Dateline Vietnam, 1973. An American military helicopter lifts off from a fire base. En route to Pleiku, the copter is met by an onslaught of Viet Cong. A ‘ping-ping-ping-ping’ rips across the side of the chopper. The co-pilot shouts ‘Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!’ as the helicopter drops out of the sky. In the chair beside him, the pilot sits slumped over, a red stain slowly growing around his heart. Two of the four gunners aboard the helicopter rush over to the pilot and rip open his clothes to see where he’s hit. Also aboard that falling chopper is an ABC news crew: a cameraman, a soundman, and a 20-something foreign correspondent named Jim Giggans. ‘I was shot down in a helicopter,’ Giggans tells the Palisadian-Post point-blank with a bemused grin. Today, he sits not crouched within an Army copter but on the Starbucks patio on Swarthmore. The Bruckheimer movie-worthy story he recalls might not jibe with the avuncular image many may hold of the former news anchor, who worked at KNBC through the 1990s. ‘There were bad guys like from here to Ralphs,’ he says, pointing eastward, as he puts a reporter in the mindset of Giggans the foreign correspondent in the middle of the Vietnam War. ‘You are dressed in battle fatigues, wearing a Kevlar bulletproof vest. And you don’t have a gun!’ Although the pilot died, the helicopter crash did not kill the ABC News crew and, with the aid of an American gunship, the trio was able to escape alive. ‘They set the jungle on fire to get us out of there,’ Giggans says. ‘The soundman was crying, ‘I can’t die, I can’t die! I have eight children!’ The tears were running down his eyes. But we never stopped filming.’ The experience rattled him. ‘I was terrified!’ Giggans says. ‘I thought we were going to die.’ But he stuck out his assignment, straight through the fall of Saigon. ‘I had to get back into a chopper. This is what comes with the territory.’ Giggans covered numerous conflicts: the Greeks and Turks in Cyprus, Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge, the Middle East. In Belfast, ‘The IRA bombed the hotel we were staying in!’ While in Entebbe [Uganda in 1976], ‘The city had fallen. The airport was closed. Luckily, you have a wad of cash that the network gives you, and you bribe your way onto the plane. They were shelling the airplane as we were leaving. ‘Oh, my God, the situations that we were in,’ he continues with a chuckle. ‘But would I trade it for anything? Absolutely not!’ Jim Giggans grew up in Bremerton, Washington, and attended the University of Washington. He pursued his graduate studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, concentrating on international politics. He intended to become an ambassador. However, a chance meeting with ABC News president Elmer Lauer at a dinner party changed that. ‘I knew nothing about journalism,’ Giggans admits. ‘But I guess [Lauer] was impressed. He liked the way I spoke. He said, ‘Come and try it out for six months and if I don’t like you, I’ll fire you. If you don’t like it, you can leave.’ At ABC News, anchored by Peter Jennings, Giggans learned every aspect of producing segments. ‘Suddenly, I was on Easter Island [2000 miles west of] Chile with a population of 1,200,’ he recalls. ‘While we were down there, the French had a nuclear test in the South Pacific, which has nothing whatsoever to do with where I was. They cut to me and said, ‘Elsewhere in the South Pacific” From that point on, I was a foreign correspondent for ABC News.’ Divorce and a new start brought Giggans from New York City to Los Angeles in 1980, when he met his second wife, Rosanna Hill, who works for an affordable-housing organization. He sought the routine of working at a local news broadcast starting at CBS affiliate KNXT, anchored by Connie Chung. ‘When you’re a foreign correspondent, your life is controlled by a phone call,’ Giggans says. ‘You’re there for a month waiting for [Francisco] Franco [dictator of Spain until 1975] to die. You don’t have control of your life. You’re getting older. How much longer can you tempt fate?’ Giggans worked at KNXT for three years before moving to KNBC in 1986, where he worked for 15 years, most prominently as the weekend news anchor and correspondent. He forged many friendships in the industry, among them colleagues Paul Moyer and Colleen Williams, Tracy Savage (whose parents are Palisadians), and Jose Rios, a Fox news director. Early this century, Giggans left broadcast news. He became disillusioned with the industry’s ‘infotainment’ direction. Office politics also diminished his enthusiasm. He singles out Carol Black and Bob Long as ‘great general managers’ at KNBC, but others ‘were not so good.’ Giggans overall enjoyed local news. ‘This is where I live,’ Giggans says. ‘I loved covering the L.A. riots, the Rodney King beating, all the stories that are significant here. I always liked the stories that showed the growth of Los Angeles.’ Part of that growth is L.A. arts and culture. Giggans was on the board of the L.A. Opera for six years. He played a part in the development of the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. ‘The first significant donation came from our home in the Huntington,’ he says of a $50,000 contribution made 12 years ago at a fundraiser the Gigganses hosted. The couple has lived in the Highlands for nearly a decade after seven years in the Huntington. ‘This small-town feeling, it’s wonderful,’ Giggans says of the Palisades. ‘I always see people I know when I’m going to Ralphs or Gelson’s.’ The Giggans have two children: Diana Giggans-Hill, 19, a psychology major at Wesleyan, and Nick Giggans-Hill, 16, a junior at Palisades High and an aspiring filmmaker. A graduate of the Archer School for Girls, Diana has spent summers and holidays working at Village Books on Swarthmore, while Nick worked on PaliHi’s last two productions, the musical ‘Honk!’ and ‘James and the Giant Peach/Edward Scissorhands.’ He played a camera man on the former and worked with the ground crew on the latter, helping with set preparation. He has also done some tech crew work at the Pierson Playhouse on such Theatre Palisades productions as ‘The Nerd.’ After leaving local news, Giggans worked as a marketing executive for a California winemaker and for Club Med. He was an ambassador for Santa Monica College, recruiting for what he calls ‘one of the best community colleges in the United States.’ In 2006, Giggans returned to the air with ‘Local Edition’ on CNN Headline News, interviewing local politicians. Today, Giggans teaches broadcast journalism at UCLA Extension and SMC, where students have a food-centric online rating system for their instructors. ‘Apparently, I’m a hot tamale,’ Giggans says, smiling.
Israel Hosts Art Salon at Her Comfy Iliff Home
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Jacquie Israel has transformed her house on Iliff into a comfortable and expansive gallery where visitors can roam the world of art, from emerging and ‘outsider artists’ and emerging to established painters and photographers. She is inviting the community to an open house on Saturday, December 5, from 3 to 10 p.m., to view the art and enjoy live music featuring the Rave-Ups at 8:30 p.m. This is the third in what Israel calls her ‘art salons,’ where she has accumulated work from galleries all over the city and country with the goal of bringing new work to a wider audience. ‘Many galleries are aware that there is a world of potential collectors who don’t know they exist, and they find my events helpful in giving their artists more exposure,’ Israel says. Last year, she invited an artist to not only exhibit his work but to offer a kind of ‘101’ course in understanding modern art. The event was a fundraiser for Marquez Charter, where the youngest of Israel’s three boys attends. A 15-year Palisades resident, Israel was formerly gallery curator at Storyopolis, which was dedicated to showing children’s book and editorial illustration, and featured the work of artists from all over the world. After her third son was born, she stopped working at Storyopolis and became a consultant helping people find art for their homes and offices. Israel believes that there is a certain timidity when it comes to buying art. ‘The gallery environment can be intimidating, and people often feel inadequately educated to buy art. ‘People don’t have time to travel looking for art,’ Israel continues. ‘I am constantly visiting galleries in every part of L.A. as well as Santa Barbara and San Francisco.’ She has even gone as far as Alabama looking for folk art. There will be 80 pieces in the current exhibition, which will also be open by appointment through the end of the year. One could bet that when the Israels built their house, they envisioned the large wall expanses in order to accommodate not only large works of art but also small groupings. As one enters the living room, painted a rich, deep brown, several stunning pieces anchor the walls. The archival black-and-white pigment print diptych (40- x 65-in. each), showing a barber and a hairdresser by Mark Laita, straddles one side of the dining area. On the opposite wall are Jill Greenberg’s photos of full-grown polar bears. Greenberg, who has an amazing ability to coax powerful emotions from her subjects, photographed the animals on location against a backdrop. One of the most moving photographs, Nick Brandt’s ‘Elephant with Flaring Ears,’ hangs all alone on the wall between the living room and kitchen. A master at capturing African animals in intimate and quiet poses, Brandt has gained the praise of many naturalists, including primatologist Jane Goodall. ‘Nick’s exquisite photographs arouse deep emotions,’ Israel says. ‘They inspire a sense of awe at the beauty of creation and the sacredness of life. It’s almost impossible to look through his work without sensing the personalities of the beings whom he has photographed.’ Israel possesses a proletarian’s eye for art. On another wall, she has displayed the work of her mother-in-law, Joan Israel, whose charming polymer clay-on-canvas scenes include a colorful bird and a vibrant garden. Two of David Buckingham’s cut and welded found-metal sculptures literally nail the viewer’s attention. ‘Come On, Baby, Light My Fire’ is made up of individually cut letters from polychrome steel detritus. In another piece, Alison Foshee has pressed pushpins into whispy, flower-like shapes on cork. Upstairs, Israel has expanded her photography selections, including Jona Frank’s ‘Boys,’ which is part of a series of four photographs featuring boys. Another large digital c-print explores Mike Tierney’s almost other-worldly destination for a ride on an escalator at LAX, terminal 3. Forever open to new art, Israel has recently discovered ‘low brow’ art at galleries in Silverlake and Echo Park. In planning the open house, Jacquie and husband David thought about adding music, and coincidently re-encountered a band, the Rave-Ups, which they had loved in their 20s. ‘We found them again on Facebook and invited them to play,’ Israel says. They’ll be occupying a space in the corner of the living room for the party. ’Bring your friends, bring your kids,’ Israel says. ‘There will be drinks, music and art.’ The open house is at 943 Iliff St.
Palisades Volleyball: Past Meets Present
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Almost 30 former players, representing 40 years of volleyball at Palisades High, reunited on the court in the program’s first alumni match last Saturday, 30 years after the Dolphins won their only state championship. The PaliHi gym was overflowing with pride and tradition, as the alumnae and varsity split four spirited sets. The alumnae squad’s all-star lineup included Lulu (Schwartz) Kaseff (Class of 1980), member of the ’78 City Section champion and 1979 City and state championship teams who was a three-year All American at UC San Diego; Rhonda Stoklos (Class of ’78), who played on the ’77 City title team; and Nancy Cohen Fredgant (Class of ’76), who went on to play beach volleyball and is recognized on the sport’s Walk of Fame in Manhattan Beach. Before the match there were introductions for all of the alumnae and especially former Coach Gayle Van Meter, who piloted the Dolphins to 16 City titles in her 22 years at the helm. “The main reason that I had to come out here today was to say thank you to Gayle Van Meter,” Pai Svenson (Class of ’87) said. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have volleyball. She changed the trajectory of my life.” Svenson went on to play at UCLA and for the Swedish National Team after playing under Van Meter throughout high school. Proving the program is still strong as ever, Coach Chris Forrest’s varsity squad started strong, winning the first two sets, 15-13 and 15-4. After the first set, Van Meter and her 1979 state championship team was honored. Back in those days, side-out scoring was still used and the Dolphins defeated Fremont High of Sunnyvale, 15-6, 11-15, 16-14, in the Division I state final at Santa Clara University. Through the 1970s and ’80s, Palisades remained the gold standard in the City, winning the 4A title 13 times in 14 seasons from 1974-87. Demonstrating that their skills have not diminished much over time, the alumnae won sets three and four with great play from Svenson, setter Amber Held (Class of ’02) and last year’s City Player of the Year, Laura Goldsmith, fresh off a stellar rookie season at Colorado College. Goldsmith enjoyed returning to play with other alumnae and against her former teammates. “It was exciting and a lot of fun to see everyone,” she said. PaliHi senior libero Tait Johnson thought the experience was memorable. “I think we had a lot of fun, and that is what the game is all about,” said Johnson, whose older sister Teal won City as a senior in 2007. “It’s a honor to be a part of tradition and it was really cool that they all came out here.” Forrest called the event a great success: “I had a great time and I’m so glad we did this. Congratulations to Korby Siamis and Eileen Savage for putting this together, and to all parents who helped out. It was a great time for everyone and I hope that we can do it next year.”
