LACE UP 23-24

Taizo Nakayama/ Leilani Krantz

LACE UP

Naomi Iroajanma

Penhasi

Eddy Ju

Lucas Lee/ Roan Pennoyer

Mia Braufman

Charlotte Panofsky

India Quan-Kep/ Kai Spatzier

Willa

Garrett Lind/ Apollo Simeran

Catie Orr

Berenice Dominguez/ Atticus Stevenson

Ethan Santi Martinez

Cai Bloom Furedi

Soccer

Zakia Ponce

Nakayama

THE ROSTER EDITORS’ NOTE

This year's LACE UP is a little different - more photos, longer pieces, and a new award entitled The Golden Horn. This is an annual honor presented to two athletes every year in honor of their athletic achievements and leadership in their communities. Please join us in celebrating these Unicorns who have dedicated themselves to LACES athletics. It’s been awesome graduating from the same

school not once, but twice! This past year, we’ve worked hard to bring you stories from our talented LACES athletes and capture snapshots of their efforts on and off the field/court/ pool. Please enjoy!

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF:

Taizo Nakayama, Leilani Krantz

WRITERS:

Eddy Ju, India Quan-Kep, Berenice Dominguez

Willa Queen-Yglesias, Naomi Iroajanma, Roan Pennoyer, Ethan Martinez, Zakia Ponce, Mia Braufman, Catie Orr, Lucas Lee, Cai Bloom Furedi, Kayla Penhasi, Apollo Simeran, Henry Stein, Garrett Lind, Charlotte Panofsky, Kai Spatzier, Atticus Stevenson

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Taizo Nakayama, Leilani Krantz, Lucas Lee

ARTISTS:

Lucas Lee

SPECIAL THANKS:

Kylie Monterosso, Mia Orr, Nikki Derdzinske

DONOVAN CORNELIUS

Cornelius celebrated his 1000- point career mark this season, with an offer from Pacific University Oregon. Boys varsity Head Coach David Trujeque predicted his legacy to be the “greatest player in LACES history" at the 2024 boys basketball senior night.

Cornelius is a leader of few words and big actions. "Ian and Ryan [the other co-captains] are more vocal, but I'm able to lead the team as an example and bring the team together," he said.

He received the Most Outstanding Player award among the Western League All League Teams as boys basketball made a historic attempt to win the LA City Section Open Division title this season.

KATIE CHIBA

Standing as #1 on the court and in points and steals per game, Chiba is a force to be reckoned with on the LACES Girls Basketball team. A basketball player since kindergarten, Chiba led the team this past year as a captain, playing one last season for the LACES squad.

Recording 16.8 points per game, 2.8 steals per game, and 402 points total, she led the team in all three categories. She was named a part of the CIF Los Angeles All-City Division I 1st team.

When asked how she’s been such a spotlight player, Chiba credited her success to “Practicing and hard work,” adding “the grind don’t stop.”

GALA

IT’S A REMATCH:

LACES GIRLS VOLLEYBALL REFLECTS ON REVENGE AGAINST GALA

Story by Eddy Ju

After a challenging but ultimately rewarding 2023-2024 season, the LACES Girls

Volleyball team can look back fondly on a season of growth and success. This year, the team promoted to Division II after placing second in the Division III city playoffs last year and adjusted to the change quickly.

In league games, the varsity team had a record of 8 wins and 4 losses. In addition, they had an impressive 8-3 record in tournament games and secured the silver division title in the Venice 36th Annual Classic Invitational tournament. They won the CIF LA City Section DII Championship against GALA High School and qualified for the California Division V State Playoffs but lost in the semifinals against Orangewood Academy.

VS.

Players said their renewed focus on developing better communication and trust on the court contributed to the team’s success.

“One of my favorite things about the team is how well we know each other. Not just as people, but as players,” said Lia Berkovich, senior and starting outside hitter. “It’s important to be aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses — that way, we can fill in the gaps and support each other constantly.”

Minji Kim, junior and varsity co-captain, said the girls’ teamwork improved significantly this year.

“This year, our team has felt like one big unit,” said Kim. “The biggest improvement I’ve noticed is that we’ve learned the importance of working together and playing smart. Knowing that not every ball has to be a kill and you have your teammates’ support if you mess up has improved our gameplay.”

