For the first time, really, the fastest cross country runner in the Coachella Valley was determined Wednesday in a single race. Well, two races — one for the boys and one for the girls.
That’s because the newly formed Desert Athletic Conference (DAC), comprised of last year's Desert Empire, Desert Valley and Sun Valley leagues for the first time had a combined meet at Xavier Prep.
Kaden Rivera, a senior at La Quinta High School, won the boys’ race (15:05.9) and won the DEL. Marina Avila, a junior at Palm Desert, won the girls’ race, with a time of 19:20.7 to also win the DEL.
Nevaeh Cardoza, a senior at Cathedral City, won the girls’ DVL race. She finished sixth overall with a time of 20:20.8.
Michael Hernandez Cruz, a junior at Rancho Mirage, won
in the boys’ DVL, finishing 16th overall with a time of 16:39.5.
“It did feel different,” Rivera said, “because I feel like there was a lot more runners compared to last year when I ran this course.”
Rivera is the first DEL boys’ winner not named Luis-Fernando Martinez since 2023. Martinez, a former La Quinta star, won the last four DEL meets and set a course record with a time of 15:09.55 the last time a DEL meet was held at Xavier Prep, on Nov. 5, 2025.
On Wednesday, with Martinez now graduated, it was anyone’s race.
Jonathan Hernandez, who finished third in the boys’ race with a time of 15:26.4., said that having multiple leagues run at the same time added to the competition level.
“I like how this year it’s good competition and some rally good teams,” Hernandez said. “That what you want when you run.”
For the record, the desert’s 14 teams are now split up into two seven-team leagues, the DEL and DVL, there is no more Sun Valley League.
The new DEL consists of Xavier Prep, La Quinta, Shadow Hills, Indio, Palm Desert, Banning and Coachella Valley. While the new DVL is made up of Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Yucca Valley, Desert Hot Springs, Desert Mirage, Palm Springs and Twentynine Palms.
As far as the team titles for the day, there was actually a tie in the boys' DEL race as Indio and La Quinta both finished at 48 points with Shadow Hills next at 58. Rancho Mirage ran away with the boys' DVL race with 25 points. Cathedral City was next at 61.
In the girls' Desert Empire League race it was Shadow Hills taking home the title with a team total of 28, ahead of second place La Quinta 51. The DVL girls' race was won by Cathedral City with a total of 41 points, Rancho Mirage was next at 53.
Wednesday’s race was the league preview. The league finals will be held on the same course early next month.
Top 15 girls' finishers
1. Marina Avila, Palm Desert (19:20.7)
2. Sophia Arvizu Mondragon, La Quinta (19:44.1)
3. Alana Fernandez, Shadow Hills (19:49.3)
4. Abriel McDermott, Shadow Hills (20:08.0)
5. Ava Pablo, Palm Desert (20:14.7)
6. Nevaeh Cardoza, Cathedral City (20:20.8)
7. Julianna Cornejo, Shadow Hills (20.25.3)
8. Anna Long, Shadow Hills (20.38.4)
9. Sienna Fernandez, Shadow Hills (20:41.2)
10. Alondra Palomera, Rancho Mirage (20:54.6)
11. Jazmin Vinlay, Indio (21:08.4)
12. Zirah Moore, La Quinta (21:14.9)
13. Marlene Barraza-De La Torre, Shadow Hills (21:15.9)
14. Lexee Castro, La Quinta (21:16.7)
15. Alina Flores, Coachella Valley (21:45.9)
Top 15 boys' finishers
1. Kaden Rivera, La Quinta (15:05.9)
2. Arzek Salgado, Shadow Hills (15:09.9)
3. Jonathan Hernandez, Indio (15:26.4)
4. Mario Toscano, Indio (15:30.5)
5. Alejandro Lerena, La Quinta (15:31.9)
6. Grayson Sumbat, Xavier Prep (15:42.2)
7. Brayden Gravdahl, La Quinta (15:48.5)
8. Eli Tinajero, Coachella Valley (15:49.9)
9. Sebastian Elliot, Palm Desert (16:02.9)
10. Hector Vela, Indio (16:10.1)
11. Lian Reyes, Shadow Hills (16:12.3)
12. Imanol Arriaga, Shadow Hills (16:12.4)
13. Ean Madrigal, Indio (16:12.4)
14. Cody Walkey, Palm Desert (16:13.3)
15. Freddy Beltran, La Quinta (16:39.4)
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The fastest cross country runners in the desert revealed at D.A.C. meet
