Palisades, Cleveland Win Titles

Whether cutting it close or cruising, the Palisades boys’ and Reseda Cleveland girls’ swim teams won City Section championships -- again -- Wednesday at the Los Angeles Memorial Pool.

Palisades led wire to wire, finishing with 262 points for its fourth boys’ title in a row and 11th overall.

“I think it was amazing,” Palisades senior David Nonberg said. “It’s a great way to close out.”

Paris Hays and Brian Johnson each won two events and, along with Nonberg and Peter Fishler, were members of relay teams that swept all three relay races for 96 points.

Hays won the 50- and 100-yard freestyles in 22.10 and 48.41 seconds. Johnson won the 100 backstroke in 54.83 and the 200 individual medley in 2:01.37.

Runner-up Cleveland had 193 points, and Birmingham finished third with 182, followed by Woodland Hills El Camino Real (128) and Granada Hills (110).

The girls’ title race proved more competitive.

Defending champion Cleveland, which finished with 241 points, had to fight for the victory despite entering the meet with a 31-4 scoring advantage over Palisades, gained when Kelly Gluckman, Maya Ladno and Esther Criss placed third, fifth and sixth in the diving finals last week. Palisades’ only diver, sophomore Ashley Baele, finished ninth.

Palisades scored 223 points, followed by El Camino Real (174), Venice (138) and Granada Hills (116).

The Palisades girls, who were bidding for their 17th title, also were hurt by the disqualification of their 200-free relay team in the preliminaries because of a false start. The Dolphins, who had the best qualifying time, instead had no entry in the finals, which was won by Cleveland in 1:49.87.

In individual performances, Granada Hills sophomore Chris Baier won the boys’ 200 free (1:45.73) and 500 free (4:49.94).

El Camino Real’s Jessica Chen, who won the 50 free and 100 back titles last season, won the 50 free in 24.53 and the 100 free in 53.12.

Van Nuys freshman Claudia Ochotorena won the 100 fly (59.53) and the 100 back (59.39).