record for the new course of 15:40.8. Granada now owns both City records on the new Mt. Sac course.
Joaquin continues on a record settng pace headed into post season. His performance at Mt. SAC was the best on the new course by a City runner and ranks as the 2nd best all time Granada performance at Mt. Sac.
Georgia enters the airstrip at the half-way point at Mt. Sac. She placed 9th in the D1 Varsity Blue race against some of City’s best runners. Her time of 18:49.2 sets the City junior record for the new Mt. SAC course.
The Palisades boys won the D1 Varsity Yellow race comfortably, and this without their #2 ETHAN FUNK who hasn’t run since Central Park. Their top 5 scoring runners all made the City Top-10 list led by senior ZACH COHEN, one of only two City athletes to break 16 minutes. Sophomore THEO MAYEDA had a big race for the Dolphins posting a 16:09.5, the 3rd best City time overall and the new sophomore City course record. And LAJUS COLLINS had a huge race finishing as the Dolphins #5 with the 9th best City time. The Pali girls team led going into the final mile of the D1 Varsity Red race but were edged out by 4 points in the final mile by Pleasant Grove. Three Dolphins made the City Top-10 list including DAILA HARINCK who continues to lead the Dolphin juggernaut and placed 3rd in the race. LULU MAMMEN was close behind finishing in 6th with a 25-second course PR and ZOEY MORRIS placed 10th in the race and #7 in City overall. The Dolphin girls top 5 averaged under 20 minutes (19:59.0); the only City team to accomplish this at Mt. Sac.
Marshall’s impressed all year but Mt. Sac is a true test of a team’s mettle and the Marshall boys delivered on Saturday. Senior RYE JUNKER and junior FAUSTO NOBOA ran the full 3-miles together and finished as the #6 and #7 City runners overall at Mt. Sac. Teammate ALEXANDER SWARTZ was the top City freshman and took 10th in the race. Junior ANDREW GARDNER has been Marshall’s #3 and was 20 seconds off the lead at the halfway mark but faded badly in the last mile. The team still placed 3rd running against some big southern section programs.
RYE JUNKER and FAUSTO NOBOA turn the corner onto the Airstrip in perfect unison. They placed 4th and 5th in the D2 Varsity Red race, ranking as the 8th and 9th best City performances at Mt. SAC.
The Belmont teams ran on Friday and showed once again that they are the best D4 teams by a mile. The girls placed 3rd in the D5 Varsity Yellow race (they tied Thacher but placed 3rd based on the 6th runner - Belmont only ran 5), led by senior GABRIELA ZARAT who had the 10th fastest City performance on the Mt. Sac course. And they did this without their #3 runner. They were only 7 points off the winning team so with better circumstances probably a team win here. The Belmont girls rank as the #6 City team at Mt. SAC. The Belmont boys placed 2nd in the D5 Varsity Yellow race led by junior SERGIO GUARCHAJ. They had the 9th best City team time at Mt. Sac. Fantastic program with great spirit and pride.
Canoga’s girls team continues to make huge strides. On Friday they placed 2nd in the D3 Varsity Green race with the 4th fastest City team time at Mt. Sac. Senior SARAI ROSAS led the Hunters with a 5th place finish in 20:46.7. They were the top D2 team by almost 7 minutes, but Eagle Rock didn’t have their #1 and #2 and you know Bravo Medical will make a game of it at City Finals.
Belmont’s Top Ranked Girl Sentinels
(l-r) Gabriela Zarat, Jennifer Ramos, Ashley Perrusquia, Valeria Hernandez, Jessica Tecum
Canoga Park senior SARAI ROSAS rounds the corner on her way up Reservoir Hill in the D3 Varsity Green race on Friday. Sarai placed 5th in the race and the team 2nd.
Also on Friday, Sun Valley senior ANGEL SOLORIO ran a dominant race in the D5 Varsity Yellow race leading from start to finish to win by 45 seconds. With some competition he certainly would have been on the City Top-10 list.
Sun Valley senior ANGEL SOLORIO descends down Reservoir in the D5 Varsity Yellow race at Mt. SAC which he won by over 44 seconds in 16:53.5.
(l-r) Javier Palacios, Denicio Trejo, Andy Diaz, Angel Solorio, ???, Nestor Solorio, Octavio Hernandez, Angel Torres
SUN VALLEY MAGNET
Here’s the Cite Team Power Rankings from Mt. SAC:
Teams with less than 5 runners across all races are not included in the Power Rankings. Taft was registered to run Mt. Sac but pulled out. Olivia Corrigan and Fiona Walts did not compete for Eagle Rock. North Hollywood did not register for Mt. Sac so City’s top ranked runner Anayna Balaraman did not compete.