Upon the end of the league season, the varsity team placed in the 2023 CIF LA city section DII playoffs as the second seed out of 21 teams. LACES started off hot as they quickly blew past Roosevelt High School and Franklin High School in three sets. Next, they faced Eagle Rock High School in the semifinals and won in

LACES

three tough sets. With this win, LACES moved on to the finals and challenged GALA, the school that beat them last year in the DIII championship game.

The team was motivated to work harder knowing that they would have to face GALA again in the tournament finals.

“Since I played at the championship game last year, knowing that we’ve made it again brings back a lot of ambivalent feelings,” said Kim. “I’ve used last year’s experience as fuel to drive my determination to win, since I don’t want to have the feeling of regret again.”

The championship game against GALA was the defining moment of the 2023-2024 season for the LACES Girls Volleyball team. LACES won in four hardfought sets, securing the DII championship.

“This year, we had a clear goal that we’ve worked hard towards all season,” said Berkovich. “Having that rematch against GALA dangling in front of our faces gave us an insane amount of drive and it really pulled the team together. This game was such a full-circle moment for us. I was especially happy that it was GALA we beat and not any other team, because we really proved ourselves and dedicated the win to last year’s seniors.”

After winning the championship, LACES moved onto the CIF California Division V State Playoffs. Their first game was against Hesperia Christian School and LACES pulled through with a win in five sets. They then beat Villanova Prep in four sets, moving onto the semifinals against Orangewood Academy. Despite losing the first two sets, the team pushed through and won the next two sets before losing the final set by 2 points. This marked the end of the team’s successful season.

“My bond with this team is irreplicable. I feel like as a senior I’m a role model, and I’m proud I can be someone that others look up to,” said Berkovich. “Even so, I’ve learned a lot from everyone else too — in their technique and skill, but also their passion and rigor.”

RECORDS BROKEN BY THE ‘23 TEAM

PREVIOUS RECORD NEW RECORD

15 season-total wins 23 season-total wins

71% win percentage

1 championship appearance in two years

72% win percentage

2 championship appearances in two years

2023 LACES Girls Varsity Volleyball faces GALA @ Venice High.

Photos by

Taizo Nakayama

HISTORY MADE.

1000-POINT PLAYER. 6 WESTERN LEAGUE ALL-TEAM PLAYERS. FIRST OPEN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP RUN IN SCHOOL HISTORY.

Story by Mia Braufman

The 2023-2024 LACES Boys Basketball team felt they had something to prove this season. After a losing season last year, they were determined to turn it around. They did just that, finishing with a 17-10 overall record and 7-5 for 3rd place in their Western division. Led by their captain, senior Donovan Cornelius, the team was the 8th seed heading into the Los Angeles City Section Division 1 playoffs.

In mid-January, the team had a 12-9 record with 6 games remaining. This was a crucial point in their season as these games were against some tough opponents including Palisades. With the season in the balance, the team went on a roll, going 5-1 in those final 6 games.

Donovan credits a solid team effort, “We’re definitely more comfortable this year. The chemistry’s definitely better this year with the whole team.”

Feeding off the strong stretch ending the season, LACES began the playoffs against the #1 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. The game went into overtime and LACES upset the top-seeded Cavaliers 59-52. It was the biggest victory of the season. The Unicorns next faced the #5 seeded Chatsworth Chancellors.

Assistant Coach Mr. Kevin Blue had only positive comments regarding the team.

“The leadership of our senior captains was outstanding,” said Blue. “They're just a team who

learned to never quit.”

Indeed, during the Los Angeles City Section Open Division semifinal against Chatsworth High School, Senior forward Ryan Conner made an impressive 3-pointer to tie the game at 49-49 with 3.8 seconds left. He then made a 3-pointer from the corner, winning the game 52-49. Sports Illustrated’s High School channel featured Conner’s 3-pointer buzzer-beater as a candidate for a national play of the week. Conner was voted the national play of the week by an overwhelming majority.

Conner has been very happy with the LACES team’s performance this season.

“This season’s been going pretty well, we’ve been breaking a lot of records for the school, and I genuinely think this is the best we’ve ever been.” He agreed with his co-captain Cornelius about the team’s chemistry, “The chemistry between everyone has built up for the past 2 or 3 years…”

More importantly, his teammates who are new to the varsity team have fit in well. “Especially the guys who it’s their first time being on varsity, it's really easy for them to mesh with us,” Conner said.

LACES Boys Basketball advanced to the Open Division championships and faced King/Drew Magnet High School. Despite a hard-fought match and record-breaking turnout from the LACES crowd, the Unicorns fell to the Golden Eagles 45-51.

