City Supremacy

No School in Section History Has Won More Championships Than Palisades High

Palisades High is the standard of excellence in City Section athletics, having won more championships than any other school. The only sports the Dolphins have yet to win titles in are football, softball, competitive cheer, girls golf and girls and boys wrestling. Here’s a sport-by-sport count of Palisades’ 216 City crowns since it opened in 1961:

Baseball City Titles: 1

The Dolphins’ one and only championship was in 2003, their final season under Coach Russ Howard (now Pali High’s Assistant Principal in Charge of Athletics) when they routed Granada Hills 10-0 in five innings in the Invitational Division final at Dodger Stadium behind a one-hitter from pitcher Dylan Forrester and a near home run to left field by shortstop Dylan Cohen. A questionable decision by the official scorer on a hard grounder to third base in the fourth inning was all that separated Forrester from a no-hitter. He struck out four, walked two and allowed three fly balls to the outfield. Howard announced before the playoffs began he was stepping down after 17 seasons.

Boys Basketball City Titles: 2

The Dolphins captured their lone upper division championship on the rainy night of January 25, 1969 under the program’s first coach, Jerry Marvin, avenging their sole regular-season loss with an 85-57 victory over Reseda (then the most lopsided margin in finals history) in front of 6,040 fans at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. Kenny Baker poured in 30 points and fellow forward Chris Marlowe (who went on to captain the 1984 U.S. Olympic volleyball team and is now the play-by-play announcer for the Denver Nuggets) added 29 as the Dolphins built a huge halftime lead and never let up. Employing a version of the triangle offense called the “double post” and using a matchup zone defense called the “Jitterbug,” the squad won 18 of 19 games and Marlowe was named MVP of the playoffs. The Dolphins returned to the finals the following year but lost to Jordan 64-53.

It took 50 years for Palisades to get back to the finals but the Dolphins made it worth the wait by defeating Narbonne 50-38 to win the Division I title Feb. 29 at Southwest College and then won three home regional games to advance to the SoCal Division IV final. Palisades went 18-12 in 2019-20 under Donzell Hayes, who was voted City Division I Coach of the Year.

Girls Basketball City Titles: 7

In 1999, Kevin Hall coached the Dolphins to their first City crown, culminating in a 79-36 trouncing of Washington in the finals at Pauley Pavilion. They went on to win the SoCal Regional Division I championship and lost to San Jose Archbishop Mitty 49-48 in the state final at Arco Arena in Sacramento. The team was led by guard Leilani Estavan (Oregon State) and forward Nicole Funn (Pepperdine).

The program fell on hard times until it was brought back to prominence by Coach Torino Johnson, who piloted Palisades to back-to-back Division II titles in 2011-12 and later to back-to-back Open Division crowns in 2015-16 (teams led by two-time City Player of the Year Chelsey Gipson, now a junior guard at Loyola Marymount). Palisades’ quest for a three-peat ended with an 82-80 finals loss to Fairfax, after which Johnson left to be an assistant at Cal State Los Angeles, where he now heads the women’s program.

In 2018-19, Adam Levine became the first Pali High hoops coach to guide the Dolphins to a title in his first season when he  led them to the Division I title, culminating in a 60-57 overtime triumph over Carson, then piloted them to the SoCal Regional Division IV final. Six weeks ago Palisades was back in a City final, this time in the Open Division, and beat league rival Hamilton 60-44. The Dolphins went on to win the SoCal Regional Division II title on March 10.

Boys Cross Country City Titles: 3

The Dolphins captured their first team crown way back in 1977, also the year Narbonne won the first girls team title. Palisades nearly won a second time in 1994 when Peter Gilmore won the individual title in 14:56—the fastest winning time since 1983—but the Dolphins lost to Garfield by five points. Gilmore went  on  to  star at Cal, won the Palisades Will Rogers 5K eight times and became one of America’s best  marathon runners.

Palisades’ second title had to wait until 2011 when it took the Division I crown with 68 points led by senior Grant Stromberg, who clocked 15:40 to take first. Three other Dolphins were in the top 25. Four years later the Dolphins were back atop the victory stand and 2015 was also the only occasion when the boys and girls won City titles together. Jakob Pollack was fifth, Brent Smith sixth and Ben Hamer eighth as Palisades won  by five points.

Girls Cross Country City Titles: 6

The 1981 team broke the ice and it took 13 years to secure title No. 2 in 1994 under Coach Joel Kahn when Kara Barnard (19:21), Diana Epstein (19:21) and Genevieve Cruise (19:37)  were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, as the Dolphins won with a total of 54 points. Barnard would go on to run at UCLA and  won the Palisades Will Rogers Run a record 11 times (five 5Ks and six 10Ks) from 1997-2012.

Marissa Williams burst onto the prep scene in 2011 and took sixth at City finals but she was just getting warmed up. She won her first City cross country title as a sophomore in 2012 and won her second and third individual titles the next two years (setting the City record of 16:33:11 as a senior in 2014) while pacing the Dolphins to back-to-back Division I team titles. They won two more in a row after she graduated, topping San Pedro by 29 points in the finals in 2015 and running away with the 2016 title with 28 points as freshman Lila Copeland won the race and junior Kimia Samandi was second.

