Cleveland sophomore Will Abiragi holds the top City time in the 800m. At City Prelims he ran a 1:58.66 to qualify for City Finals with the 2nd fastest time. This picture is Will running the final leg on Cleveland’s 4×400 relay team which he closed in 51.2. The Cleveland relay team, which consists of 3 sophomores and a freshman, also qualified for finals with the 2nd best time.
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Palisades senior Daila Harinck coasts to a win in heat 1 of the 1600m at the City Prelims. Daila heads into Finals as the 2nd seed in the 1600m and 1st seed in the 800m and is the favorite in both.
Palisades senior Ernesto Jalombo showed why he’ll be the man to beat on May 21st. He stormed to wins in both of his heats in the 800m and 1600m, posting the top qualifying times in both.
Sammy Pacheco leads out heat 2 of the 1600m with Ananya Balaraman in tow. Ananya won the heat with the top qualifying time and Sammy placed 2nd in the heat with the 4th fastest qualifying time. Both will be looking for City titles, Sammy is a favorite in the 3200m and Ananya will challenge for the 800m and 1600m.
Venice senior Anabelle Refnes took the pace out hard in heat 2 of the 800m and held on to win the heat with the 2nd fastest qualifying time.
Ruben Mendoza continues his exceptional track season with a win in heat 3 of the 800m and the 3rd best qualifying time for Finals.
At his best, Jackson Taylor has the ability to beat anyone and he has a knack for running big when it counts. That’s to say he’ll be someone to watch on May 21st. This is Jackson in the 800m where he placed 2nd with the 4th best qualifying time. He placed 2nd in heat 1 of the 1600 earlier in the day with the 2nd best qualifying time.
Ana Jasso (Canoga Park), Whitney Derby (Venice) and Ruby Ramon King Drew) lead heat 1 of the 800m with 150 meters to the finish. Whitney won the heat with the 4th best qualifying time. Ana set a PB of 2:24.49, the 5th best qualifying time.
Franklin sophomore Yael Zambrano-Meza and Marshall junior Andrew Gardner ran both the 800m and 1600m heats together, exchanging wins in each. Yael won heat 2 of the 1600 with the 6th best qualifying time (Andrew was 2nd) and Andrew won the 800m (pictured) with the 6th best qualifying time.
Zachary McGrath out leans Brandon Cook in heat 1 of the 800m. Both boys qualified for Thursday’s City Final. Julian Mendez is close behind and also qualified. All 3 sets PB’s in the race.
Eagle Rock sophomore Fiona Walts will have her work cut out for her in the 800m Finals in a very deep event that will likely have 5 girls dipping under 2:20. This is Fiona in heat 2 where she placed 2nd with the 7th fastest qualifying time.
Heat 3 of the 800m line up for the start.
(l-r) Ruben Mendoza, Jeovanny Rodriguez, Tristan Bookman, Adrian Aguire, Andrew Alba Romero
Bold - Qualifier
San Pedro junior Rebekah Lopez has quietly moved up the 800m rankings throughout this season to arrive in post season as a legitimate contender. She placed 3rd in heat 3 of the 800m with a PB of 2:24.72, the 6th fastest qualifying time.
Ethan Barok runs a :50-second high split on Taft’s 4×400 relay team. That was his 3rd race on a busy day that included 2nd place finishes in the 800m and 1600m earlier in the day, races he’ll be a top contender in on May 21st.
Avery Cavalier leads out the 1st lap of heat 1 of the 1600m. She was 1 of 2 freshman to qualify for the 1600m City Finals and the only D5 athlete.
Taft senior Hunter Bennett and Carson sophomore Miguel Mora lean for the finish of heat 1 of the 1600m. Both qualified with Hunter posting the 8th best qualifying time and Miguel the 9th best.
Cleveland’s Fab 4×400
Will Abiragi, Sawyer Pichford, Dylan Marks, Sho Evans
Varsity League Champions - GIRLS
Varsity League Champions - BOYS
West Valley League Finals
Birmingham HS - June 8th, 2026
The Granada girls won all 3 varsity distance event with senior Sammy Pacheco leading the charge with wins in both the 1600 and 3200m. Ethan Barok led the Taft boys with wins in the 800 and 1600. Granada sophomore Mia Abrego won the girls varsity 800m while teammate Joaquin Ortega-Tomaselli won the 3200m.
Taft ran 3 freshman girls in the varsity finals: Krystal Tjenalooi placed 2nd in the 800m, Unica Guerrera placed 5th in the 1600m and 4th in the 3200m, and Madison Fabro placed 6th in the 800m. Really nice performances that bodes well for the future.
Sammy Pacheco takes charge in the varsity 3200m. She went on to win the race, her 3rd league title in the event, after having won the 1600m race earlier in the day.
Ethan Barok heads into the final lap of the varsity 1600m with stiff competition in tow. Ethan won the race in 4:27.64. An hour later he won the 800m in another race that was won in the last 50 meters.
Joquin crosses the finish line in the varsity 3200m for the win after a late-race surge that separated him from the competition. This is Joaquin Ortega-Tomaselli’s 1st league title, track or cross-country, which seems incredible for a runner of his caliber. That just shows the level of talent in the West Valley.
Yesenia Valdez posted one of the few PB’s at the West Valley league finals, in the varsity 1600m where she placed 2nd in 5:20.70. Later she placed 3rd in the 3200m in 11:58.71.