The LACES crowd cheers on Boys Basketball at their Open Division championship. Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

AN UNPRECEDENTED RUN

Senior Ryan Conner stares down a King/Drew player.

Junior Emmanuel Duru drives to the basket.

Teammates hype up senior Ian Hunter after a taken charge.

All photos by Taizo Nakayama.

Senior Ryan Conner rallies the LACES crowd.

Coach David Trujeque directs the team.

The boys basketball team poses at their senior night.

BOYS TENNIS

Story by Charlotte Panofsky

The boys tennis season was a great success this year. Making it all the way to win Division I CIF championship finals took more than just skill. Coach Mr. Phillip Chung says that the players’ support for their teammates was greatly improved from previous years.

“For matches, I like how this year they're actually supporting each other, like in previous years, they would just play video games while other people were playing, but this year they’re watching and supporting each other, and I think it’s really nice,” said Chung. Varsity captain Sean Cho has also noticed the improvement in camaraderie.

“Yeah, I've noticed they've grown some stronger bonds together, more connected, and they've grown the chemistry,” said Cho.

Sophomore and number one player Dominic Patel agreed.

“The team chemistry is really great,” said Patel. “Honestly, it feels like a family… I like just hanging out with my teammates, and we all cheer on the other people playing, and the bus rides are al-

ways fun going there, and it’s just a good time."

Chung said the players took the team more seriously this year as well.

“Something I’ve been appreciating a lot about practice this year in particular is that practice this year is a lot more serious about tennis,” said Chung.

“I think our team has definitely gotten a lot better,” said sophomore Vander Delman. “We take it more seriously now. Everyone's coming to games. Everyone's coming to practice. We all want to improve.” Dominic Patel agrees, saying the team has a different mentality and better motivation than in years past.

“I think that since a lot of us improved over summer, we kind of motivated the rest of the team to also better their tennis game. So now I think everyone's better, and we actually believe we could win the CIF Division I playoffs. It's a different mentality.” The team agrees that Mr. Chung’s motivational coaching is the key factor in the team’s improvement.

“Mr. Chung is supportive, and he's also just very fun. He makes it an encouraging environment, and he's kinda like a kid on the court, which makes it just fun,” said Patel. “Mr. Chung is always with us, supporting us, and pushing us to be better,” said Delman.

The boys tennis seniors celebrate their DI win.

Photo by Willa Queen-Yglesias.

Boys tennis takes on Van Nuys.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama

GIRLS TENNIS

50% Beginners. 100% City Champions.

Story by Willa Queen-Yglesias

Girls Tennis aced this season’s Division II finals against Banning High School, smashing their way to the top. After numerous games against Western league schools including Venice High School, Palisades Charter High School and Hamilton High School, they had served them all away.

“The big thing that was really shocking was we went up against Pali, and we went 3-4, and they’re the best team in the league by far, so we did really really good,” said Girls Tennis Coach Philip Chung at the first game of the season against Palisades Charter.

“The season was really fun — lots of camaraderie on the team, community, connections,” said sophomore Samara Wittenburg. “I’m looking forward to next year because I like hanging out with the team, getting better at tennis, and eating all the yummy snacks that people bring.”

The season started off with more players than ever before: 31 people showed up for tryouts, half of them with no prior tennis experience.

“At the end of the season, we got down to 20 players that were really really focused on tennis,” said Chung. “I’m actually very proud of their progress. Two of the freshmen have never picked up a racket until this year. Played in their playoff matches, and one of them was a singles player for playoffs. Which means they were one of our top four players, she played four matches and won two of the four, for the City League championships semi-finals,” said Chung.

The girls tennis team’s improvement was even noticed by other teams’ coaches, although Chung remained humble about his contributions.

“I even had other coaches come up to me saying, ‘I don’t know what you did,’” recalled Chung. “I knew I wasn’t the one doing much because all I did was watch them. They’ll go out there and practice, and all I do is

stay as late as they want to. Then they’ll practice until 6:00-6:15.”

He expressed his “exceptional pride” of the girls’ team for their dedication to practice.

“They did incredible work," said Chung. “They really just worked hard over the past couple months. They really transformed from complete nerds, complete beginners, to tennis players.”

Chung wasn’t the only one who helped this year’s girls tennis team win city championships. Team co-captains Sophie Gopen, Kylie Monterosso and Naomi Patel focused on bringing the team together, especially given the influx of new players this year.

“We worked together to foster this insane environment that unified the whole team,” said Gopen about the team’s spirit. “It was like a family.”

