Ten Best Stories of 2025

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

As we look ahead to yet another exciting year of sports in Pacific Palisades, it is time to look back on the memorable plays, record-breaking achievements and storybook endings that gave us thrills, chills, cheers and tears over the past 12 months. Here is a countdown of the Palisadian-Post’s Top 10 sports stories in 2025…

10Henry Didden Three-Peats at Will Rogers Run in Venice
The Palisades Will Rogers Race did not take place at its usual location but that did not deter more than 1,000 runners from waking up early on the Fourth of July, hopping in their cars and driving seven miles to Venice Beach to keep a proud 48-year holiday tradition alive. Proud Palisadians Sam Lagana and Jimmy Dunne reprised their roles as race announcers, City Councilwoman Traci Park offered words of encouragement and two-time defending 10K champion Henry Didden won the 5K.

9Pali High Lacrosse Teams Capture City Titles on Same Day   
For the third consecutive season, Palisades High’s boys and girls lacrosse teams swept the City finals in Woodland Hills, both defeating El Camino Real by nine-goal margins only hours apart to continue the Dolphins’ dynasty in the sport. Will Fishman had four goals for the boys, who won their 10th section title, ninth in a row and fifth straight under coach Dave Bucchino. Elexus Ray scored nine goals for the girls, who claimed their fourth title overall and third straight under Dexter O’Connell.

8Lorenzo Brunkow and Anna Song Win Post Cup Award 
At a Senior Awards Night in June, Palisades High tennis player Lorenzo Brunkow and golfer Anna Song were handed trophies as winners of the Post Cup Award, given annually to the school’s top male and female senior athletes. Brunkow won the City Individual singles title and led the Dolphins to their 16th straight team title. Song captured her third straight City individual title, setting the finals scoring record in the process, and led the Dolphins to their fourth consecutive team crown.

7Pali High Basketball Team Meets Steve Kerr and JJ Redick
Palisades High basketball coach Jeff Bryant and his team were invited to the Lakers-Warriors game February 6 at Crypto.com Arena and after the home team won 120-112 the Dolphins got to meet Golden State coach and 1983 Palisades alum Steve Kerr, his 90-year-old mother Ann, and Lakers coach JJ Redick in the locker room. Each player took home a gift bag with Warriors gear, t-shirts, sweatshirts and Kobe sneakers. Kerr’s childhood home and Redick’s rental  home were both destroyed in the Palisades Fire.

6Pali High Baseball Teams Invited to Dodger Stadium 
April 26 will be remembered as “Dolphins Day” at Dodger Stadium—an experience Palisades High baseball players will never forget. First, JV and varsity members were invited down to field level to watch batting practice, then Jett Teegardin took the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch to Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts. Finally, Ethan Davis, Carter Branch, Lars Refners and Tribe Edwards were handed microphones behind home plate to deliver the familiar line “It’s Time for Dodger Baseball.”

5Veterans Gardens Re-Opens with Bocce Tournament
Exactly eight months to the day the Palisades Fire started members of the Palisades Bocce Club returned to their home courts at Veterans Gardens to play some ball, converse with their friends and celebrate a victory for their town. The 16-team round robin tournament Sept. 7 was hosted by Club founder Jimmy Dunne, who gave a shout-out to Bill McGregor for the hours he spent rebuilding the facility. Councilwoman Traci Park was the inaugural recipient of the “Phoenix of the Palisades” award.

4Pali High Football Plays Senior Night Game at SoFi Stadium 
Every high school footballer dreams of one day playing in an NFL stadium. That dream became a reality for members of the Palisades High varsity team Oct. 30, when they took on Fairfax on Senior Night at SoFi Stadium, the home venue of the LA Rams and Chargers. The Dolphins prevailed 40-33 to wrap up an undefeated regular season and clinch the Western League title. Dylen Smith was honored as “High School Coach of the Week.”

3Pali Rec Minor Hoops Squad Wins Citywide Championship 
The Palisades Recreation Center’s Coed Minor Division All-Star basketball team gave new meaning to “March Madness” by winning the Citywide Tournament with a 36-33 triumph over Pan Pacific. Knox Redick, son of LA Lakers coach JJ Redick, led all scorers with 12 points. Coached by Vijay Srinivasan and John Skinner, the squad of 9- to 11-year-olds went 8-0 in All-Star play with an average victory margin of 30 points per game.

2Live Like Braun Foundation Started after Tennis Player’s Death
The community was stunned when Palisadian Braun Levi, a senior on the Loyola High tennis team who was set to attend the University of Virginia, was killed May 4 by a suspected drunk driver. He was a captain and four-year varsity starter, having just won his fourth straight Mission League doubles championship. His family and the school established the LiveLikeBraun scholarship in his honor and a tennis tournament was held August 9 in Palos Verdes on what would have been his 19th birthday.

1Revamped Turkey Trot Course Attracts Huge Crowd to Village 
Thousands of people packed the Village on Thanksgiving morning to participate in or watch the 11th edition of the Pacific Palisades Turkey Trot. Co-honorary mayors Gigi Rice and Ted McGinley and boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard were in the field of 1,200 and many more ran the race for fun through the Via Bluffs neighborhood—a testament to the spirit of a community that is rebounding from the devastating Palisades Fire in January. Henry Winn won the 5K in the closest finish ever.