Boys Golf City Titles: 19

Palisades won four straight section titles from 1968-72 (there was no championship in 1970) and went on to capture Southern California Championships in 1971 and 1972. The 1971 team was led by Tony Sills, who caddied at Riviera Country Club and won the L.A. Junior Championship that same year. He went on to play at USC and won his first PGA tournament in 1990. Another title was won in 1974, back-to-back in 1977-78 and a title in 1982 before three straight crowns from 1984-86.

Senior Burley Stamps won individual titles in 1997 and 1998, the second after firing a 65 at Griffith Park’s Harding Golf Course to finish with a two-day total of 144 and the Dolphins added to their team total the next season when freshman Ed Turner shot a 7-under par 65, sinking a 15-foot putt for his seventh birdie on the par-4 18th hole–to win the City individual title by one stroke on Griffith Park’s Wilson Course.

Palisades repeated the next year but placed third in 2001. The next season, the Dolphins thought they had won but it was ruled that Steven Chung signed an incorrect scorecard, costing them the crown. However, they were awarded the championship three weeks later when Granada Hills was stripped of the title for using an ineligible player. Three Dolphins shot in the 70s on the final day in 2005.

After a seven-year drought, Palisades returned to links glory with three straight titles from 2013-15, the last marking the first final decided by a sixth-man tiebreaker when Ethan Rautbort shot an 86, five shots better than El Camino Real’s sixth-man.

In 2017, Ray Yang became Palisades’ first back-to-back individual champion since Stamps by winning a card-off with a better back nine score, and the team won its fourth title in five years, its eighth under Coach James Paleno and its 19th overall—six more than Granada Hills.   

Boys Lacrosse City Titles: 5

The Dolphins have dominated with the sticks, winning City  five times in six years, including the last four in a row, but won’t have an opportunity to make it five straight this spring with the season being canceled after two games as a result of COVID-19.

Palisades was the first City school to field a team in 2006 under Coach Dave Schaller and competed in the Southern Section until the City started a league three years later. In 2014, Bryan Cuthbert took over the program and guided the Dolphins to the finals, where they beat Birmingham 12-7 to become the first official City champion. In the 2015 final Birmingham handed Palisades its first-ever loss to a City team, ending a 71-game streak.

Kevin Donovan was hired to head the program a few weeks before the 2016 season started and ever since the Dolphins have reigned supreme, defeating Hamilton 19-9 to regain the title, beating the Yankees 16-6 the following year and 21-3 in 2018 when Macchio Rissone (who became Palisades’ all-time scoring leader) tallied seven goals and three assists. The 2019 final pitted Palisades against El Camino Real and the Dolphins rolled to a 19-3 win and went on to take the LA Invitational Tournament.

Girls Lacrosse City Titles: 1

After five gut-wrenching finals losses to Birmingham, the Pali High girls finally broke through for their first City title last spring  with  a 10-6  triumph over their nemesis, whom they beat by five goals twice in the regular season. Twins Ally and Sammy Stahl led the way while  first-year coach Katlyne Duffey instilled needed confidence and belief in her team.

Boys Soccer City Titles: 1

The Dolphins captured their only crown in 2016, edging Granada Hills 2-1 in overtime at Valley College for  the Division I title. Nima Bahri tallied the winner on a rebound with under two minutes left in the second overtime period after Angel Gomez scored in the first half in the rain at Valley College. The season under Coach Dave Suarez ended in a loss to Santa Barbara in the regional playoffs, but not before the team racked up 19 wins while allowing only 15 goals in 24 games with 11 shutouts.

Girls Soccer City Titles: 1

The Dolphins’ lone section crown to date came in 2007 under Coach Kim Smith when they rallied for two second-half goals to edge Western League rival University for the Invitational title at East L.A. College.

Forward Kelly Mickel tallied the game-winner by converting a penalty kick with five minutes left after Erika Martin tied it 1-1 early in the second half on a shot from outside the penalty area.

Boys Swimming City Titles: 18

In 1986 Palisades ended the eight-year run of El Camino Real and began a seven-year streak of its own under coaches Dave Anderson and Rick Goeden (then Aquatics Director at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA). The 1992 team, coached by Merle Duckett, captured the first of three straight titles by winning the last event, the 400 freestyle, led by Sean McDevitt, who won the 50 and 100 freestyle and anchored both freestyle relays.

Maggie Nance took over the program in 2004 and since then it has added seven more titles, the most impressive coming in 2016 when Palisades racked up 584 points and established seven City marks led by Kian Brouwer, who broke three individual records and swam on Palisades’ record-breaking 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Girls Swimming City Titles: 18

The girls program has been defined by streaks, starting with a seven-year streak from 1981-87, a six-year run from 1989-94 and its latest 10-year dynasty under Coach Maggie Nance from 2010-19.

