September 1, 2024

Written by Mario Machuca

POMONA: After a rigorous and passion-fueled seven weeks of summer training, the Wolves were eager to showcase their hard work at the season opener—the Cool Breeze Invitational at the Pomona Fairplex. Despite the summer heat following them to the course, our athletes were undeterred, tackling both the high temperatures and the challenging course with grit and determination.

The junior varsity girls were the first to take on the challenge, with upperclassmen Brianna Monjarez and Jacqueline Mendez leading the way. Both upperclassmen surged through the competition, passing nearly 20 athletes each in the second half of the course, setting impressive new personal bests to kick off their seasons.

Next up, the junior varsity boys brought their A-game, determined to demonstrate the depth of our boys’ program. Led by junior Caelen Shelton, who clocked a new career best over 3 miles, the team secured the first King XC win of the season with a score of 75 points. Aiden Stuckey’s performance was particularly noteworthy—despite a tough summer, he battled through the adversity to pass 16 competitors on the back half, finishing as the team’s fourth scorer with a personal best.

Rookie Madelyn Wilson made a strong debut in her cross-country career, and as the day grew hotter, safety precautions led to the sophomore boys and both freshmen teams running a 1.5-mile course instead of the full 3-mile loop. The sophomore boys, led by Juan Carlos Leiva’s impressive 3rd-place finish, secured a respectable 3rd place team finish overall. Although the girls’ freshman team didn’t have enough runners to score, Betsaida Sandoval led the way with a solid performance. The freshman boys, however, were out in full force, with Max Guzzetta and Andrew Phillips working together to propel their team to a second-place finish.

As the sun set and the lights came on, the highly anticipated Sundown Showdown championship races began. The MLK girls’ team, racing against former state champions and national-caliber teams, secured a strong 5th place finish. Junior Elizabeth Jacklin, coming off an outstanding track season, led the girls, while sophomore Jordan Ramirez closed out the scoring five, proving she is more than just a softball player with her impressive improvement.

The final race of the night saw the boys’ team, one of the pre-race favorites, ready to defend their reputation. A sudden pain forced senior Brayden Lunetta out of the race, but his teammates used this setback as fuel. Junior Maximo Zavaleta led the pack, narrowly missing the win with a time of 14:30, while senior Alex Wesolowski took charge of the second group of runners, guiding juniors Logan Carlson and Bradley Quezada. Sophomore John Sosa dug deep to close out the scoring for the team, placing 5th for the first time in his career.

With this team victory, the boys have firmly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. As the Wolves look ahead to the PR Invitational at the Silver Lakes course next week, they carry the momentum of their strong start, ready to adapt to whatever challenges come their way.