Chapus Triumphs at State Cross Country Meet
Sophomore Paces Harvard-Westlake Girls to Team Title
In cross country, it is not how you start, but where you finish that counts. Just ask Palisadian Cami Chapus, who overcame a 20-second lead with a mile to go and won the girls’ Division IV state championship last Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. The sophomore from Harvard-Westlake High caught Marin Catholic’s Theresa Devine inside 600 meters and won by seven seconds, completing the 5,000-meter course in 17:59 and leading the Wolverines to the team title in a California Division IV record 95:63, breaking the old mark of 95:53 by Corona del Mar in 1999. A team consisting of one senior, one junior, three sophomores and two freshman, Harvard-Westlake finished with 92 points to run away with the trophy. Junipero Serra was second with 129 and La Reina was third with 137. Chapus didn’t have to wait long to greet her teammates. Fellow 10th-grader Amy Weissenbach was fourth overall in 18:24. In becoming her school’s first state individual champion, Chapus cut a full minute off of her time at last year’s state meet, in which she came in 12th place. The victory capped a magical season for the Wolverines, who had won the program’s first Southern Section title in Walnut the week before. Chapus was a standout athlete at St. Matthew’s, winning league championships in track, soccer and softball. She also plays club soccer for the Westside Breakers. Although she has trained hard to reach the level she is at, Chapus has running in her blood. Her mother Victoria was a three-time Kinney National cross country finalist (1979-81) in high school while her father Jean Marc ran the 400 meters at Harvard University. Palisades High freshman Jacklyn Bamberger finished 55th in the girls’ Division I race in 18:56, fractions of a second behind Venice senior Jaclyn Walles, whom she beat at the City Section finals. Both Bamberger and Walles finished ahead of City champion Laura Delgado of San Pedro, who clocked 19:10 for 77th place. Molly Grabill of Rancho Bernardo won Saturday’s race in 17:06.
Dolphins Can’t Get Over Hills
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
It must have felt like deja vu when the Palisades High girls’ varsity soccer team hosted Granada Hills in its nonleague opener last Tuesday night at Stadium by the Sea. The Highlanders scored a goal in each half to prevail 2-0, the same opponent and score as the Dolphins’ last game in February, a playoff loss that ended their season. Neither team was at full strength. Palisades was missing several of its top players, forcing Coach Kim Smith to juggle her lineup. “We had players in new positions,” she said. One change is moving Tiffany Falk from midfield to defense. Falk, a senior, is co-captain this year with junior forward Kathryn Gaskin, who led the team with 19 goals last season. As was the case in February, she was tightly marked and had only one shot on goal against Granada Hills. Meredith Kornfeind led the way with five shots and goalie Jessica Levin made five saves for Palisades. Smith has scheduled quality nonleague opponents to help prepare the Dolphins for the postseason. Palisades scored 105 goals and allowed only 12 last season, but it was not accustomed to playing close games against severely overmatched teams in the Western League. “We were winning every game so easily last season that we kind of panicked when we fell behind [Granada Hills],” Gaskin said. “Obviously we want to win league again but our goal is to get further in the playoffs.” Palisades hosted Taft Wednesday and its own tournament, the Palisades Holiday Showcase, begins Friday. The Dolphins host Reseda at 6:30 p.m. Friday, then play twice Saturday, against Bakersfield Stockdale at 1 p.m. and Sylmar at 7:15 p.m. Boys’ Soccer Coach Dave Suarez’ varsity squad won its season opener over Crossroads, 2-1, last week and beat San Pedro, 3-0, Monday at Stadium by the Sea. The Dolphins wrap up their nonleague schedule at home on December 14 against Santa Monica. The JV game kicks off at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity at 6. Santa Monica defeated Palisades in a practice game November 20.
Bellamy Nets Another Doubles Title
Palisades High freshman Robbie Bellamy wasn’t quite feeling 100 percent, but he was good enough to capture his third doubles title of the season last Sunday, winning the USTA National Tennis Open in Irvine. Bellamy and partner Gage Brymer of Irvine were seeded No. 1 and played like it, beating duos from California, Nevada and Arizona. They lost just 12 games in five matches, even more impressive considering Bellamy was nursing bruised ribs and could barely hit a ball before the tournament. Earlier this year Bellamy won the Agassi Championships in Las Vegas with Abe Hewko of La Quinta. Two weeks ago he won the JP Yamasaki with Jake DeVries of Irvine. His latest victory could move him into the Top 10 in the nation for his age group. Bellamy’s recent success has come without his normal partner, fellow Palisadian Alex Giannini, who is back from a broken foot and will play with Bellamy this weekend at a tournament in Palm Springs. The pair is gearing up for the Copper Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, over Winter Break. Jake Sands, a fourth-grader at Palisades Elementary, reached the finals of the Rancho Cienega Tennis Shop Junior Open last Sunday. The 9-year-old upset No.2-seeded Christian Settles, 7-5, 7-5, in the semifinals before falling to top-seeded Ryan Nuno in the finals.
