- Sterling White's interview after breaking the CIF State XC Championships record for freshman boys, 15:20 -
Last weekend at the CIF State XC Championships, the freshmen and sophomores demonstrated that they are not just Future Stars but the Stars of today. Below, we highlight a few boys and girls who stood out among the crowd at CIF State.
BOYS
Mario Montoya & Matteo Sanchez (Redondo Union 2028)
On November 29, 2025, no one was going to stop Redondo Union from winning the Division 1 CIF State XC Championships, and the sophomore duo of Mario Montoya and Matteo Sanchez led them there. Montoya ran 14:58 to finish fifth while Sanchez ran 15:07 to finish tenth. This is a perfect full-circle moment from the start of the season, when they went 1-2 at the Saddle Back Cup in our first CA Future Stars article of the season.
- Bryson Caganap passing the first mile mark at the CIF State XC Championships -
Bryson Caganap (Ayala 2028)
All season, Bryson Caganap has proved he can run with the best in the state, and he illustrated that last weekend. He moved up 18 spots after the first mile to the top 10 and maintained his pace to finish ninth in the Division 1 boys race. Caganap ran 15:06
Sterling White (Oaks Christian 2029)
In the Division 4 boys race, history was made back in 9th place, where Sterling White ran 15:20, breaking the freshman meet record by 7 seconds. The freshman record was previously set by Philip Rocha in 2012, which catapulted him to a great high school career in California. White has that same potential after a remarkable freshman campaign. Expect him as a contender in a lot of invitational races next season.
Top 10 Frosh/Soph Boys
| Rank | Time | Athlete/Team | Grade | Meet Date Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14:58.40 | Redondo Union (SS) | 2028 | |
| 2 | 15:06.20 | Ayala (SS) | 2028 | |
| 3 | 15:07.50 | Redondo Union (SS) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 10th F |
| 4 | 15:20.60 | Oaks Christian (SS) | 2029 | |
| 5 | 15:28.40 | Crescenta Valley (SS) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 30th F |
| 6 | 15:31.00 | Sage Creek (SD) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 14th F |
| 7 | 15:31.30 | Trabuco Hills (SS) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 35th F |
| 8 | 15:33.10 | Poway (SD) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 39th F |
| 9 | 15:38.50 | Vacaville (SJ) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 46th F |
| 10 | 15:39.40 | Tulare Western (CS) | 2029 | CIF State XC Championships 48th F |
GIRLS
- Alyssa Gutierrez's interview after finishing 2nd overall in the D3 girls race -
Alyssa Gutierrez (St. Francis 2029)
Since her dominant victory at the Kim Duyst meet in September, Alyssa Gutierrez has shown that she will be an excellent freshman this season. Gutierrez finished her season by running 17:17 to place second in the Division 3 girls race, recording the fastest time among underclassmen and the twelfth fastest overall
Lindsey Billotte (Classical Academy 2028)
After finishing 8th as a freshman at the CIF State XC meet, Lindsey Billotte improved to a bronze medal in the Division 4 girls race. She ran an incredible 17:27, the fastest sophomore girl time of the day and the second-fastest overall underclassman
- Lilly Schroeder finishing the D3 girls race in 7th place, helping to secure the team title for El Toro -
Lilly Schroeder (El Toro 2028)
The El Toro girls needed every runner to have their best race at State to win the Division 3 title, and Lily Schroeder stepped up to ensure that happened. For the first time this season, Schroeder finished as El Toro's number one runner, placing 7th overall in D3. Her time of 17:49 may not rank her outside of the top 10 fastest underclassmen, but the impact helped El Toro secure the D3 CIF State XC team title.
Top 10 Frosh/Soph Girls
| Rank | Time | Athlete/Team | Grade | Meet Date Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17:17.60 | St. Francis (SJ) | 2029 | |
| 2 | 17:27.80 | Classical Academy (SD) | 2028 | |
| 3 | 17:35.50 | Buchanan (CS) | 2028 | |
| 4 | 17:38.00 | JSerra Catholic (SS) | 2029 | |
| 5 | 17:39.80 | Westlake (SS) | 2029 | |
| 6 | 17:40.70 | Sage Creek (SD) | 2029 | |
| 7 | 17:43.50 | Santiago Corona (SS) | 2029 | CIF State XC Championships 10th F |
| 8 | 17:44.00 | JSerra Catholic (SS) | 2029 | CIF State XC Championships 10th F |
| 9 | 17:46.90 | Buchanan (CS) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 11th F |
| 10 | 17:47.30 | Woodcreek (SJ) | 2028 | CIF State XC Championships 13th F |