Cara Davidoff won the 50 freestyle three times and the 100 freestyle twice from 2001-03 and added victories in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly as a senior in 2004. Mardell Ramirez, who graduated in 2015, won City every year and in her last meet won the 100 freestyle, took second place in the 100 backstroke, swam the first leg of the winning 200 medley relay and anchored the record-setting 400 freestyle relay.

Boys Tennis City Titles: 37

No team in any sport has won more City titles than the Pali High boys tennis team, a grand total of 37 since the school opened in 1961. The first 10 of those were achieved under Coach Bud Ware and the last 27 under current Coach Bud Kling, who took over the boys program in 1979 and has led it to 11 straight titles, the last two in the newly-formed Open Division.

Along the way he has set the state record for victories while coaching the likes of former  national No. 1 junior player Scott Davis (who graduated in 1980), 1998 alum  and  four-time  teamchampion Danny Westerman (now the men’s coach at the University of Wisconsin) and 2017 Ojai Valley Tournament CIF singles champion Jake Sands (now at USC).    

Girls Tennis City Titles: 26

In addition to his success with the boys, Bud Kling has led the Pali High girls to 19 section crowns in 28 seasons, including a record eight straight 4A titles from 1984-91.

The Dolphins won six in a row from 2013-18, including the first two Open Division titles, a streak that was snapped in the finals last fall by Granada Hills.

Bud Ware piloted Palisades to five titles from 1975-81 and Sean Passan led them to back-to back Division I titles in 2013-14.

Boys Track & Field City Titles: 1

Palisades’ only team title was earned in dramatic fashion last spring when the 4×400 relay team of Kenny Davis, Nick Mendez, Nnamdi Onwaoze and Shayne Larimer took second place in the final event of the day to clinch the Dolphins’ 64-63.5 triumph over runner-up Granada Hills at El Camino College—the slimmest winning margin possible. Onwaoze also won the 110   and 300-meter hurdles.

Girls Track & Field City Titles: 3

Palisades’ first title came in 2010 under new coach Perry Jones with Jamie Greenberg winning the pole vault for the second straight season, Kendall Gustafson winning the high jump and taking second in the long jump and fellow freshman Jacklyn Bamberger winning the 3200 race. Then Marissa Williams led Palisades to back-to-back titles in 2012-13, shattering the 1600 and 3200 records in 2013 (her 10th-grade year). Gustafson capped her senior year in style in 2013, qualifying for the state finals in four events—high jump, long jump, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Boys Volleyball City Titles: 16

Palisades won the first City 4A crown in 1974 and four more in the next eight years (including a three-peat) under Coach Howard Enstedt. Perhaps his most talented team was the group in 1986 that went undefeated with a lineup featuring Kent Steffes (National High School Player of the Year), Ryan O’Hara, J.B. Saunders, Adam Unger, Kevin Shepard and Chris Pennell

Enstedt guided the Dolphins to three more titles (1988, 1991 and 1993) before one of his former players, Dave Suarez, led the 1998 team to the title and Coach Chris Forrest piloted the 2008 squad to the crown behind high-flying hitter Kene Izuchukwu and the 2012 team to the title behind MVP Chance Earnest.

Coach Carlos Gray piloted the last four titles, including the 2019 team which set a school record with 42 wins and reached the semifinals of the SoCal Regional Division I tournament.

Girls Volleyball City Titles: 30

No girls program at Palisades has won more section titles than girls volleyball, which won 19 of 20 titles from 1974-93 (including the 1979 state title), all but the last two under the watchful eye of Gayle Van Meter, who coached for 22 seasons and is in the City Hall of Fame.

The Dolphins three-peated in 1997-99 under Dave Suarez—a roster led by best friends Jenny Badran-Grycan (a setter) and hitter Lauren Carter, who shared MVP honors as seniors in 1999. Future Dartmouth hitter Molly Kornfeind paced Palisades to three straight (two in Division II) from 2010-12. Coach Carlos Gray led it to the 2014 Division I title and its first Open Division title crown in 2018.

Boys Water Polo City Titles: 8

Even discounting their eight “unofficial” City crowns in the 1970s under Dave Anderson, the Dolphins still own more titles than any other school thanks  to the dynasty built by Coach Adam Blakis. Palisades has won the last eight City titles since the sport was reinstated in 2007 and also won the SoCal Regional Division III  title in 2019.

Girls Water Polo City Titles: 1

After five bitter finals defeats to Eagle Rock, the girls finally broke through in 2019 under Coach Kirk Lazaruk, led by Leighanne Estabrook, Ally and Sammy Stahl, Sydney Brouwer, Maxine Eschger and freshman Addie Saab. The Dolphins won a program-record 25 games—including 18 in a row—and beat Birmingham 13-8 in the final at Valley College.

Wrestling Duals City Titles: 1

While the Dolphins have never taken first place at City Finals  (their best finish was second in 2015, six weeks after Coach Randy Aguirre died of a brain tumor), they did win the section’s inaugural dual championship in 2014, held three days after the City Championships. After beating Chavez, No. 3 Palisades caught a break when No. 2 El Camino Real forfeited the semifinals, then the Dolphins upset top-seeded San Fernando.