Runners lmpress at Woodbridge

Palisades High’s boys and girls cross country teams continue to perform well in pre-league meets. The Dolphins participated in the annual Woodbridge Invitational last Saturday, which was relocated to Estancia High in Costa Mesa this year because of construction at the Woodbridge course. Once again leading the way for the boys was Grant Stromberg, who finished third in the junior race in 15:43. Matt Hammer was 14th in 16:14 as the Dolphins took sixth place overall out of over 40 teams in that division with a score of 151, behind only Cathedral, Godinez, Corona del mar, Segerstrom and Rubidoux. Sophomore Drake Johnston was fifth in his race with a time of 16:16 and brothers Liam and Jack Palladino also had strong results. Eric Lopez was the only senior and he ran 18:47 in his first race of the season. Sophomore Jacklyn Bamberger, who won the City 3200 race last spring, led Palisades’ girls with a ninth-place finish in her race with a time of 18:41. The Dolphins open Western League competition with a dual meet against Westchester on September 30 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. * * * * * Palisadian Cami Chapus put her speed and endurance on display once again at the Woodbridge Invitational, finishing third overall among girls sweepstakes race with a time of 16:59. Only Catrina McAlister of Arcadia (16:43) and Mariel Mendoza of J.W. North (16:55), finished with faster times than the Harvard-Westlake High junior who won the Seaside Invitational cross country meet two weeks ago with a time of 18:01.76. Chapus’ Harvard-Westlake teammate Amy Weissenbach was eighth overall in 17:06. Chapus became the school’s first state cross country champion last fall in Fresno, leading the Wolverines to the state Division IV championship in a team-record time of 95:63. In the spring, she was Mission League champion in the 3200 meters and ran on Harvard-Westlake’s 1600 relay at the state prelims.