Palisades High Cross Country Squads Tested Against Elite Competition at Woodbridge Classic in Irvine

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

New Palisades High head cross country coach Brian Bennett was eager to see how his runners would fare against the stiffest competition they will face all season Saturday at the Woodbridge Classic in Irvine.

Across several races in multiple divisions, the Dolphins performed  exceedingly well and their highest placer was junior Mako Holt, who was second in the Blue Senior Boys race in a personal-best 15:51.8 on the flat three-mile Great Park course. Menlo-Atherton’s Benjamin Salceda was the winner in 15:35.6. The second Dolphin to cross the finish line was sophomore Justin Funk, who also ran his fastest time ever (16:50.6) in finishing 56th out of 327 athletes. Tenth-grader Sebastain Funk (a season-record 17:27.7) was the team’s third scorer. The fourth was sophomore Darby Echikun-Woke (17:59.5) and junior Soren Cohen clocked 18:05.1 in the fifth spot. Palisades finished 11th in the team standings with 354 points.

Later, in the Blue Varsity B race, sophomore Ethan Funk (14:53.9) was sixth and senior Zachary Cohen (15:04.9) was 17th overall as Palisades’ boys placed 31st out of 46 schools in the Blue Varsity B race.

The Dolphins’ best team result came in the Blue Junior/Senior Girls race where they cracked the top 10 with 284 points. Sophomore Hanna Sadzik set the pace in 20:32.1, finishing 34th out of 348 runners in a time of 20:32.1. Another 10th-grader, Sadie Hedford, was 53rd in a personal-best 20:53.4, junior Violet Cash was the Dolphins’ No. 3 finisher in 22:01.5 and sophomore Lucy Ames was close behind in 22:06.7.   

Palisades finished 24th out of 37 teams in the Rated Varsity Girls race, the second to last race of the night, which featured some of the fastest teams in California.The Dolphins proved they belonged as their five scoring runners were tightly grouped. Seniors Daila Harinck (a personal-best 18:12.2) and Louisa Mammen (a season-best 18:16.6) were the Dolphins’ top two placers at 71st and 76th, respectively, in a field of 248. Sophomore Eleanor Mammen (18:42,1) was the No. 3 runner and the fourth and fifth were junior Zoey Morris (18:48.9) and senior Maya Bhasin (a PR 18:50). Morris was the City Section cross country champion as a freshman.

Palisadian Amelia Sarkisian, a junior at Brentwood, ran in the premier girls event of the two-day meet, the Bob Day Sweepstakes, and  clocked 17:15.8 to place 64th out of 272 runners. She is poised for a big season after winning the Varsity A race at Woodbridge last fall in her first try on the Great Park route and claiming the Southern Section Division 5 girls individual title in 18:13.2 two months later at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. She capped off her remarkable sophomore campaign by winning the CIF Division V state championsip in 17:31.8 on the 5K course at Woodward Park in Fresno.

The annual Palisadian-Post Football Contest, giving readers a chance to predict upcoming game winners, is back in season.

“Every week, the Palisadian-Post will have a selection of NFL and college football games,” according to the contest rules. “Check the team you think will win each game. The person with the most correct picks wins. In the event there is a tie, the tie-breaker will be used to determine the winner.”

There is an online submission process, making it easier than ever to participate. Contestants can simply download or copy their entry form, fill in their picks, take a photo and email it back to footballcontest@palipost.com by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. The contest runs through the end of the NFL regular season.

The deadline to enter for Week 4 is September 26, at 5 p.m. The entry form will be posted no later than Thursday each week on the Post website, Facebook and Instagram.

Only one entry per person per contest will be accepted. Winners will receive a $10 gift card by email from our new contest sponsor, The Yogurt Shoppe (located at 11726 Barrington Ct. in Brentwood Village). The Post thanks The Yogurt Shoppe for allowing us to continue this 30-year-old tradition.

Good luck to all participants and happy prognosticating!

Hollywood Cup Bocce Ball Invitational Results

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

History was made Saturday at Simon Meadow, where fun was had by all at the second annual Hollywood Cup Bocce Ball Invitational, organized by Palisades Bocce  Club’s own star roller Memo Macalpin, who described the event as “an experience to remember.”   

A color guard unit kicked off the day’s festivities. Right on cue at 9:30 a.m.  The X Factor USA Season 2 finalist Jason Brock sang the national anthem. Then, he dedicated the song Over the Rainbow to Pacific Palisades and not a dry eye was seen in the crowd after his  moving a cappella rendition.      

“I can’t even begin to describe the feel-good sports story of the year for a community on the road to rebuilding and returning to the 90272,” Macalpin said.

