Pali High Cross Country Competes at State Meet

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The long bus ride to Fresno for the CIF state championships was more than a field trip for Palisades High’s boys and girls cross country teams. It was a chance to measure themselves against California’s best and the Dolphins showed that their future is bright by finishing 20th in both Division I races Saturday on the 3.1-mile course at Woodward Park.

Making their sixth consecutive state finals appearance, the girls finished with 448 points, placing seven spots behind Granada Hills, which won the City Section title one week before at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

Palisades freshman Miranda Schriver, the City individual champion, finished 53rd at the state finals in a shade over 19 minutes. She was the second-fastest City runner behind Granada Hills senior Tanya Larbaoui, who was 37th overall in 18:46.5. Fresno Buchanan sophomore Corie Smith won in 17:16.7.

As she was at City finals, senior Kimia Samandi was the Dolphins’ second finisher, finishing 89th out of 193 runners in 19:25.8. Sophomore Sarah Bentley, who was sick but still ran at City finals, rebounded at the state meet with a time of 20:02.3, sophomore Elisa Kim was Palisades’ fourth runner in 20:17.1 and junior Jessica Bierschenk was the fifth in 20:46.6. Rounding out the scoring were juniors Brittany Darrow (20:59.1) and Skylar Smith (21:25.6).

El Camino Real senior Justin Hazell became the first City runner to win a state title, finishing first in the Division I boys race in 15:03.8. Palisades senior Ben Hamer, who was second to Hazell at City finals, was 39th in 15:58.9 and junior Brent Smith (16:33.5)was 100th in a field of 198. Freshmen Mason Cadden (17:03.7) and Lucas Schriver (17:10.8) were the Dolphins’ third and fourth finishers, followed by senior Finn Cawley (17:24.1), junior Ryan Breitman (18:14.2) and Alec Stewart, who did not finish.

Malibu junior Claudia Lane set a course record by clocking 16:30.3 in the Division IV girls race.