This inclusive environment allowed beginners to learn and provided a support network for the team.

“When I was a freshman, I would be really scared to join sports,” said Gopen. “But I think that the girls tennis team does a really good job of just being a really inclusive environment. So I’m just so proud of all the freshmen stepping up, and I saw so much improvement.”

The girls tennis team poses with their DII City Championship trophy.

Photo courtesy of Tiffany Carter.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Story by Catie Orr

sion 1 Championship.

During the 2023-2024 LACES Girls

Baskeball season, the Unicorns went 10-15 overall, and 5-7 in the Western League. Led by captains Katie Chiba and Haley Kaneshiro, the team was the 4th seed in the Los Angeles City Section Division 1 Playoffs, but ultimately lost to Arleta High School in the second round. The team underwent a coaching change, from Jelani Bandele to Alex Wilson, after a loss in overtime in last year’s City Section Divi-

“Our team went through a rough season with having a new coach and starting after losing our section championship,” said sophomore small forward Sincere Aubrey.

Still, the team had some notable highlights, including two wins against Santa Monica High School and two wins against Venice High School. Senior point guard Katie Chiba averaged 16.5 points per game, which was the 11th highest in the City Section and 1st in the Western, and scored 347 points overall.

The team steps out onto the court.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

Sophomore small forward Sincere Aubrey averaged 13.6 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. Freshman point guard and younger sister of last year’s team captain Maya Sano, Mila Sano averaged 10.3 points and 2.2 assists per game.

“Mila, our freshman, has made a huge impact coming on our team for her first year,” said sophomore player Sadie Tankel.

Off the court, the team bonded and stuck together throughout the season, which spans from November to February, even through hardships.

“We got through it as a team with being friends off the court and holding each other accountable,” said Aubrey.

Another factor behind their on the court success was their seniors, Katie Chiba, Kailyn Yoshimi, Gabrielle Walters, and Haley Kaneshiro.

“Leadership from our seniors has helped the team so much. It has really given me and the other underclassmen something to strive for and hope to be like next year,” said Tankel.

Congratulations LACES Girls Basketball on a very competitive 2023-2024 season! Looking to next season, the Unicorns will lose some key point scorers, but this team is young and talented, and is likely to keep in contention with the rest of the City Section, with more development of their young players.

}

HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON, I’VE GOT TO SAY, IS GETTING TO PLAY ONE LAST YEAR WITH MY TEAMMATES I LOVE SO MUCH. ~

- Katie Chiba ‘24, Captain

} WE CONSTANTLY ENCOURAGED EACH OTHER TO IMPROVE ON OUR BASKETBALL SKILLS. ~

- Haley Kaneshiro ‘24, Captain -

BOYS SOCCER

Story by Ethan Santi Martinez

LACES boys soccer went 7-9-2 during their 2023-2024 season. They also made it to the second round of the playoffs. The energy and spirit that the season brought had both highs and lows, but ultimately left the team with optimism for the future.

“Our team was always enthusiastic when they came to practice, energy on the field was always high, and people wanted to play,” said senior co-captain Amir Edwards. The players’ passion for the game fueled the LACES soccer team. “We enjoy playing soccer and enjoy being around each other,” said Edwards.

The first game of the season was a 9-0 win over Westchester. “It set our expectations for the season,” said Edwards.

“It was a great way to start the season off and get a couple of goals,” said top scorer and junior Macsen Hayden.

The arrival of a new coach left anticipation for the upcoming season. “Everyone was excited. We had a new coach. The vibe was good. We started off the season strong couple of wins,” said Hayden. Yet, there was a period of adjustment. “It was a little bit awkward, everyone was kind of getting to know each other,” said Hayden.

The season had its ups and downs. While the team experienced losses, the focus was on the victories and momentum they brought. “The first playoff game was a penalty shootout, and we won and everyone was just happy,” said Hayden.

Even with these victories and defeats, Coach Daniel Behrendt emphasized how “having fun underlies everything.” While the season ended with a tinge of disappointment, they are looking at next year with hope. “Pretty young, so they got a good foundation and a good future,” said Edwards.

GIRLS SOCCER

Story by Zakia Ponce

by Taizo Nakayama

The LACES Girls Soccer team demonstrated their joint chemistry and determination closing out the 2023-2024 season. Finishing 3rd in the Western League and ranking 24th in the Los Angeles City Section. Although with the loss of the starting seniors and head coach last season, the LACES Girls soccer team continued to persevere and enjoy the environment on the field.

