Dolphins Swim to Eighth Place in South Bay Invite at Mira Costa

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Competing against some of the top programs in Southern California, the Palisades High boys and girls swim teams both finished eighth in the annual South Bay Invitational last Monday and Tuesday in Manhattan Beach. There were 11 meet records broken as host Mira Costa was first  in both the boys and girls standings.

The Dolphins showed why they are the reigning City girls champions, taking seventh in the 200-Yard Medley Relay in a time of 2:04:04 with Claire Kim swimming backstroke, Noa Levertov the breaststroke, Bailee Isackson the butterfly and Leelee Marucci the freestyle leg.

Taylor Gair was fourth in the consolation heat of the 200 Freestyle in 2:07.91 and Marucci was second in the consolation heat (10th overall) in the 50 Freestyle in 26.09 seconds. Kim was fifth in the consolation heat in the 100 Butterfly in 1:06.24 and Marucci won the consolation heat in the 100 Freestyle in 56.65. Gair, who also stars on the Pali High water polo team, clocked 5:51.03 to take eighth place in the 500 Freestyle.

In the 200 Freestyle Relay, Levertov, Kinsey O’Sullivan, Genesis Zuniga and Gair took 11th with a time of 1:57.38; Kim took fourth in the 100 Backstroke in 1:05.68; and Levertov finished fourth in the consolation heat in the 100 Breaststroke in 1:16.88.

Palisades’ boys squad, seeking to regain the City title it lost to San Pedro last spring, was 10th in the 200 Medley Relay in 1:51.42.. Roi Levertov swam the backstroke, Conner O’Sullivan swam the breaststroke, Gavin Conboy swam the butterfly and Charlie Speiser anchored in the freestyle.      

Charlie Shortt was sixth in the consolation heat in the 200 Individual Medley in 2:12.23; Speiser was eighth in the consolation heat in the 100 Butterfly in 1:02.43; Conboy was second in the consolation heat (10th overall) in the 100 Freestyle in 53.09 seconds; Shortt was second in the consolation heat in the 500 Freestyle in 5:09.22 and Christopher Goodman was 11th in 5:14.59.

Speiser, Luke Schneeman, Conboy and Riley Amis were seventh in the 200 Feestyle Relay with a time of 1:37.46. Goodman placed third in the consolation heat in the 100 Backstroke in 1:00.40. O’Sullivan was seventh in the 100 Breaststroke in 1:04.65 while Amis took third in the consolation heat in 1:07.46. The 400 Freestyle Relay foursome of Speiser, Shortt, Amis and O’Sullivan was sixth in 3:34.58. In team scoring, Palisades’ girls had 92 points, three more than City rival San Pedro. The boys totaled 118. City champion San Pedro was fourth with 212 points.