Jeanie Buss: Palisades’ Laker Girl
Executive VP of LA’s Premiere Sports Franchise Is Proud of Her Roots
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Ask any Lakers fan to name their most valuable player and the answer you’re most likely to hear is Kobe Bryant. When it comes to the organization’s most valuable person, however, someone who deserves to be in the conversation is Jeanie Buss, Executive Vice President of Business Operations. No one bleeds purple and gold more than the daughter of team owner Dr. Jerry Buss. She has long been the voice and face of the team, having worked on both the promotions side and operations side of the business, but her first claim to fame was being named Miss Palisades in 1979. Thirty years later, the memory hasn’t faded. “It was a great experience for a 17-year-old,” said Buss, the guest speaker at last Friday’s Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce general membership breakfast at Riviera Country Club. “It improved my speaking skills, my posture, my demeanor, everything. Actor Adam West (who played the Caped Crusader in the ‘Batman’ TV show) was one of the judges, and I remember being so shocked and surprised when I won. That was something totally different than homecoming queen or class president because those are more about popularity.” When Jeanie was growing up (she is the third of six children) the Buss family lived on Ranch Lane in Rustic Canyon, and she recalled holding a graduation party at her house on the same night her father bought the Lakers (along with the Kings hockey franchise and The Forum in Inglewood, where both teams played). “It got pretty loud and the police came,” she said. Little did Jeanie or her siblings know then how dramatically their lives would change: “I’d grown up knowing I’d be involved in the family business, which at the time was real estate development, but this was a whole new venture.” Buss has learned a lot about the intricacies of the game through her boyfriend of 10 years, current Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has educated her about the pros and cons of zone defense and how to execute the pick and roll. “He can get pretty intense sometimes,” she said, laughing. Jeanie traces her knowledge of basketball, however, back to Palisades High, where she tried golf and JV basketball and, most significantly, kept statistics for the boys’ varsity team, coached by Jerry Marvin. “I learned the rules, how to keep score and all of the terminology that enabled me to talk about it once I got involved with the Lakers,” she said. “If someone asked me what traveling meant, I could easily explain it to them.” When she began her career at the age of 19 while attending USC, Buss had to think of creative ways to fill The Forum on the 200 nights a year the Lakers and Kings weren’t playing. She found her niche in the “orphan” sports, serving as general manager of the L.A. Strings (World Team Tennis) and later the L.A. Blades professional roller hockey team. “My dad realized that child labor is very cheap,” said Buss, who worked while pursuing her business degree. “I guess you could say that was my way of paying off my tuition.” One question posed to Buss at last Friday’s breakfast was what she has learned the most from each of her parents: “My father taught me to hire the most talented people and let them do their jobs. My smile and my laugh come from my mom [Joann]. She’s taught me the importance of having fun.” At the time Jeanie broke into the sports business, it was still a male-dominated profession. She learned early on that simply being herself was the best way to establish credibility amongst her peers: “I’ve gotten used to it. In fact, the other day I was in a meeting with eight guys and I broke the ice by suggesting we sit boy-girl, boy-girl. That lightened the mood a bit.” Now in her sixth season as executive vice president, Jeanie describes her job as the “revenue-generating side” of the Lakers, whereas basketball is the “revenue-spending” side. One of the riskiest decisions the organization made was relocating the team to Staples Center in 1999. “I was of the belief that nobody goes downtown, but it’s been 10 years and 95 to 98 percent of our season ticket holders renew every year,” said Buss, who now resides in Playa del Rey. “The downtown area has been revitalized and the Lakers moving there has stimulated that whole movement.” Buss’ tireless dedication to her trade has helped build the Lakers into one of the world’s most popular professional sports franchises. “We like to think the Lakers are America’s team and that’s why we travel to other markets in the preseason,” Buss said. “We want that NBA fan who doesn’t root for a specific team to adopt the Lakers. That’s why we have fans all over the globe.”