With a spot needing to be filled for the 20232024 Girls Soccer season, LACES history teacher Ms. Cecilia Portillo stepped up. Portillo expressed how it was very natural even though it can often be challenging to adjust to being the new coach.

“I feel as though I saw the right person for the job and I think I know this team better than most,” said Portillo. “This season has been very successful, quite honestly. There were a lot of new players who stepped up in new leadership positions and trying to stay consistent with the winning seasons of the past.”

As the captain of the LACES Girls Soccer team, senior Isabel Stutz was satisfied with the season results. “I feel really good about this year’s season,” said Stutz. “Everyone who showed up put in effort in every practice and every game. It was just a joy to get to play with these people who care so much about this program.”

Although there were a few more losses this season, the team found ways to find the positive aspects of the game and thought of it as a challenge to better themselves as a team.

“I think the best game we played was the away Palisades High School game,” said senior Alyssa Romano. “We lost 2-7. But the first half was rough. As for the second half, we tried and scored two goals, which was crazy. I feel like this game showed us that we could play together and play well.”

Portillo agreed that the match defined the team’s playstyle and dedication to the program.

“The Pali game, I think, would go down as one of those identifying moments of the season. The girls dug deep,” said Portillo. “I think we showed who we are as a team in that game. The results weren’t what we wanted, but the way that we played and the way that we faced challenges is very representative of who we are.”

Despite the ups and downs of this year’s Girl’s Soccer season, all the girls enjoyed the environment and the chemistry that was built during the time on the field.

“I am excited to see what the Girls Soccer program does in the future,” said Stutz. “And I can’t wait to watch and keep up.”

Freshman Alice Brantley prepares for a corner kick.

Photo

CROSS COUNTRY

Story by Naomi Iroajanma

This year’s cross country team worked hard and it paid off, concluding this season with a bang with the chances of going to the championships/semifinals. They have become stronger than ever with lots of practice, cheers, and support from their teammates.

“We have a really strong team. My teammates are getting faster and building more endurance. So far I think that this season has been really good,” said junior Jo Bernstein, team captain. “I help [push] them during practice and races.”

Cross country isn’t an easy sport: Practices involve running in different terrains for miles.

“Cross country is running courses of 3 miles or 5k (kilometers). For the most part, we run different terrains like asphalt, concrete, dirt, and grass. We also run up and down hills,” said Coach Herbert Fuller. “Most of the time, we run all over Los Angeles to places like Griffith Park, near Pierce College, and around the streets of LACES.”

However, running cross country has its benefits, according to veteran runners.

“I’ve been doing cross since freshman year. I keep on coming back because it is good conditioning for my soccer season or any sport,” said junior Katelin Nichols. “It’s not competitive because you compete

against yourself and not others. Competitors are cheering for everyone, not just your own team.”

The team has a young lineup with promising potential this year, according to Fuller.

“We have a team of young men this year, mostly ninth graders and two juniors. The girls’ side is also relatively young, we do have two senior girls. But we should be in the semifinals for both boys and girls,” said Fuller.

Their talent has exceeded expectations in a way that even coaches couldn’t believe. “We have phenomenal young men this year like David Gonzalez, Noah Bernstein, Tobin Tyler, and more. We have a very collective group that is going to shine. We might be city champions down the line in a year or two,” said Assistant Coach Paul Luevano. “We have two girl contenders, Leila Reither and Laura Rivera, who could make it to the championships.”

Senior Leila Reither, one of the two seniors who qualified for the championships, has run cross country since sophomore year. “Throughout [the years], I’ve improved my endurance and my skills. I’ve enjoyed cross country so far and now being a senior has inspired me to push myself more,” said Reither. “I’m super excited to be one of the qualifiers to go to states this year, so I’m training so I can get to state championships.”

The cross country team celebrates their graduating seniors after a race. Photo courtesy of LACES Cross Country.

TRACK & FIELD

Story by Kayla Penhasi

The LACES Track and Field Team has accomplished astonishing success and standing within the league throughout the 2024 track season. With about ten qualifiers for the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Prelims, Coach Herbert Fuller, coaching at LACES since 2008, has led a team made primarily of lowerclassmen this season to the finals.

“This year, we have about ten qualifiers for the city prelims and city competition,” said Fuller. “I’m excited – we’re a young team – we have no senior boys. We have three senior girls, and one is qualified for city, and we have two sophomores that have qualified for city.”

