After winning all of its matches during the season the Palisades High girls golf team was hoping to solidify its spot atop the Western League at last Friday’s League Finals held at Balboa Golf Course in Encino. Instead, it was Fairfax that took top honors with a score of 458—four shots fewer than the Dolphins.
Photos by Steve Galluzzo
Reigning City Section individual champion Angela Kim fired a six-under par 67 to earn medalist honors and Lions teammate Fiona Lee, who was two-under on the front nine, finished second with a round of 77 through 18 holes.
Palisades’ lowest scorer was freshman Chloe Rahn, who was third with a nine-over par 82. In fourth place was Dolphins 10th-grader Jamey Cho (88) and in fifth with a score of 90 was freshman Mandana Sahmedini.
Rounding out the top 10 scores were three more Dolphins: sophomore Sofia Canter shot 100 to place seventh, freshman Sierra Sugarman (102) was ninth and Mariano Paleno, a senior, carded 103 for 10th place. Palisades defeated Fairfax twice in
The Golfin’ Dolphins will vye for their first section crown at the City Championships on Oct. 31 at Balboa Golf Course. Granada Hills and Cleveland are the favorites. The top two teams and top 12 individuals qualify for the Southern California Regionals.
The Dolphins’ highest finish yet in the team standings is fourth in 2017. They were fifth last fall when two players qualified for regionals: Lillia Weissmuller (now a senior) was the seventh individual qualifier and 13th best overall with a 90; and Melanie Matayoshi (she graduated in the spring), who shot a 96 to nab the last spot.
Coach James Paleno re-started the girls golf program in 2014 (it was dropped following the 2010 season) and beginning in 2016 the team has finished in first place in league four times in a row. Since their reinstatement Palisades’ girls squad qualified for City Finals for the first time in 2015.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
