Dolphins Dominate Bell Gardens Invitational

Pali High Runners Pollack, Hamer, Smith & Bentley Are First in their Divisions

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Showing the depth that makes it the team to beat in the City Section this fall, Palisades High’s boys cross country team proved it can compete with the top programs in Southern California last Saturday in the Bell Gardens Invitational at Cerritos Regional Park.

Five Dolphins placed among the top 25 in a field of 908 runners as Palisades finished No. 1 overall in team competition with 67 points and an average of 15:22.70). Bellflower St. John Bosco took second place with 86 points (an average of 15:36.34).

Ben Hamer won the junior race and clocked the fastest time  of the meet, completing the three-mile course in 14:43.65. Jake Greanias finished seventh  in 15:42.32 (the 23rd-best time overall), Finn Cawley took 13th in 15:53.80 (the 24th-best boys time) and Joey Reed placed 74th among 11th graders in  17:12.79.

In the senior division, Jakob Pollack crossed the finish line first in 15:05.30, the second-fastest time all day, as the Dolphins  took first place with 78 points, two better than runner-up Baldwin Park.

Ben Hansen was 16th in 15:44.27, Kaelan Nettleship was 25th in 16:00.53 and Jack Hockley was 30th in 16:05.65. Rounding out the Dolphins’ lineup were Jonathan Flores (16:26.44), Gabriel Fuligni (16:29.69), Hunter Parker (16:51.19), Phillip Neman (17:27.27), Jordan Burkhardt (17:30.46), Galaan Abdissa (17:43.84) and Eduardo Cantillo (19:25.65).      

In the sophomore race, Brent Smith took first place in 15:37.95, the 17th-fastest time of the meet. Ryan Breitman came in 16th place in 16:45.18. Emmett Kallmeyer clocked 17:44.97 and Christopher Oh posted a time of 20:19.09.

Alec Stewart finished third in the freshman boys division with a time of 16:48.72, leading the Dolphins to third place with 101 points, behind only Arroyo (78) and St. John Bosco (86).

Cole Sawires Yager of Cerritos was the winner in 16:19.60.

Also running in the ninth-grade race for Palisades were Mark Barbosa (17:59.30), Hunter Steinman (18:03.74), Joseph Pollack (18:16.99), Patrick Gowen (18:53.72), Sean Choi (20:21.30), Owen Burkhardt (20:30.53), Kevin Dominguez (20:36.96) and Lucas Zahn (25:17.96).

Pali High’s girls also had a strong meet,led by freshman star Sarah Bentley, who won her division in 18:36.90 (the eighth fastest time out of 636 girls). Overall, the Dolphins were fourth in team competition with a total of 164 points, trailing only Walnut (81), Arroyo (124) and Glendora (128).

Arroyo’s Jazmin Felix was second, almost 25 seconds behind Bentley.   

Elisa Kim was fourth in the freshman race in 19:26.39, Alicia Sigworth was 22nd in 21:39.55 and Casandra Hernandez was 31st in 22:00.57.

Rounding out the Dolphins’ ninth-grade squad, which took second place behind Arroyo with 64 points, were Maya Datwyler (22:18.00), Abigal Garcia (26:07.92) and Maleia Miller (26:54.57).

Chloe Arriaga of Walnut won the sophomore girls race in 16:42.43, but taking fifth in 19:10.72 was Pali High’s Brittany Darrow, who clocked the 18th-best girls time of the day. Teammate Skylar Smith was 23rd among  10th-graders in 20:36.22.

Caitlin Bose competed in the junior girls race and covered the three miles in 24:43.60.

The senior girls race was chock full of talent. Taylor Owen of Glendora won in 17:44.56, but three Dolphins were in the mix.

Shannon Lee was 11th in 19:32.28, Ariel Pollack was 32nd in 20:15.61 and Nicole Figueroa was 73rd in 21:54.52.

Two days earlier, the Dolphins tuned up for Bell Gardens by winning their Western League meet against University at Kenneth Hahn Park. The Dolphins are back there today for more league competition versus Hamilton and Westchester before traveling to Walnut for Saturday’s 69th Mt. SAC Invitational.

Hamer’s time Saturday was  easily a personal-best, 8.6 seconds faster than his previous-best three-mile effort Sept. 9 at the Seaside Invitational. He clocked 14:57.4 at the same distance eight days later at the Woodbridge Classic in Norco.

Jakob Pollack’s time at Bell Gardens was four seconds off his PR of 15:01.3 at Seaside. Bentley’s  time was 55 seconds faster than her previous best at three miles.