Cleveland sophomore Will Abiragi leads the varsity 800m after the 1st lap. Will placed 2nd in the race in 2:00.82, just .07 seconds off the winning time. An hour early he placed 2nd in the 1600m in 4:27.97, another close race that was decided by .33 seconds.
Taft sophomore Hudson Song ran negative splits in the varsity 3200m to place 2nd, posting the 3rd best time across all City league finals.
Taft senior Hunter Bennet leads out the varsity 3200m at the West Valley league finals. He settled for 2nd place in 10:16.42, a performance he’ll likely avenge in 2 weeks.
Granada Hills sophomore Elena Medrano takes a big lead on the 1st lap of the varsity 800m. She placed 3rd in the race. That’s Mia Abrego in 2nd place. She won the race in a PB of 2:28.19.
Unica Guerrera was the top freshman at the West Valley league finals, placing 5th in the varsity 1600m and 4th in the 3200m.
The chase pack in the varsity 3200m: Indie Hyman, Daniel Salazar, Julian Segal and Alexis Heurta
East Valley-Valley Mission League Finals
Birmingham HS - June 7th, 2026
Ananya Balaraman and Kensuke Ohshima led the charge for North Hollywood with 2 individual East Valley league titles each helping the Huskies to a team title for the girls (their 2nd in a row) and a 2nd place finish for the boys behind Verdugo Hills.
In the Valley Mission league, Emily Rodriguez earned league titles in the 1600 and 3200 and the Golden Cougars were just one point shy of winning the team title which Sylmar won. Three different Kennedy boys won league titles in the 800, 1600, 3200 and the team won the league title for the 3rd year in a row.
Ananya Balaraman leads out the combined East Valley/Valley Mission league final varsity 1600m race at Birmingham HS. Ananya won the race as well as the 800m race an hour later to earn her 3rd league title in the 800m and 2nd in the 1600m.
Kennedy sophomore Felipe Perez crushed the final 400m in the Varsity 1600m to win the combined race and the Valley Mission league title.
North Hollywood sophomore Kensuke Ohshima takes gold in the East Valley varsity 3200m race. Earlier, Kensuke won the East Valley league 1600m.
Kennedy sophomore Emily Rodriguez clears 1200 meters on her way to winning the Valley Mission varsity 1600m. She also won the Valley Mission 3200m.
Canoga Park senior Ana Jasso dominated the Valley Mission varsity 800m with an almost 7-second PB to win in 2:24.91. Look for bigger things to come May 21st.
Nour-Alali G Insfran De Fazio finishes strong to take the Valley Mission varsity 800m race.
Julian Mendez is running almost 15 seconds faster in the 800m in his senior year at North Hollywood versus last year. Proof positive that it’s never too late. He had the fastest time on the day winning the East Valley league title in 2:03.47.
Monroe junior Mishelle Zuniga won the East Valley league final 3200m. This image is Mishelle finishing the 2nd lap; 6 more to go!
Josiah Castro went out hard in the varsity 3200m and gutted out an heroic finish to earn the Valley Mission league title.
Western League Finals
Hamilton HS - June 6th, 2026
Palisades Charter swept all the varsity distance races, boys and girls, in the Western league finals at Hamilton HS on Wednesday, May 6th. Daila Harinck and Zach Cohen both earned 2 league titles to lead Palisades to overall team wins as well.
Senior Daila Harinck earned 2 Western league titles on Wednesday in the 800m and 3200m. This photo is at the finish of the 800m.
Running at less than 100% Ernesto Jalomo still managed to take league titles in the 800 and 1600. This picture is the finish of the 800m
Back in top form senior Maya Bhasin wins her first varsity league title in the 3200m. That’s junior Kendal Shaver in 2nd.
Zach Cohen leads a Palisades sweep in the varsity 3200. Sophomore Theo Mayeda and senior Ernesto Jalomo placed 2nd and 3rd.
Freshman Alec Sharpley set a blistering pace on the 1st lap of the Frosh/Soph 1600m to drop all competition and held the lead to the finish to win the race and the league title.
Freshman Natlie Chen wins the Frosh/Soph 800m in dominant fashion.
Sophomore Maxwell Chi takes the Frosh/Soph 800m with an impressive final 100m surge.
Northern League Prelims
Belmont HS - April 30th, 2026
Ayrton Holguin wins heat 2 of the frosh/soph 1600m race in style.
Fiona Walts, Ayleen Torres and Raquel Salgado compete in heat 1 of the Varsity 800m.
City’s best compete in heat 1 of the varsity 1600m at the Northern league prelims
(l-r) Jackson Gloyd, Isaac Fabian, Damian Mendoza, Yael Zambrano-Meza, David Kanner
Marshall junior Andrew Gardner takes the win in heat 2 of the varsity 1600m.
Eagle Rock junior Lillian Olin ran a PB in heat 2 of the varsity 800m, earning the top seed for the League Finals next week.
Bravo Medical’s top ranked runner, sophomore Heily Rosas, competes in heat 2 of the varsity 1600m.
4 × 800m LEAGUE CHAMPS - EAGLE ROCK
(L-R) Brandon Cook, Lucky Guevarra, Isaac Fabian, Elias Kornsweig
4 × 800m LEAGUE CHAMPS - EAGLE ROCK
(L-R) Fiona Walts, Lillian Olin, Winter Ryu-Whitney, Rhea Solbes
‘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!