Maximo Zavaleta's undefeated streak continues as he's named the 2026 California Gatorade Boys Track and Field Player of the Year. (Full CA Boys' Gatorade T&F Player of the Year List) The prestigious award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character.
During the 2026 track season, Maximo Zavaleta didn't lose a single 1600m final in California on his way to winning the CIF State 1600m and 3200m Championships. His sweep of the CIF State distance titles was the first since 2013, when Black Haney achieved it. These accomplishments earned Zavaleta this year's Gatorade T&F Player of the Year Award.
Zavaleta joins an elite list of California distance runners who have won this award, including Colin Shalman, Nico Young, German Fernandez, Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, and many more.
His dominance this season produced highlight victories at CA's largest high school invitationals, including Mustang Round Up (1600m & 3200m), Redondo Nike Invitational (1600m), Hi-Racer Meet of Champions (1600m), and The TEN (1600m). Those victories established Zavaleta as California's top-ranked distance runner throughout the CIF season.
His biggest wins came at the CIF State Track and Field Championships, where his victories in the 1600m and 3200m helped his team finish as the runner-up in team scoring. Watch his CIF State 1600m and 3200m races on MileSplit.
-- Maximo Zavaleta after winning the 1600m and 3200m double at the CIF State Track and Field Championships --
The Martin Luther King High School star finished his high school career ranked nationally, with personal records of 1:50.53 in the 800m, 4:02.78 in the 1600m, and 8:43.21 in the 3200m. From an undefeated senior season to a historic state championship double, Zavaleta leaves Martin Luther King High School as one of the Inland Empire's most accomplished distance runners.
Maximo Zavaleta's undefeated streak continues as he's named the 2026 California Gatorade Boys Track and Field Player of the Year. (Full CA Boys' Gatorade T&F Player of the Year List) The prestigious award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character.
During the 2026 track season, Maximo Zavaleta didn't lose a single 1600m final in California on his way to winning the CIF State 1600m and 3200m Championships. His sweep of the CIF State distance titles was the first since 2013, when Black Haney achieved it. These accomplishments earned Zavaleta this year's Gatorade T&F Player of the Year Award.