Bamberger Runs Third in City
She didn’t have that normal spring in her step, but Palisades High freshman Jacklyn Bamberger handled the pressure of her first big race like a seasoned pro, running the three-mile course at Pierce College in 18 minutes, 32 seconds to place third at Saturday morning’s City Section cross country championships. Bamberger was in the lead group from the start but couldn’t maintain the brisk pace set by San Pedro senior Laura Delgado, who pulled away in the last half mile to win in 18:16 and spur the Pirates to their seventh team title in 11 years. Senior Fany Alvarado of Taft came in second, three seconds ahead of Bamberger. Bamberger easily qualified for Saturday’s state meet in Fresno–an experience she is looking forward to. ‘Definitely. It will be a lot of fun,” she said. “I’m anxious to see what that course is like.” Bamberger ran a personal-best 18:20 at the City prelims one week before the finals–clocking the fastest time in any of the three qualifying heats. She predicted she would need to run under 18 minutes to beat City contender Jaclyn Walles of Venice, who was under the weather at prelims and ran 18:42. Walles wound up fourth in the finals in 18:43 and also qualified for the state meet. “When I was warming up, my legs just felt heavier than usual today,” said Bamberger, who set several school records this season for a ninth-grader. “I gave it my all but it’s hard to know when you’re going to have a good day or a bad day.” Saturday’s performance was perfectly fine for Dolphins’ coach Ron Brumel, who believes the sky’s the limit for his freshman phenom. “If she continues to work at it, there’s no telling how good she can be by the time she’s a senior,” Brumel said. “What’s she’s done already is amazing considering that she’s only been running competitively for a short time.” Senior Michelle Colato was the Dolphins’ second scorer, completing the course in 20:27 and finishing in 36th place. Sophia Stone (20:50) was 49th, Jamilett Maldonado and Wendy Gomez crossed the line together in 22:51 and Melissa Tallis finished in 24:52. As a team, Palisades’ girls placed 10th with a cumulative total of 227. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I made state,” Bamberger said. “I’m a little disappointed I didn’t win, but the two girls who beat me are seniors so hopefully I’ll have more chances.” Sophomore Grant Stromberg has paced the boys’ team all season and did so again the boys’ finals race. He started in the middle of the pack but began to pick off tiring runners late and finished 20th in 16:05, falling a few spots short of a berth in the state meet. Freshman Drake Johnston finished in 44th place in 16:46, followed by Danny Escalante (17:55), Daniel Hernandez (18:22) and senior Carlos Bustamante (18:30), who persevered despite being hampered by injuries all season. He has served as a mentor to the Dolphins’ up-and-comers and hopes to return to form on the track this spring. Evan Shaner (18:44) and Alex Hernandez (18:54) rounded out the PaliHi squad, which was 13th in the team competition with 228 points. San Pedro senior Pablo Rosales, a friend and rival of Bustamante the last several years, won in 14:31, a new City finals record. Stromberg was the fastest sophomore at this year’s City championships and ran the eighth fastest time for a 10th grader in finals history. Not to be outdone by his older PaliHi teammate, Drake Johnston was the fastest freshman at the finals and ran the ninth fastest time for a ninth-grader in finals history.
Bears Are NCAA Champions
Palisadians Ali Hoffman and Drew Hargrave hold the championship trophy after leading Washington University in St. Louis to its 10th NCAA Division III women’s volleyball championship with a 18-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-21 finals victory over Juniata College last Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio. Hoffman is a junior defensive specialist and Hargrave is a freshman outside hitter for the Bears, who finished the season with a 34-4 record. Hoffman won a state title her senior year at Marymount High and Hargrave won a CIF title at Brentwood last year.
PALISADES PACESETTERS
Nine-year-old Katie Schwartz, a fourth grader at Marquez Elementary and student at Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Center, recently took first place in Kids Green Belt forms at the Adlawan Cup Karate Tournament in Santa Ana. Also winning was third degree Black Belt instructor Chris Wheeles, who was second in Adult Black Belt Forms and Sparring and Carl Fredlin was fourth in the Senior Blue and Green Belt division. Madison Wojciechowski, a junior on the University of Pennsylvania women’s volleyball squad, has been named First-Team All-Ivy League. Penn won the league championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament beginning December 3. Caitlin Blosser, a freshman on the Princeton women’s soccer team, has been named All-Ivy League–only the second freshman to make All-Ivy at Princeton since 2004. Seventh-grader Maile Lane led the Calvary Christian girls’ cross country team to the Delphic League championship last week, finishing in fourth place in 12:09 for two miles. Eight-grader Emma Seaman was fifth in 12:25. Seventh-grader David Grinsfelder was third in the boys’ race in 11:13.
