As we begin 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, but first let’s quickly look back at some of the best moments from the last 12 months. Here’s a countdown of the Palisadian-Post’s top 10 sports stories in 2014…
10. Pali High Wrestlers Capture City Duals
Three days after taking fourth place at the City Section finals Coach Randy Aguirre’s team won the inaugural dual championships, upsetting San Fernando in the finals. The Dolphins beat host Chavez in the first round, then Alex Smith, Kevin Rosen, Marcelo Maya, Brad Boorstin, Lofton Mason, Kenny Jones and Erik Miranda won their matches in a 138-131 upset of the top-seeded Tigers.
9. Blue All-Stars Reach Pony Super Regionals
It was a magical summer for the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association’s Mustang Blue All-Stars, who won the PONY District and Section titles and went 2-2 at the Super Regionals in San Diego. Consisting of Jack Gurevitch, Henry Roth, Truman Pauley, Holden Gering, Skyler Chang, Jack Bowden, Marty Kaplan, Wylie Wallin, Andrew Citron, Oliver Yi, Owen Roy and Dylan Tatum, head coach Bruce Wallin’s team finished 25-4.
8. Coach Bud Kling Nets 1,000th Tennis Victory
Longtime tennis coach Bud Kling piloted the Palisades High boys team to its 22nd City title and record sixth in a row in May and along the way he notched his 1,000th career win, making him the third prep tennis coach in state history to reach that milestone. Kling has coached the boys since 1979 and coached the girls all but one year from 1984-07, reaching 1,000 victories in just 59 seasons with a .903 winning percentage.
7. Steve Kerr Serves as Parade Grand Marshal
Only weeks after being hired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr returned to his roots to ride as grand marshal in the Fourth of July Parade. It proved to be a sign of good things to come for the former Palisades High basketball standout. In December, the five-time NBA champion and TNT analyst became the first rookie head coach in league history to win 21 of his first 23 games.
6. Pali High Baseball Reaches City Semifinals
Every team tries to peak at the right time and that is exactly what happened to the Palisades High baseball team in the spring. The Dolphins won 18 games and captured the Western League for the sixth time in seven seasons under Coach Mike Voelkel, then edged Sylmar 5-4 in the first round of the City Division I playoffs. Holt Maybank pitched a two-hitter in a 4-0 upset of El Camino Real in the quarterfinals and the season finally ended in a 3-2 defeat to Chatsworth in the semifinals at USC.
5. FC Pali Kicks to State Soccer Championship
A dream season ended in “March Madness” for FC Pali, a local AYSO U10 Boys EXTRA squad, which won the state championship in dramatic fashion, rallying to beat Mt. Diablo 2-1 in overtime in the championship game in Bakersfield in March. Coach Todd Sammann’s squad, consisting of Akseli Kangaslahti, Finn Johnson, Jaxon Marsh, Luke Sammann, Justin Sikola, Will Clark, Eli Weinbach, Joe Borris, Jack Richman, Charlie Goetz and Alex Shane, went 33-5-3.
4. Pali High Lacrosse Wins Inaugural City Title
It is difficult to beat a good team three times in one season, but that’s what the Palisades High boys lacrosse team had to do to become the first official City champion. Thanks to six goals by Nate Galper and 11 saves by Evan Greene the Dolphins defeated host Birmingham 12-7 in the finals. In the inaugural City girls final the same day the Dolphins tallied three goals over the last eight minutes but fell 6-5 to Birmingham.
3. Bubba Watson Wins Northern Trust Open
All it took for Bubba Watson to win his first Northern Trust Open in February was back-to-back rounds of 64 at Riviera Country Club, one of the most challenging courses on the PGA Tour. Against a field that featured 23 of the top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings the 35-year-old from Florida became the first winner to play the final 36 holes bogey-free and ended a 22-month, 41-event drought with a two-shot victory over Dustin Johnson.
2. Marissa Williams Triples at City Track Finals
Heading into the City Section Track & Field Championships, Marissa Williams faced a difficult decision: break her own records in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters or attempt a feat achieved only twice before in the history of the meet — a triple in the distance events. The Palisades High junior opted to go for history and she pulled it off, winning the 800-meter race in 2:12, the 1,600 by over 13 seconds in 4:57 and the 3,200 by nearly 36 seconds in 10:49. Her trifecta helped the Dolphins finish third in team competition.
1. Metta World Peace Coaches Pali High Hoops
No sports story in the Palisades drew more national attention last year than former Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest) announcing he had joined the Palisades High girls basketball program as an assistant coach in June. World Peace worked with the Dolphins’ players throughout the summer, mostly at UCLA, before signing with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association in August. In 15 games with the club, he averaged 19 points and six rebounds. His son Ron Artest III, plays on Pali High’s boys team.
— Steve Galluzzo
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