High School State Swimming Championships: CIF Los Angeles City

LOS ANGELES, California, May 22. THE Palisades Charter Dolphins swept the team titles at the CIF-Los Angeles City High School Swimming and Diving Championships May 14-17. Prelims were held May 14 and finals were conducted May 17, both at East Los Angeles College. A separate diving competition was held May 15 at L.A. Valley College.

Girls
The Dolphins claimed their fourth straight title in convincing fashion, scoring 558 points to runner-up Cleveland's 286. Granada followed closely in third with 271 points, with San Pedro fourth (205) and Venice fifth (189).

Palisades' 200 medley relay team set the only CIF division record on the girls side with their 1:55.29, put together by sophomore Natalia Herhandez, junior Jayme Rossi, freshman Lily Carthan and senior Mardell Ramirez.

Palisades went on to sweep the freestyle relay events as well. In the 200 free relay, senior Allie Vitous, sophomore Alexis Wang combined with juniors Evelina VanNorden and Sohini Deva for a 1:44.23; junior Ellen Silka joined Vitous, Wang and Ramirez to capture the 400 free relay in 3:46.26.

Ramirez claimed individual titles in both the 100 free (53.69) and 100 back (59.40), and
Vitous added two more victories for the Dolphins with her 1:56.46 in the 200 free and 5:14.99 in the 500 free. Carthan held off Venice freshman Iris Jacobs in the 100 fly, 1:02.22 to 1:02.26.

Hannah Van Houten, a junior at El Camino, was another double-event champion, posting times of 2:16.13 in the 200 IM and 1:09.18 in the 100 breast. Van Houten's teammate, Ciara Monahan, put together 533.20 points to win the diving competition. Venice junior Ariahn Givens topped the field in the 50 free with her 25.56.

Boys
The Cleveland Cavaliers were gunning for their eighth straight divisional championship. They fell short, placing second (425 points) to Palisades' 468. Granada Hills claimed third with 261 points, with Venice and San Pedro tying for fourth with 186.

Cleveland senior Yoessef Tibazi was the boys's star of the meet. He set a division record 49.96 in winning the 100 fly and added a second triumph with his 21.39 in the 50 free. He swam on the Cavaliers' division record-setting 200 medley relay (1:38.14) with classmates Justin Hopgood, Ryan Saletta and Abel Velasquez.; and anchored the victorious 400 free relay with seniors Brian Federov, Evin Lilly and Velazquez (3:16.95).

In individual competition, Hopgood's 55.55 earned him first place in the 100 back, and Saletta came in first in the 100 breast (1:01.10).

Palisades' victory was due to its depth. Brandon Yong, a freshman, doubled in the distance free events (200 free, 1:45.74; 500 free, 4:48.46), and junior Tristan Marsh's 1:58.19 earned him the victory in the 200 IM.

The all-junior quartet of San Sanchez, Kent Sasagawall, Jorge Camarillo and Ben Towar finished first for Granada Hills in the 200 free relay with their 1:30.55.

Venice junior Dillon Tooley picked up a win in the 100 free (49.37), and classmate Ben Van Aken was this year's diving champion, scoring 400.35 points.

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