Sean Barnett, Chief Tournament of Operations, and his team flawlessly executed the matches while referees Nik Amatulli and Robin Meyers were right on every close call and measure.

This year’s Celebrity Creator team, TikToss Stars, arrived with love and admiration for the spectators and fellow competitors and brought smiles, hugs and community connection to the Meadow. Comprised of Forbes Top 50 Creator and team captain My Nguyen, last year’s tournament MVP Savanah Moss  (and Forbes Top 50 Creator), Drea Okeke  (Two-Time Forbes Top 50 Creator and a 30Under30 recipient), Sandra Kwon and Jessica Woo, the TikToss Stars vowed to return in 2026 to win it all.

International DJ Doug Knoxspun tunes to keep everyone entertained throughout the six-hour tournament while title sponsor Flour Pizzeria’s pop-up provided lunch to keep everyone fed.

Community leaders offering words of encouragement and empowerment were YMCA Board Chairwoman Tracey Price; Senior Director of the Palisades Recreation Center Jasmine Dowlatshahi;  Palisades Bocce Club Founder Jimmy Dunne; and  Jim Kirtley, Executive Director at Lowe Family YMCA (formerly Palisades-Malibu YMCA), who  spoke about the construction of a new community center at Simon Meadow that will include world-class bocce courts. Macalpin wants to train local youth on the courts with the goal of competing at the World Juniors Bocce Championships.   

The crowd then erupted in applause when Kirtley announced that the new courts will be called the Memo Macalpin Bocce Courts. Macalpin is a United States Bocce Federation National Champion, and he ranked in the 2024 World Championships in bocce precision shooting held in Turkey, he is a very active YMCA Board Member.

“Bocce and the Y align in so many ways­—inclusivity, community, well-being and wholesome fun,” Kirtley said. “Community partnerships like this are a big part of what makes the Palisades the Palisades. The Y and Hollywood Cup are the perfect match. Seeing the teams enjoying Simon Meadow, interacting and socializing was awesome. Thanks to Memo, the players and those who support the Y and bocce. We’re already looking forward to the next one!”

Being a community partner to the tournament, the YMCA not only provided the venue but also the first aid station tent and personnel for a second straight year.

Love was in the air from the eremonial first pallino roll and once the bocce action commenced, two pools of six teams competed all morning and into the afternoon in a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semifinals.

In the bronze medal match Raffa and Roll became the first team in the tournament’s history to blank its opponent with a 12-0 shutout of Rip Tide. Given the precise placement skills of team members Sebastian Varlotta, Erica Varlotta, Dan Rodarte, Dave Borgeson and Bentleigh Borgeson, Raffa and Roll could challenge for the gold next year.

Momentum swung back and forth in the gold medal round between Bocceros and Roll Models. In the end it was Bocceros coming out on top, led by Tournament MVP and co-captain Lili Moghbel and Finals MVP Fazzy Noori. Rounding out the winning roster were co-captain Chuck Rapoport (recipient of the Dolphin League Martini Award in 2024), Cindy Seiler and Sharam Moghbel.

Roll Models settled for silver on the tactical brilliance of captain George Junger along with Michael Junger, Bonnie Burgess and Julie Christensen.

The other participating teams were defending champion Bayside Rollers, Marina Mavericks, Downey Bocce Club, Slays, Kiss My Bocce, Les Coqs and Pali Partyin’ Pallinos.

Macalpin acknowledged all of the community partners that made the event possible. Flour Pizzeria & Cafe (owned by Palisadian  Robert Flutie); Kismet (owned by  Chrissy Teigen and John Legend); Nuuds (owned by Dary-Ann Denner), which donated $300 gift bags to all of the female players; Lollapalooza merchandiser Madd Merch,, which provided everyone with limited-edition tournament t-shirts; Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce; Divi owners Dani and Jordan Austin, who donated shampoo and conditioner products to all athletes; specialty retailer J.Crew, which supplied clothing for all of the male players; Cassidy Athletics for supplying the mobile bocce courts; and the “anonymous” neighbor who handled event set up, take-down, and event management.

The Hollywood Cup debuted last August at Veterans Gardens and 12 teams battled it out for the inaugural championship. Bayside Rollers captured the gold with a spirited triumph over Bocce Ball Stars in the finals. Dunne presented the foursome of Carlyn Peterson, Nancy Gillette, Diane Tallant and Diane Holt with the trophy. The bronze went to Crem de La Bocce. Macalpin coached Team Flour, which did not advance to the playoffs despite Moss rolling one incredible ball after another on her way to MVP honors.

