Swimmers Look to Sweep City Finals

The Palisades High boys and girls varsity swim teams both put themselves in position to repeat as City Section champions with strong performances in the City preliminary meet last Wednesday at Los Angeles Memorial Pool. The finals were Wednesday at the same site. Senior Cara Davidoff, a three-time winner in the 50 freestyle and two-time City champion in the 100 freestyle, has her sights set on winning new events this season. She qualified with the top times by wide margins in both the 200 freestyle (1:55.35) and 100 butterfly (1:59.40) and hopes to lead the Dolphin girls to a fourth consecutive City title. ‘Cara is a team player,’ Dolphins coach Maggie Nance said. ‘It was better for the team to switch her events and of course she was fine with that. It’s great having her because we know she’s pretty much going to win whatever she swims.’ The Dolphin girls won the 200 freestyle relay, third in the 400 freestyle relay and fourth in the 200 medley relay. In the 200 individual medley, Sheri Dunner was sixth. Julie Wynn was fifth in the 50 freestyle, Patrice Dodd was second and Ashley Jacobs fourth in the 100 freestyle, Dodd was sixth in the 100 backstroke while Chelsea Davidoff was fifth and Dunner sixth in the 100 breaststroke. Former Pali coach Merle Duckett was one of the coordinators of the meet and liked what he saw in his old team. ‘Pali should be right there next week’ he said. ‘But it could be pretty close.’ Pali’s boys, seeking a third straight championship, were second in both the 200 medley relay (1:49.75) and 200 freestyle relay (1:34.99) and third in the 400 freestyle relay (3:32.13). Peter Fishler was fourth in the 200 freestyle, Brian Johnson was fourth in the 200 Individual Medley, David Nonberg and Paris Hays were third and fourth in the 50 freestyle, Daniel Fox was fifth in the 100 butterfly, Nonberg was second and Hays third in the 100 freestyle, Johnson was third and Gavin Jones fifth in the 100 backstroke, Randy Lee was fifth in the 100 breaststroke.