Pali High Cross Country Squads Begin Making Run at City Titles

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The Palisades High boys and girls cross country teams are back in training to chase down another City Section championship and hopes are high.

The girls are seeking their fifth straight title but will have to do it without Lila Copeland, who won City as a freshman last fall but is no longer on the team.

The Dolphins still have a strong group returning, led by City runner-up Kimia Samandi,  now a senior; junior Brittany Darrow, Palisades’ third finisher at City finals last season; sophomore Sarah Bentley, who was eighth as a freshman last year and won the City 3,200 meters in the spring; Elisa Kim, the City frosh/soph 1600 winner in the spring; and City varsity 1600 champion Elizabeth Rene.

Despite the graduation of  Shannon Lee and Ariel Pollack,  two other key contributors last year, the girls should again be strong contenders.

The boys were third in City last year and lost Jakob Pollack, Ben Hansen and Jack Hockley to graduation. Still, there is reason for optimism with talent like junior Brent Smith, who took fifth in the City finals last fall; Ben Hamer, who was eighth, and fellow seniors Finn Cawley and Jake Greanias.

Hamer won the junior division and Smith took third in the sophomore race at the Seaside Invitational last year. Smith won that event as a freshman and went on to take first place in the City frosh/soph 3200.