Pali High Girls Golfers Qualify for City Finals

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The last week has been full of firsts for the Palisades High girls golf team.

After runner-up finishes in this year’s first five City 3 League matches the Golfin’ Dolphins won their first league match since the program was reinstated by Coach James Paleno last season.

The match was held at Balboa Golf Course, not Penmar, where the previous league matches were played.

Perhaps the change of venue meant victory was in the cards for Palisades, which shot a collective 273 over nine holes to top second-place Venice by five strokes. LACES came in third with a total of 343.

“It was a crazy finish and originally I was told we lost by five strokes, but as it turned out we won by five,” said Paleno, who  has led the Pali High boys team to three straight City titles. “I’m not used to finishing in second place. We’ve shown steady improvement and this is our first league victory so it’s a great accomplishment.”

Junior Maury Marin was Palisades’ low scorer for the second time this fall, shooting a 14-over par 52.

Freshman Melanie Matayoshi shot a 53, junior Camila Paleno and senior Alegra Gurian each  shot a 56, captain Izzy Simmons and Sophia Eberlein (who was third at league finals last year) each shot a 58, Abby Brown (a freshman from Corpus Christi School) shot a 59 and returner Carly Weitz fired a 68.

Kara Temena from University shot a 4-over 42 to earn medalist honors.

On Monday, Paleno was told that his team had achieved another first as one of four teams to qualify for next Monday’s City Section Championships, where the Golfin’ Dolphins will go against Venice, Granada Hills and North Hollywood, also at Balboa. First tee times are at 8:30 a.m. The team with the lowest five scores is the champion. Should two or more teams tie, sixth golfers’ scores will be used to determine the winner.

“The criteria was established by the City Athletics office,” Paleno said.

Last season, Palisades didn’t make the City team finals, nor did anyone qualify as an individual.

The Golfin’ Dolphins seek yet another first today at league finals, an 18-hole match at Balboa.