The season is not even half over, but the Palisades High baseball team treated last Friday’s matchup versus Venice like a playoff game—and for good reason.

Two days earlier the Gondos had rallied for six runs in the last three innings to prevail 8-6, snapping the Dolphins’ 72-game Western League winning streak dating back to March 20, 2017. Palisades needed a victory to pull even with its archrival atop the standings and keep its hopes of a sixth straight league title alive.

After spotting Venice a three-run lead in the first inning, the Dolphins got two hits apiece from Roman Hawk, Conor Greene and Isaac Buenrostro while starting pitcher Reece Frankel scattered four hits with six strikeouts in five innings as Palisades went on to win 8-4 to split the series and seize first place based on head-to-head run differential.

The Dolphins began their comeback in the third as Buenrostro hit an RBI double and scored on a grounder. In the fourth, Greene scored on an error and Buenrostro hit an RBI single to give Palisades a 4-3 lead.

Hawk had an RBI single and Ramberg drew a bases-loaded walk to force home another run in the fifth.

Venice had two runners on when Hawk scooped up a hard-hit grounder at third, whirled and fired to first for the final out.

“It’s one of those that takes a tricky hop where you just spin, throw and pray it gets there,” Hawk said.

The Los Angeles City Section released its All-City basketball teams and Palisades High players made both the boys and girls lists.The Open Division boys squad included Dolphins junior center Aten Hassan and senior guard Jordan Farhadian. Both were instrumental in their team winning 10 of its last 13 regular season contests to earn a spot in the Open Division bracket as one of the top eight teams in the City. Donald Thompson of King/Drew and Alijah Arenas of Chatsworth were name Co-Players of the Year.

The Open Division girls squad included Dolphins sophomore guard Elly Tierney and senior forward Aniah Bradley. Each played a pivotal role in Palisades’ third-place finish in the Western League. Player of the Year honors were shared by DeeDee Berry, Nat Lopez and Sammy Velasquez from City champion Birmingham.

The City Section also released its All-City boys and girls soccer teams and Palisades was represented on both of them. Senior forward Jayce Jones made the Division I boys team after leading Palisades to the Western League title and the Division I quarterfinals, where they lost 2-1 in overtime to eventual finalist El Camino Real. Jones scored a team-high 19 goals and added 12 assists for a team-best total of 50 points. Senior defender Daniel Romero of City champion Birmingham was chosen Player of the Year while Patriots pilot Gus Villalobos was named Coach of the Year.

Meanwhile, two Dolphins were selected for the Division I girls squad—senior striker Erica Hamilton and senior midfielder Alex DiGennaro—after leading their team to the Western League title and the City semifinals, where Palisades fell in a shootout to eventual champion Cleveland. Hamilton tallied a school-record 33 goals in 21 games played, including a four-goal effort in the quarterfinals against Venice. She also converted her penalty kick in the shootout versus Cleveland. DiGennaro also played 21 games, scoring eight times and racking up a team-high 14 assists, including four in the playoffs.

Cleveland midfielder Alexa Monge was selected Player of the Year and Cavaliers pilot Greg Ibach was chosen Coach of the Year.

Wellesley College sophomore swimmer Kavita Sekhon just earned All-American honors in the 100 Breaststroke at the NCAA Division III National Championships in Greesnboro, North Carolina.

Sekhon, who graduated from Palisaedes High in 2022, placed eighth in the championship final in a time of 1:02.85 last Friday, earning 11 points for the Blue. Earlier in the day she placed seventh in prelims in 1:02.46 to qualify for the finals.

Sekhon also competed in the 200 Breaststroke (finishing 22nd at prelims in 2:20.03) and swam the third leg on her team’s 400 Freestyle Relay, which was 27th in prelims in a time of 3:37.49.

Her best time in the 100 Breastthis season was 1:02.37 and her best time in the 200 Breast this season was 2:18.02. She opened the 2023-24 campaign with wins in the 100 Breast (1:04.95) and 200 Breast (2:24.01) versus Wheaton, was first in both events against Simmons and Merrimack and won the 100 Breast against Mount Holyoke in 1:04.88. Sekhon was first in the 50 Breaststroke (30.24), 100 Breast (1:07.30) and 200 Breast (2:25.02) at the Sisters Invitational and took top honors in the 100 and 200 Breast at Coast Guard and the NEWMAC Championships.

Wearing Dolphins blue, she was a four-year varsity swimmer and also played on the water polo team, winning City titles in both sports. As swim captain her senior year she set the school 100 Breaststroke record (1:04.23). Additionally, she swam club for Westside Aquatics.

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

It is no wonder Lorenzo Brunkow excels at tennis. He has played the sport since the age of 4 and entered his first tournament when he was 8.

He is enrolled in the Laurel Springs online program and decided to give high school tennis a try this spring, much to the liking of teammates and Palisades head coach Bud Kling.

An all-court five-star recruit who relies more on placement than power on his serve, the Topanga resident describes the game he loves as “moving chess,” figuring out how to beat your opponent—and he has done that consistently to climb to No. 7 in California for his class—but now he is playing for more than just himself. He wants to lead the Dolphins to their 15th straight City Section championship in May.

“I’m enjoying the team aspect,” he says.”It’s nice to have teammates supporting me. Normally you’re on your own.”

For Brunkow, tennis is not just on the brain, but in the blood. His dad Ben is a tennis pro who played at Vanderbilt University and later team tennis in Germany and his brother Gianluca is the No. 2 player at UC Santa Barbara. Despite being only a junior, Lorenzo has committed to the join the Gauchos’ program after he graduates in 2025.

“I’ve followed everythig he’s done and it was great having him to hit with growing up,” Brunkow says of his older sibling. “It’s definitely made me a better player.”

As Palisades’ No. 1 singles player, Brunkow won his first four matches this season against opponents from Brentwood, Westlake, Loyola and Harvard-Westlake. His first defeat was 8-5 in a pro set last Friday to Torrey Pines senior and UC San Diego signee Robert Freedman in the opening round of the National All-American Tournament in Palos Verdes. Brunkow beat Freedman in the finals of a tournament last year.

Palisades finished 2-2 to place 10th in the two-day event that featured 16 of the best teams in the country.

In addition to playing tournaments two weekends a month, Brunkow has also begun to take up boxing to sharpen his “fighting spirit.”

Brunkow works with three private coaches and posted one of his most impressive wins last week when he upset UC Berkeley commit Winston Lee, 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in the quarterfinals of a USTA Level 3 in Camarillo. Brunkowalso plays doubles and has partnered with Dolphins teammate Neel Joshi (who also lives in Topanga) since the 10-and-unders.

“I’ll see how the team’s looking next year,” he says. “Right now, it’s about keeping that streak going.”