Dolphins Second at City Swim Finals, Advance to CIF State Meet in Clovis

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

For the first time in 14 years, Palisades High swim coach Maggie Nance did not need to change her clothes following the City Section Championships. For over a decade she has been accustomed to taking a dip in the pool to celebrate one or both of her teams winning the title, but despite leaving without a first-place plaque last Saturday at LA Valley College, Nance was proud as ever of her resilient Dolphins.

“I knew ahead of time it would be close and there was a possibility we wouldn’t win but the girls actually did better than I thought and almost pulled it off,” Nance said. “The boys got fourth a year ago so this was a significant improvement. We only had one second place so all of our points were third through 16th. I’m staying dry this time.”

Palisades’ girls finished 140 points ahead of runner-up Granada Hills to win their 11th straight City title and 30th overall last spring, but this time the Highlanders edged the Dolphins 326-319 thanks to winning the last event—the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:45.24. Palisades’ Noa Levertov, Bailee Isackson, Claire Kim and Leelee Marucci got fourth in 3:55.1.

The same foursome comprised Palisades’ 200 medley relay team, which came in third behind Granada Hills and Taft. Despite not winning an individual event, the Dolphins led the girls standings by 18 points through Event 15, the 500 freestyle.

Marucci was fifth in the 100 and 200 freestyle, Taylor Gair was fifth in the 500 freestyle. Scoring points for the team three days earlier were divers Catherine Hart (second), Noelle Tobin (fourth), Parker Connor (fifth) and Dempsey Foxson (seventh). Hart, a senior who is bound for Dartmouth, was happy to be the runner-up after placing third the previous two years. In 11 dives off the 1-meter board at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center she racked up 411.5 points, only 2.3 behind winner Elle Crisostomo of Harbor Teacher. Defending champion Jocleyn Gloria from Cleveland was third at 404.3.

“I never listen to my scores since it’s easy to let it get into your head,” said Hart, a 4.0 student who will be majoring in neuroscience.

Anthony Navarette (198.2) took third in the boys’ diving competition behind San Pedro’s Jonah Fourmey (241.6) and Alex Bugarin (218.18).

Like the girls, Palisades’ boys took second place and qualified for this weekend’s state meet. The Dolphins finished with 340 points —81 more than last year—and were 18 behind San Pedro, which ended Palisades’ run of seven straight title last spring.

The Dolphins took third in the medley and 200 freestyle relays and fourth in the 400 freestyle relay, an event in which they set the City record of 3:07.15 in 2016.

Senior Connor O’Sullivan swam seventh in the 200 medley relay and sophomore Gabe Atkinson-Mann was second in the 200 backstroke in 56.21. Eagle Rock’s Kenneth Devis (55.90) broke the City record in the 100 breaststroke.

Junior Charlie Speiser, who swam on both freestyle relays and plays on Pali High’s water polo team, was already looking ahead to starting another boys dynasty: “We did our best but we’ll get it back next year.”

The last time neither the boys nor girls won the City crown was in 2009 when Cleveland swept both. Granada Hills’ girls won their first title since reeling off six straight from 1995-2000.