Pali, Granada Hills Take L.A. City High School Champs

BELMONT SHORES, Cal. AN old axiom states:
Freshmen should be seen but not heard."

Try telling that to Palisades High froshwoman Cara Davidoff. The Dolphin rookie was heard from plenty tonight in the finals of the Los Angeles City Swimming and Diving Championships at the Belmont Plaza Olympic
Pool, splashing to wins in the 50-100 frees while helping lead her team to a 287-260 upset win over Woodland Hills El Camino Real. Third was Reseda
Cleveland (146) with Granada Hills (126) fourth.

Granada Hills, home of former USC All-America/Olympian Kristine Quance-Julian and a certain future Hall of Fame NFL quarterback named Elway — who, as a prep baseball player helped guide the 1978 Highlanders to the City title — had won the last six girls' championships.

Granada Hills won the boys' division with its 222-148 triumph over Pali. Van Nuys Birmingham (139) and Cleveland (134) followed. Venice, which had won six straight boys' titles, was seventh.

Rookie Davidoff won the sprints in prs of 24.52 -54.13), led off the Dolphins' victorious 200 free relay and anchored the winning 400 free quartet.

Davidoff was Pali's only individual winner. However, combined with their two relay titles and a runner-up finish to El Camino in the 200 medley relay, the Dolphins claimed their 15th girls' championship.

The only other dual winner was Cleveland's Amy Jones, who stroked to titles in the 500 free (5:06.77) and the 100 back (1:00.60 to El Camino's Elizabeth Imai's 1:00.95). Granada Hills' Jennifer Ward came close, winning the 200 IM (2:11.67) and taking second in the 100 fly).

El Camino's Nicole Shattuck (200 free, 1:59.21); Granada Hills' Hitomi Aiharra (100 breast, 1:10.25) and Grant's Shushani Matevosian (100 fly, 1:00.12) were the other individual winners.

Quance still holds City records in the 100 breast (1:01.79) and 200 IM (1:59.53), both from the '93 meet here. Cleveland's Jones holds a quartet of City records herself — 50-100 frees (23.54-50.59) both set as a
sophomore two years ago); plus the 200 free (1:49.95) and 100 fly (58.27) done at last season's Championship.

The Highlander boys were led by sprinter Steve Park, who won the 50 free (22.74) and was on a pair of championship relays (200 medley-400 free). Teammate William Saier (5:03.01) was fastest in the 500 free, as was Tony Kim in the 100 back (1:02.60).

Kennedy's Keun Rhee was a doubler in the 100-200 frees (48.44-1:46.15) and El Camino's Brett Brown followed suit in the 100 breast-200 IM (59.45-1:57.59). Cleveland's Leon Chavez's 57.02 won the 100 fly and
Pali's 1:37.71 was fastest in the 200 medley relay.

— Bill Bell

(complete results may be found @ www.socalswim.org)

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