The tournament will be back in the Palisades on Sept.19, 2026 under a new name, the California Cup, to better align with its brand.

“We’ve loved and tended this land for over a decade knowing generations of families make memories at the YMCA,” Price said. “The Hollywood Cup and its partnership with us is one example of neighbors prevailing in a positive way. I’m grateful to Memo, our YMCA Palisades Board, the Simon and Lowe Families, and every volunteer who makes these events possible.”

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

To say Lauren Song has big shoes to fill is an understatement. Her older sister Anna graduated from Palisades High in the spring after the most accomplished career of any golfer in City Section history. Granted, the pressure to live up to extremely high expectations is daunting, but Lauren embraces the challenge and is ready to make ger own mark on the prep level.

“I don’t expect to outperform her,” Song said of her sister, who is beginning her collegiate career at Stanford University. “Pali is where I knew I’d be going all along so I expect people to make comparisons. This is my time and I want to make the best of it.”

Asked what she learned most from her sibling, Song citred Anna’s discipline in balancing school with athletics and her ability to control her emotions.

“She just left this weekend and I drove up to Pal Alto with her  and said ‘Good luck, I’ll see you soon, It was pretty anticlimactic.”     

Until Anna arrived Palisades had never won a section girls golf title—a rarity on a campus where success is measured in championships. Four years later, the Dolphins are a powerhouse, having won four straight team titles. She won the individual title three times and set the finals scoring record along the way. She won the Post Cup Award in June as the school’s outsanding female athlete. Lauren is not the slightest bit jealous, only  proud of the legacy her longtime practice partner leaves behind.      

“I played a few junior events  over the summer and I enjoyed it,” said Song, who started playing  when she was 8, mostly because of Anna, who she admis she has always looked up to. “We practice all the time and we even played a Toyota Tour Cup event together earlier this year. I went to Spain to watch Anna at the Solheim Cup and I’m grateful for that.”

While their strokes are carbon copies their demeanors are not.

“I’m more outgoing and more social,” Song said. “I’m an extrovert, Anna’s more of an introvert.”   

For senior captain Skylar Monahan, not having her friend Anna around is weird but she welcomes Lauren with open arms.     

“I’m happy and sad,” she said. “I’ll miss Anna but I’m enjoying getting to know Lauren. The two have the same swing  but different personalities. They’re both fun to play with in their own ways.”

Palisades coach Dave Suarez said Song’s potential “is off the charts.” He was in awe when the ninth grader had five birdies and finished three under par for nine holes to earn medalist honors in last Wednesday’s league match  against Granada Hills and Cleveland at Woodley Lakes. She shot a 37 at Rancho Park on Monday versus Marymount and could have      gone lower had her short putt not lipped out on the eighth hole.

“Her approaches are different  but Lauren’s a very good ball striker and she’s competitive just like her sister.,” Suarez said. “I rereally don’t have to say too much. I let her go out and play.”

Song played for her school  team  at Paul Revere and her home course, which she knows so well,  is Brentwood Country Club. She spends hours every week on the driving range or the putting green. She looks forward to watching her Anna play intercollegiate events in the Southland (one is coming up in October) and visiting whenever she has a free weekend.

According to teammate Chloe Suh, a senior captain along with Monahan described the sisters as “warm-hearted girls” and marvels at Lauren’s tactical mind, a trait seldom attributed to.    

Though eager to follow in her sister’s footsteps, Lauren is also determined to blaze her own trail.

“Maybe I can be a four-time City champion,” she said. “I can’t look too far ahead. The most important thing is to keep our team streak going—Anna was proud of that. I think we can do it.”

Anna was second by a stroke to teammate Chloe Rahn at City Finals her freshman year, so if Lauren finishes first in November she will have done something her sister did not. She also has eyes on a state title. Anna came close as a junior, finishing second by three shots at Poppy Hills.

Two tournaments, two top division finals. That is the Palisades High girls volleyball team’s resume so far this season. Of course, the most important tournament—and the one the Dolphins want to win the most—is not until November, but based on early results Carlos Gray’s squad appears to be the frontrunner for the No. 1 seed in the eight-team City Section Open Division playoffs.

Palisades reached the gold division title match two weeks ago, but was handed its first loss by league rival Venice. On Friday, the Dolphins were back to their winning ways, sweeping Cheyenne (Nevada), GALA and Royal to finish first in their pool. In the second round of pool play Saturday morning, Palisades beat Cerritos and reigning City champion Taft and despite a close defeat to Canyon the Dolphins again won their pool (having lost the fewest sets) and earned a spot in the gold bracket.

