Sports
Pali Hoops Players Named All-League
Four Lady Dolphins are voted to the First Team; three make the Second Team. LACES seniors share MVP.
Western League girls basketball coaches met to select the 2010-11 All-League team Monday night and seven Palisades High players have made the squad.
Making the First Team were junior point guard and co-captain Ashlie Bruner, senior forward and co-captain Nicole Flyer and junior guard-forwards Skai Thompson and Asia Smith. Flyer led Palisades in blocks while Smith led in rebounds per game.
Bruner, who led the squad in assists and steals, was considered for league Most Valuable Player, but that honor was shared by Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies teammates Ea Shoushtari and Taylor Holeman. Still, Dolphins' coach Torino Johnson left the meeting in good spirits and excited about his program.
Find out what's happening in Pacific Palisadeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"I'm happy that we had seven girls make it," Johnson said. "It goes to show that other coaches in the league recognize their abilities, not just me. I voted for Ea and Taylor as MVPs because they deserved it, but I'm thrilled that Ashlie [Bruner] was in the conversation. She'll have another chance next year."
Second Team honors went to senior guard Kseniya Shevchuk, junior guard-forward Kristen Thomason and sophomore guard Kylie Mizushima. All three girls were key contributors in the playoffs, where Palisades had to make up for the absence of junior center Donae Moguel, who was academically ineligible at the 20-week grade period.
Find out what's happening in Pacific Palisadeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"I was extremely disappointed that Donae didn't make the team because she was our scoring leader, but rules are rules and if you're ineligible you can't be on the team," Johnson said. "They're called student-athletes for a reason and hopefully this sends a message to her--and our other players--to take care of business in the classroom."
By any measure it was a breakthrough season for the Dolphins, who went 25-10 and blitzed through the City Division II playoffs, defeating South East 62-44 in the section final. In the regional tournament, Palisades beat Mark Keppel in the first round and gave heavily-favored Buena a scare before falling in overtime in the quarterfinals.
LACES won the City Small Schools championship, led by Holeman, Shoushtari and senior point guard Kristen Pitpit, also a First Team selection. Holeman has signed with Villanova and Shoushtari has signed with Pepperdine.