With players whose skills amount to the achievements of being city finalists and state qualifiers, according to Fuller, the team has been competing excellently with other challenging teams.

“We are competing against some very big teams in our league,” said Fuller. “Palisades is usually the dominant team. We’ve competed well against them. Hamilton is another big team, and Venice. We are right in there with those teams, we can compete with them.”

As the majority of the athletes on this season’s track and field team are younger athletes, they lacked some experience as compared to other teams in the league – but this challenge did not halt them from competing head-to-head with the others. Instead, their individual standouts helped the team keep their standing.

“We don’t have the depth, but we do have individual standouts that compete hand in hand with them,” said Fuller. “We got up for Palisades, Uni, and Westchester. I think we showed a lot of promise.”

For later seasons, Fuller anticipates challenging the team even further to strengthen their skills, combating any shortcomings in these earlier seasons while the team was still gaining familiarity with the sport –though, the team did not particularly have meets where they largely struggled.

“We have a young team – I’m always building, and have got to encourage them that they can do it,” said Fuller. “And the next season, if they’re back, I can add to the base that they’ve already started to build on

– looking forward to it. The first years, they’re basically learning. The second year I’ll demand more, I’ll be more demanding so they get better.”

The season was fulfilling for Fuller, as a coach, as well.

“Just seeing the kids compete – that’s been my favorite. Seeing them compete, showing up and competing. I just look over the season, and just seeing those kids that make goals, that achieve goals were the proudest moments.”

With the closing of the 2024 track and field season, the student-athletes pulled through, consistently ready and eager to contend against the rest of the league.

“I think the key is we’re ready to run,” said Fuller. “That’s one thing that was amazing that I like about this squad. They were ready to run, they came to compete, and I stress that you’ve got to compete. And they showed up.”

Finn Graebner leaps over a hurdle. Photo courtesy of Tanishtha Kawankar.

WATER Recapping

GIRLS

STORY BY LUCAS LEE

The LACES Girls Water Polo team preserved through the 2023-2024 winter season. Despite facing challenges in leadership, the girls were able to endure and rely on each other through teamwork and communication, achieving a final record of 6-4.

“It was great how the girls fought back from an early deficit. They came out with a victory, it showed great resilience and perseverance,” said LACES athletic director Mr. Marlon Shows, who substituted for the January 22nd game as their coach.

The team formed close bonds, creating an almost newfound sisterhood and family.

“We know we aren't the best sometimes but we make sure to have fun," said 9th grader Jael Santos. "So in the end, you are tired, but you had fun in the end."

9th grader Jade Cerritos chimed in while

Captain Sophie Gopen poses for the camera.

by Lucas Lee.

advocating for more people to join girls water polo saying “The new team is cool, everyone's good. Everyone's older though so it's like next year we will have a limited number of players, so if anyone wants to join you know everyone is welcome, but it's good and fun.”

Communication played a significant role in winning their second game of the season, and in developing a team bond.

“I think one way that our team improved this season was communication," said senior and captain Sophie Gopen. "Especially at the beginning of the season, there was a lack of team chemistry, and it was hard for us to communicate in the water. But throughout the season, with practice, we definitely worked on communicating in the water and working on our passes, and that allowed us to become more united as a team."

Photo

WATER POLO

2023-2024

STORY BY ROAN PENNOYER

In the face of adversity, the LACES Boys Water Polo Team reached new heights as their season broke school records. While they were yet again without a coach and faced technical challenges with the pool, boys water polo is proud of their season and recognizes their significant efforts despite the troubles they faced.

The beginning of the season was a mysterious time for the team, who were without a coach. However, first-time water polo coach Sherry Stewart stepped up to fill the position. “I learned a lot from them this season,” said Stewart. Co-captains Isaiah Parks and Kevin Kim took on bigger leadership roles in games and practices in the absence of a seasoned coach as they had previously. As they progressed through the season, the team built bonds with each other and their new coach, creating a strong team dynamic.

Beginning with a 13-7 win over Van Nuys was a promising start to a season of ups and downs. Soon after, the pool heater broke, rendering many

} IF I VISIT IN A YEAR, I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE BULKED UP. ~

-Leonardo Ziegler ‘24

practices obsolete. Factors like such contributed to a few challenging losses against big teams like Palisades and San Pedro, and the LACES season concluded with 5 wins and 6 losses.

However, of their 5 wins, 3 were part of the boys’ impressive playoff run, solidifying their ability as a clutch team after a tough regular season.