Mt. SAC Preview
Dateline October 22nd, 2025
Thirty-four City teams and 798 City athletes are slated to run at this year’s Mt. SAC XC Invite, the largest contingency ever from the LA Section. This will be the 2nd year on the ‘New’ course that eliminates ‘Poop Out’ hill and extends the finish on to the stadium track for a legit 3-mile distance. City records on the ‘New’ course are held by PAUL TRANQUILLA (Venice-15:46.0) and ZOEY MORRIS (Palisades-19:00.0) - see table below. Team records both belong to Palisades; the boys 1:23:29.0 and the girls 1:40.03.0.
The race to watch this year is the boys Yellow Varsity race on Saturday that has D1’s top teams and individuals from Birmingham, Granada Hills and San Pedro are squaring off and should provide a preview of the City Championships just a month away. Palisades and Taft are running in different races, both boys and girls. The Palisades’ boys should have their “A” team running at 100% for the 1st time this year. The girls Varsity Blue race has 2 contenders for the City D1 individual title, Granada Hill’s SAMMY PACHECO and Birmingham’s YESENIA VALDEZ, going toe-to-toe in a rematch from last week’s West Valley Cluster. For the first time in several years there are no City teams or individuals in the Sweepstakes races. San Pedro is a late add to the official school listing as is Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academy. North Hollywood will not be running.
Here are the LA City Section records on the ‘New’ 3-mile Mt. SAC course:
Here is the UPDATED 2025 Mt SAC race schedule for all registered City teams, in order of each team’s final varsity race:
City’s Best . . .So Far
Here are the top City performances by division so far this year. Eight of the 10 athletes on the list below will be running at Mt. SAC this weekend:
CITY FINALS - 2025
UPDATE: For only the 3rd time in 67 years the City Prelims and Finals will NOT be held on the vaunted Pierce “hill” course that’s hosted some of the City’s greatest runners, a virtually uninterrupted legacy of running unrivaled anywhere in California. Due to construction at Pierce, this year’s post-season competitions will be held on a 5k course at Elysian Park. We’re waiting on a Strava elevation map of the course for details but we do know this, the course runs on average about 1:30’s slower than the Pierce Hill course and has a big ascent in the 1st and 3rd miles.
Before 1959, LA City ran their championship races on a 2.0-mile course at “the trails” at UCLA. The record on that course was set by KIRBY TRUE of Marshall in 1958 (9:55.0). The record on the 2-mile Pierce course, the course where City Finals were run from 1959 through 1974, is held by Wilson’s JOSE AMAYA who ran 8:35.0 at City Finals in 1970. Considered by many to be the finest performance at Pierce.
Since the move to Pierce, there have only been 2 deviations to the current Pierce ‘Hill” course and 2 times when the varsity boys did not run the standard Pierce ”Hill” course. The first deviation occurred in 1975, a transition year for City runners in anticipation of the state-wide CIF implementation of a 3-mile/5k standard in 1976, where the course was advertised as 2.85 miles (the record on that course is University’s DAVID PASCAL in 13:54.8). In 1976 the City Section transitioned to the 3-mile course we know today (2.87 miles, actually). The records for the 3-mile Pierce “Hill” course are 14:31.3 by PABLO ROSALES (San Pedro ‘09) and 16:33.2 by MARISSA WILLIAMS (Palisades Charter ‘14).
Note - girls started running City Finals in 1984 so the 3-mile record is all there is.
For reasons unknown, Pierce was not the venue for the 1963 Prelims or Finals; instead both races were run at Peck Park in San Pedro. And in 2010 and 2012 rain caused the races to be moved off of the standard Pierce “Hill” course. In 2010 all races were held on a 5k Pierce rain course, which consisted of two laps around Shepard Stadium and featured relatively flat terrain. In 2012 the boys Varsity Finals race was run on the Pierce hill course (see video – it was a mess) but all the other races that day were moved to Birmingham.
City Division Assignments - 2025
For the 2025 season, there are 10 fewer City team registered for Cross-Country, all from divisions 4 and 5. Last year was a high-water mark by a long shot so hard to say that interest in cross-country is waning but the trend is concerning. Likely though that some notable teams such as Academia Avance and Westchester will ultimately run so the final numbers may be better.
Here are the City XC teams that moved divisions in 2025:
The most surprising change is Monroe’s move from D2 to D1. It’s only the 3rd time in the last 5 years that a team has moved up to D1, the other 2 being Robert F. Kennedy and Venice back in 2023. This move may be a year late for Monroe as last year’s boys varsity team likely would have been chomping on the bit to compete in D1; this year not so much.
A shame to see Mendez back in Division 4 this year. They moved up to D3 in ‘23 and in 2 years usurped the perennial city champs Verdugo Hills last year to win the individual and team boys City titles. This is a program that has shown consistent improvement, both boys and girls, and really should be competing in D2.
‘The Drive’
Is dedicated to LA City’s high school distance running community
The goal is to evangelize exceptional teams and athletes with high quality, curated content and editorial perspectives in an online periodic publication.
Each volume will include a ‘Special’ section, as well as Athletes of the Week/Month, ‘The Week in Pictures’ including a ‘Picture of the Week’, ‘The Numbers’, and ‘Heard on the Trail’.
ENJOY!