Trust Yourself
Sylmar sophomore Elianna Ramirez placed 4th in an early season Watermelon run which was interesting but hardly significant. At the City Championships Elianna finished 5th in the D2 City Championships which was very significant. This image is from the Mt. SAC Yellow Varsity race and shows her phenomenal form, power and potential. On her wrist she’s written her inspiration, ‘Trust Yourself’.

The Guru
Hamilton coach Steven Traylor is both Jedi and philosopher. With no formal running background he’s managed to take a small program into the fiery maelstrom of D1 competition and not only survive but flourish. I’ve held off on posting a lot of pictures of him in the past because I didn’t feel they did him justice. This one I believe does. That’s sophomores Julia Maddaus (left) and Victoria Gonzalez (Right) with coach Traylor at the start of the Varsity S1 race at Central Park.

Rare Sighting
North Hollywood sophomore Kensuke Ohshima showed glimmers of greatness throughout 2025 and the East Valley league finals was his apex. I used this picture for the ‘Top Underclassmen’ portfolio but it’s one of the few pictures I captured of the elusive Kensuke this season and my favorite so I’ve included it again.

The Gauntlet
I’ve taken over 1,000 pictures in ‘The Gauntlet’, the section roughly 800m into the Mt. SAC race where the course goes left on the 1st lap and straight on the 2nd, with very little to show for the effort. The lighting is horrendous and early in the race the runners are an indiscernible mass of humanity sprinting straight towards the camera. I have some technically better pictures of Belmont senior Gabriella Zarat (she had an exceptional season) but this is my favorite, because I think it perfectly captures her in the thick of competition, and for what it took to finally get it.

Celebration
Sammy’s breakout race of 2026 was the West Valley Cluster #3. This photo captures the joy, redemption, and relief as she wins that race against many of the girls she would be competing against at City Finals. What you don’t see in the photo is the Granada Hills team on the right, 70 strong, cheering her to victory. This was a turning point in Sammy’s season and an augur of her City Finals performance.

And Then There Were Three . . .
In one of the best races of the ‘25 XC season 3 newcomers to the top tier vie for individual titles in the East Valley, Valley Mission and Western leagues at Pierce. Palisades senior Jackson Taylor (1586) won the combined race and the Western league title, Kensuke Ohshima claimed the East Valley title, and Felipe Perez (1433) placed 2nd in the Valley Mission competition.

1-Mile to GO
Woodbridge is a tough venue! The poor lighting, the large number of runners in each race, races going off every 12 minutes - these factors all conspire against me. But out of the 2,000+ pictures I took over the 2-day event I managed to capture this one of San Pedro sophomore Tristan Lomedico just prior to crossing the 2-mile mark.

Fearless
The great runners all have IT. Because without IT you’ll never reach your potential. The IT is fearlessness and Venice sophomore Whitney Derby personifies this attribute in every race. As all the greats know fearlessness is a double-edged sword. But setbacks are a small price to pay in the quest for excellence. This image is at the start of the sophomore race at Bell Gardens.

Most Improved
At the 2024 Mammoth camp I nominated Lajus Collins as ‘Most Congenial’. From a performances perspective, though, he was far down on the Palisades bench. Two years later and Lajus is my nominee for ‘Most Improved’. Running for the top team in City Lajus often finished as Palisades’ #3, finished 6th in a very competitive Western League finals, and nearly broke 16-minutes at Bell Gardens. And he’s still a really nice kid!

The Boys of Summer
The Sun Valley boys varsity team 2 weeks prior to their rampage at City Finals. Focused, determined and undenied.

Waka Waka Waka*
It’s become a tradition to capture a City team in an iconic Woodbridge team shot. For the 2nd year the San Pedro Boys Varsity team gets the nod.
*Pacman reference

Dreams Realized
Two years ago, at the annual summer Watermelon run an unknown junior told me she wanted to win City. Aspirations that seemed like wild dreams at the time but which she nearly fulfilled. That girl was Yesenia Valdez. I think this picture perfectly captures the strength and confidence that made her the runner she has become. Yesenia just minutes before the start of the Varsity Blue race at Woodbridge.

Shining Star
Junior Kiwa McKnelly was one of the few bright spots for Cleveland this year. She placed in the top-10 in 5 races this fall and at her current rate of progress look for her to be in the City D1 top 10 next year.

When the Tiger’s Hungry He Eats
San Fernando senior Pedro Rodriguez empties the tank in the Valley Mission league finals at Pierce. Pedro placed 4th and was San Fernando’s top finisher at league and City.

Finish on Empty
I don’t get a chance to see University runners very often so when I saw senior Yonathan Kiflezghie finishing in front of the iconic Mt. SAC banner I grabbed the shot.

Unsung Heroes
It had been 8 years since Kennedy’s girls last won a varsity Valley Mission title. In 2025 they broke the spell and Cameron Rose Ramos (1406) and Arianna Aguilar (1409) were a big part of the title win. They were 2 of 4 runners for the Golden Cougars that PR’d to lift Kennedy above incumbent Canoga Park.