The 2023-24 team boasts being the first LACES water polo team to reach Division I city-section semi-finals, which they lost in a harrowing defeat versus El Camino Real, 14-9.

“We managed to make LACES history,” said co-captain Isaiah Parks. “Overall it was a really good season, we did the best with what we had and had a good time.”

“I think it was a definitely a high note--we went out with a bang,” agreed Leonardo Ziegler ‘24. “I hope that I was a good role model for the players next year, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.”

Captain Kevin Kim prepares to take a shot.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Kim.

FLAG FOOTBALL

The beginning of the new school year also brought about a new sports team to take part in. LACES brought in a new flag football team and they took the year by storm. Coached by Ms. Adrianna Van, the team took the school by storm as they rallied up girls from 9th to 12th grade to give their competitors games that they will never forget.

Story by India Quan-Kep

“Although there are still improvements to do, the fact that the girls were able to go out there and participate in an all-new sport is something amazing,“ said team manager Jadyn Burnett. The team being a brand new addition to the LACES agenda, there were definitely difficulties that they faced with being completely new to the sport, some having never played before.

“We definitely progressed as the season went on and continued playing games,” said 12th grader and team captain Alyssa Navarro Zamarripa.

The girls team proved to rise up in their skills as they went from never playing the game before to going against big teams like San Pedro and more. While the team was unable to progress much in their season against their competitors, they were able to pave the way for the students interested in taking part in the coming years.

SWIM & DIVE

This year, the LACES swim and dive team was early off the wall from the get go. They worked hard, with 10 of their swimmers qualifying for the CIF Championship Swim Meet on May 4th at the Los Angeles Valley College.

“It was a little nerve wracking because there was a lot of competition,” noted senior Leonardo Ziegler. “But we persevered.”

His sentiment rang true with the team accruing some major accomplishments, most notably from sophomore Iris Paek who earned 3rd

Story by Kai spatzier

Place in the Girls 50 Yard Freestyle and 1st Place in Girls 100 Yard Backstroke.

The team qualified for a number of other events such as the Boys and Girls respective 200 Yard Medleys and other individual events. “Although I feel like we performed very well, there’s definitely room for improvement,” said Ziegler. Their performance was complemented by Coach Sherry Stewart’s exemplary coaching “Thanks to Ms. Stewart’s coaching, we got through rough moments,” said Ziegler.

Girls flag football prepares for a match.

Photo courtesy of Gabriel Guemez.

SOFTBALL

T he The LACES Girls Varsity Softball Team, headed by Coach Soledad Solis, had a rough season, but that didn’t stop their hard work and commitment.

The team is composed of 18 members, and managed to get enough interest to form a junior varsity team. Coach Solis also offered additional practice for team members who wanted to learn how to pitch by taking them to a park in Culver City on Tuesdays and Thursdays sometimes, meaning the team was consistently practicing for their next game.

“We use a pitching machine for bunting and far away hitting and pop-ups,” said team captain and senior Katherine Sabillon.

Through these methods of training, the team geared up for games and secured a spot in the playoffs.

“The team’s in the playoffs now, they really im-

Story by Garrett Lind

proved,” said Velasco. “We have a lot of freshmen who are super good like Lily Munoz and Marilyn Rocha and Maddie Lee. The team as a whole is very dedicated to the sport and they all put in a lot of effort into each game, they don’t let their losses define them. They always pick themselves up and work hard to win the next game.”

Coach Solis, appreciated by players, played a key role in building team spirit and assisting their victories.

“She gives a lot of tough love, and works really hard to make sure the girls do well in every game,” said Velasco. “She pushes them to the max because she knows they can give it their all each game.”

In the Los Angeles City Section Division Five playoffs, the team won their last playoff game against Fulton High School 15 to 1. Advancing to the finals against University High School, they fell to the Wildcats 5-8 despite a hard-fought game.

BASEBALL

The Varsity Baseball had a season that is sure to go down in the books. There was a noticeable improvement from last year where the record was 12-13 overall and 5-7 in the league, placing 4th, whereas this year, they had an overall record of 8-11 and league record of 7-4, placing 3rd in league, including a win over Palisades Charter High School for the first time in 15 years. This season, two players that climbed the stat sheets were senior shortstop Curtis Mantelzak and sophomore center fielder/pitcher Jack Stutz who were tied for number one on the team with a 0.352 batting average.

“In the beginning we struggled chemistry-wise and really played as individuals whereas later on in the season we really came together and played as a team,” said Mantelzak.