In the quarterfinals the Dolphins dispatched El Camino Real 25-14, 25-18 and in the semifinals they beat Royal 25-23, 25-22 in a rematch of the teams’ pool play encounter on Friday.   

The championship match pitted Palisades against Thousand Oaks, which was looking to repeat after claiming the gold division crown last year. After dropping the first set the Dolphins pulled out the second 25-23 to force a deciding third. The Lancers won it 15-9 to improve to 22-1 while Palisades fell to 24-3.

The Dolphins open the second round of Western League play today at Venice (varsity starts at 4:30 p.m.) and are looking to clinch the season series, having swept the Gondos 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 in the teams’ first league matchup August 28.     

Palisades won the last of its record 30 City titles five years ago.

Dolphins Dominate El Camino Real 35-18 in Woodland Hills and Improve Nonleague Record to 4-0

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Offense? Check. Defense? Check. Special teams? Check. The Palisades High varsity football team excelled in all three phases last Friday night in Woodland Hills and the result was a decisive 35-18 victory over El Camino Real that kept the Dolphins on track for a City Open Division playoff berth.

Palisades’ first five drives all ended in touchdowns and by the time  Coach Dylen Smith began taking out his starters midway through the fourth quarter the Dolphins had a 25-point lead and were well on their way to win No. 4 in their quest to finish the 10-game regular season undefeated.   

Jack Thomas had another efficient game at quarterback, completing 13 of 16 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a one-yard touchdown on a busted play to make it 28-7 with four minutes left in the second quarter. So far this season Thomas has thrown for 1,304 yuards and 17 touchdowns without an interception.

Malachi Ross gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish on a 12-yard touchdown catch two and a half minutes into the contest. After the Royals (2-3) turned the ball over on downs at Palisades’ 43-yard line it took the Dolphins four plays to get back in the end zone. Harrison Carter’s two-yard run doubled the lead but on its next possession El Camino Real drove all the way to the Dolphins’ 7 before again being turned away after heavy pressure forced three incomplete passes.

Thomas went to the air immediately, launching a spiral 40 yards    downfield. At the other end, two Royals defenders collided and fell to the turf while trying to cover King Demethris, who had only to catch the ball and race the rest of the way untouched for a 93-yard touchdown, his seventh—and easiest—of the year.

Gabriel Varga’s five-yard quarterback keeper got the home team on the scoreboard but Palisades ballooned the lead back to 21 points on Thomas’ scamper to the pylon. Oree Sabag booted a 37-yard field goal as the clock ran out to pull ECR within 18 points at halftime.

After Palisades’ defense forced a three-and-out to begin the second half, the offense needed six plays to score its last touchdown. Carter  capped the drive with a six-yard catch. Handling the kicking duties for a second straight week, Carter Schwartz was five-for-five on extra points.

Shane Bogacz ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 1:31 left to make the final score closer, but it was too little, too late for the Royals.

Linebacker Enzo Allen had 11 tackles (three for losses) and a pass deflection, end Augie Evans had 11 tackles, a sack and a pass deflection and cornerback Noah Le Chang broke up three passes in the secondary.

Palisades travels to San Pedro to take on Mary Star of the Sea in its final nonleague game Friday at 7 p.m. The JV game is today at 4.    

Coach Cari Klein believes that to be the best you have to beat the best. That is why every year she takes her Marymount High volleyball team to Las Vegas to play in the Durango Fall Classic, the most prestigious girls prep tournament in the country.

Having lost to Santa Ana Mater Dei in the final last year (28-26 in the decisive third set), the Sailors got a chance at revenge in the semifinals Saturday and made the most of it, rallying past the reigning state champions 21-25, 25-19, 25-18. Then they faced Mission League rival Sierra Canyon for the championship and came away with a 21-25, 25-19, 25-18 victory at Silverado High. It was Marymount’s third Durango title in 23 trips across the border and the first since the Sailors swept Mater Dei  in the fnals on their way to an undefeated season and the No. 1 national ranking four years ago.

It was the second tournament championship in three weeks for Klein’s squad, which won all 20 sets it played on its way to the Hawaiian Island Labor Day Classic title August 30 in Hilo.

Senior hitter Sammy Destler was selected Most Valuable Player and three other Sailors joined her on the All-Tournament team:  junior middle Katelyn Oerlemans, junior hitter Makenna Barnes and senior setter Olivia Penske.

Klein lost her home in the Palisades Fire, as did several varsity players. The Sailors (24-2) travel to Chatsworth next Tuesday for a rematch with Sierra Canyon.