By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
As we embark on another exciting year of sports in Pacific Palisades there are so many memorable plays, frantic finishes, record-breaking achievements and storybook endings to look forward to. Before we do so, however, let’s take a trip down memory lane to relive some of the best sports moments of the past 12 months. Here is a countdown of the Palisadian-Post’s Top 10 sports stories in 2017…
10. Tonny Okello Wins Fourth Will Rogers 10K Race
Numerous past winners showed up for the 40th annual Palisades Will Rogers 5/10K Run on the Fourth of July, but there was no time like the present for Tonny Okello, who needed 33 minutes and 28 seconds to complete the course from the Palisades Recreation Center to Will Rogers State Historic Park and back, becoming the first male to win the 10K four years in a row. Eight-time 5K champion and course recordholder Peter Gilmore returned to his hometown to win his age group.
9. Pali High Water Polo Earns Sixth Straight Crown
Up by one goal in the waning moments, the Palisades High boys water polo team needed a big play to keep its dynasty alive and Maximo Speiser made it, stealing the ball with 20 seconds left to preserve a 6-5 victory over Granada Hills in November at Valley College. Maximo also tallied the winning goal off a pass from his older brother Sammy early in the fourth quarter and Oliver Grant scored twice as the Dolphins captured their record sixth straight City championship under Coach Adam Blakis.
8. Dodgers and Orioles Capture PPBA World Series
Trailing by two runs going to the bottom of the sixth inning in the deciding game of the PPBA Bronco Division World Series, the Dodgers rallied to tie it, then Dylan Ardizzone singled with two outs to beat the Orioles 16-15—the 11th come-from-behind win for Jim Ford’s never-say-die team. The Dodgers also prevailed in the Pinto Division, beating the Tigers 11-7. In the Mustang Division, the Orioles escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the final frame to hold off the Phillies, 9-8.
7. Pali High Boys Volleyball Regains Championship
On the same court 12 months earlier, Palisades High’s boys volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to El Camino Real in the City Division I final at Roybal. This time, the Dolphins did not fold under pressure, rather they rose to the occasion, avenging their 2016 defeat with a four-set triumph in May—their 14th section title and second in three years. Playing without Western League MVP Jeff Stuart, the Dolphins were led by Akhil Tangutur (17 kills), Scott Stuart (14) and Miles Partain (12).
6. Pali High Swimmers Reign Supreme at City Finals
The City swim championships might just as well have been dubbed the “Palisades Invitational” as the Dolphins drained all of the drama out of the pool at East LA College by sweepto their fifth straight boys title and eighth straight girls title. Kian Brouwer broke his own finals records in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly and swam on Pali High’s winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Leah Timmerman won the 100 breaststroke for the fourth time and the girls’ 200 medley relay broke the City record.
5. Pali High Tennis Squads Continue City Dynasties
In the spring, Coach Bud Kling led Palisades High’s boys team to its ninth City title in a row and in the fall he piloted the girls to the inaugural Open Division championship. The boys completed the “triple crown” when Lucas Bellamy edged teammate Diego Huttepain to take the Individual singles title and Henry Lovett paired with Lincoln Bellamy to win the doubles title. Caroline Ross and Alex Miller beat teammates Noe Winter and Halsey Hulse to win the girls doubles title at Balboa Sports Center.
4. Tania Fischer Takes Turkey Trot 5K for Fourth Time
Not only did Tania Fischer become the first four-time winner of the Palisades Turkey Trot 5K, she became the only female to beat all the males, taking first place overall in 18:54 on Thanksgiving morning. Nearly 1,300 people participated in the fifth annual race and crossing the finish line first in the 10K was Palisadian Ken Rideout, last year’s runner-up, who clocked 35:02. Nell Stephenson of Marquez Knolls was the leading lady in 42:08.
3. Dustin Johnson Wins Genesis Open by Five Shots
Although engaged to the Great One’s daughter, no golfer was greater than Dustin Johnson at the Genesis Open in February. The 32-year-old from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, played the hallowed course off Capri Drive like a maestro, winning by five shots and ascending to No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings. Johnson shot even par over the final 18 holes at Riviera to finish at 17-under, three behind the tournament record set by Lanny Wadkins in 1985.
2. Pali High Basketball Coach Torino Johnson Resigns
After 10 successful seasons as girls basketball coach at Palisades High, Torino Johnson left over the summer to become an assistant under Cheryl Miller at Cal State LA. Johnson lifted the Dolphins’ program to new heights, racking up 203 wins, earning Coach of the Year honors four times and guiding Palisades to four City crowns: back-to-back Division II titles in 2011-12 and back-to-back Open Division titles in 2015-16. In March, the Dolphins were denied their third straight Open title, losing to Fairfax in overtime.
1. Rec Center Minor All-Stars Win City Hoops Crown
Just call them the Banner Boys. In April, a special group of 9- and 10-year-olds from the Palisades Recreation Center won the City Minor Division championship in Eagle Rock with a 32-26 victory over Shatto Rec Center. Coach Cameron Broumand’s squad, featuring guards Chris Rodriguez, Jaden Russo, Julien Harnoncourt and Johan Stokes, center Kai Klein and forwards Jake Evans, Patrick Csiszar and Luke Broumand, won eight straight games, including a 35-33 triumph over Tarzana in the Valley Region final.
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