Interloper . . . Nope
Miguel Contreras junior Edwin Velasquez Gonzalez placed 5th in league finals against mostly lower division teams so to say he was not on the radar for the D2 City Championships is an understatement. When he crested the hill in the 1st mile in the lead I thought we had an interloper in our midst. Nope, Miguel is legit. He ran an almost 1-minute PR on the Elysian course to place 3rd in the D2 championships.

The Next Generation
Taft’s top 2 got a lot of headlines this year and rightfully so. But there’s a new generation that will be leading the Toreador’s next year and beyond. Jonas Simkin leads the charge on the final lap of the West Valley Cluster #2 at Pierce followed by Indie Hyman, Julian Segal and Mark Banuelos.

Strike a Pose
Some teams never miss a shot. They just know how to represent with little more than a command of “look!”. The Monroe girls are that team. Twenty shots and each one better than the last.

Commitment —> Execution
In June, following a successful City track Championship, Coach Mario Castello declared a new chapter for the Taft team “. . . to take Taft to the next level”. The message was solidified at Mammoth where that theme was bolstered by an incredible team vibe. A potent combination that translated into varsity league titles and State qualifications for both boys and girls.

Van Life
The San Pedro girls relax after a phenomenal run up to Shadow Lake and beyond at Mammoth. A long run for sure (8-12 miles at over 9,000’ for the varsity) but one of the most spectacular in the Eastern Sierras. I didn’t make it to the top so no pictures from the summit :).

100% Heart
Birmingham junior Daniel Salazar is all in at every race he competes in. In top form he runs with City’ best. Here he is sprinting to a 2nd place finish at the West Valley Cluster #3 with Granada’s Tristan Bookman in chase.

A Wrinkle in Time
Taft junior Jenny Nava was on a tear in September and her performance at Woodbridge was her best, less than a second behind Taft’s #1 Isabella Sakalova. It was also her last of the ‘25 XC season. Her injury was a gut punch to a program laser focused on a State qualification. Ultimately, Taft did qualify but had Jenny run at City that title may have been the Toreadors.

The Best Is Yet to Come
Chloe Chavez was part of an incredible sophomore class that dominated City XC. She was a consistent performer for San Fernando throughout the season but took it to another level at the D2 City Finals where she placed 4th. This picture is from Mt. SAC as Chloe prepares to head up Reservoir Hill.

Community Matters
Junior Carlos Barron led the Titans all year and placed 8th in the D5 City Finals. Here he descends Reservoir Hill on the final mile at Mt. SAC.

Fly Like An Eagle
The Eagle Rock boys were flying under the radar much of the year, due in large part to the success of their girls. But the boys will be making a name for themselves in the next 2 years and junior Isaac Fabian and sophomore David Kanner, pictured at Mt. SAC, will be the mainstays of a team on a mission.

Unscripted
Though it looks composed, I captured this photo at the half-way mark of a race during the West Valley Cluster #2. These 3 girls - Maile Brady, Tiffany Zherdev and Juliana Rodriguez - are part of the Taft renaissance and will likely be making the Top-Ten lists in the future. The girls finished 1-3 in the race.

Palisades 2.0
Two years ago, as sophomores, Maya Bhasin and Daila Harinck were ranked 5th and 10th on a Palisades roster that was flush with talented freshman. In a breakout season for both this year, the seniors were instrumental in Palisades reclaiming the D1 City title. This picture is after the Western league finals where the Palisades girls swept for a perfect score of 15; Daila won the league title and Maya placed 2nd.

Heir Apparent
Sophomore Trinidad Montenegro poses after a phenomenal early-season race at Rosemead where she was Granada’s #3 runner that evening in a PR of 19:15.0. That performance was not happenstance. Trinidad continued to perform well throughout the season finishing 6th at a brutally competitive West Valley league finals and 13th in the D1 City Final.

Dynasty
Few are aware that the New West Charter XC program is one of the winningest teams in City history, and most certainly the best D4/D5. Since their 1st year of running in 2016 the boys have placed in the top 3 every year and won 4 City titles ( a winning % unmatched by any City team). This is the varsity squad after their run at Mt. SAC on day 1.

On the Precipice of Greatness
This photo was taken minutes before the start of an epic D2 City Final that had Olivia Corrigan (1340) set a D2 course record and Fiona Walt (1344) placing 2nd. Certainly gunning for a D2 team title, which they just missed by 4 points, this is nontheless a team on ascension.

The Other Girl
Junior Lillian Olin runs in the shadow of 2 giants at Eagle Rock but she was the constant in the ‘25 XC season running as the Eagle’s #2 or #3 in every race. Lillian placed 9th in the D2 title race at Elysian Park. This image is from the start of the D2 Varsity Yellow race on day 2 at Mt. SAC, one of my favorites.

Panorama
Panorama senior Andy Tobar finishes the 2nd lap at the Valley Mission League Finals at Pierce where he placed 5th. Two weeks later he placed 6th in the D3 City Finals.