The team had an unprecedented run in the league, earning third place.

Story by Apollo Simeran

The achievement was greatly significant to players.

“Our biggest accomplishment was definitely placing third in the league,” said Stutz. “We’ve never done that in league and for us to have a winning season considering we don’t have the same amount of kids as other schools was impressive.”

The team’s momentum lulled near the season’s end, but the Unicorns still managed to secure a spot on the podium.

“Towards the end of the season we went on a bit of a losing streak,” said left fielder and junior David Navar. “Things weren’t looking too hot and going into playoffs things also didn’t look too hot but we’ll come back stronger next year.”

As seen by the improvement of record from the 2022-2023 Spring season to the 2023-2024 Spring season as well as the multiple second, third, and fourth year players, the LACES Varsity Baseball Team is on an uphill road to triumph in the years to come.

Senior pitcher Kyler Yu smiles. Photo courtesy of Ella Israel.

The LACES Girls Golf Team showcased an exceptional golf season once again, clinching the top spot. While they had to practice on their own since LACES does not have a golf course, team members lifted each other up and kept going for the win.

This year, the girls golf team started strong by winning against Venice 233-251. Many students joined the girls golf team this season.

“Making new friends that aren’t my age was fun within our school and even outside of our school when we did our matches,” said junior Sarah Bishoff.

Led by Coach Henry Walker, the team exhibited exceptional teamwork and determination throughout the tournament, overcoming tough competition from rival schools. Two of the golfers even won the SCGA Regional Championship.

“It was a surprise since I thought that I had no chance of going to regionals,” said freshman Irene Paek

GIRLS GOLF BOYS GOLF

This year the LACES Boys Golf Team put together a record of 4 wins and 3 losses. Though this is a rather impressive winning record, it does mark a lower point compared to the last few seasons of LACES golf.

“We lost Aadhik, who was a valuable member,” said senior Brogan Smith. “But we’re still pretty good.”

Fortunately, LACES still put together a team with standout members this year. Repeatedly mentioned was junior and team captain Kaden Hong, described as “a role member for the younger individuals” on the team by senior Ryan Karni. Another standout member was Ryan Karni himself, with Smith describing him playing in the league championship as “Incredible. It was a work of art. He was a spectacle.”

Of course there were obstacles to the success of the team this year as well.

“Some of our players missed big games because they had to visit colleges,” said Hong.

Despite the challenges the team faced, there is no denying that they were able to present well for LACES and have fun while doing it.

“We had a lot of fun this year,” Karni said, with a tear in his eye.

about her performance in the SCGA Regional Championship.

The girls golf team had many difficulties but still managed to stay consistent.

“I thought this golf season was great. I’ve been part of the golf team for two years now. Some players and coaches led through very well, and I had so much fun,” said junior Iris Paek.

Hong reminisced about Penmar Golf Course, where “on the fifth hole the food vendor would give us free hot dogs.”

Overall, LACES golf performed well this year considering the extenuating circumstances of players missing games. With the team being run by a junior and with it having many team members who are not seniors, LACES golf also seems to be in good hands for the foreseeable future.

Story by Berenice Dominguez

Story by Atticus Stevenson

Junior Sierra Dodge prepares to swing.

Photo courtesy of LACES Girls Golf.

The team at the Genesis Invitational Tournament.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Karni.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Story by Cai Bloom Furedi

The 2024 LACES Boys Volleyball season was one of ups and downs. Even with a new varsity coach, Mr. Andrew Paschen, expectations coming into the season were high.

“I’d say I have pretty high expectations for where the team’s gonna go,” said senior captain Taizo Nakayama. “We have great chemistry … we have a lot of club players who’ve committed to their club seasons for a year or two, and some up-and-coming players as well.”

“I got a one-handed block on another team’s middle and I turned around, the whole team was just shouting in celebration along with me,” said Davis. “It was the whole team and that really meant a lot, that it meant so much to them.”

Davis highlighted the importance of enjoying the game and having energy as the team moved forward into playoffs.

Another goal Nakayama set forth was qualifying for, and possibly winning, the Silver bracket in the Venice Invitational Tournament, as last year the team won the Bronze bracket.

Unfortunately, that plan didn’t quite pan out, with LACES losing 7 out of their first 10 games to start the season. One of these losses was to Fairfax High School, an unexpected blow that forced the team to come together.

“It’s certainly been a tough season,” said senior vice-captain Charlie Davis. “But we’ve come together as a team and always continued to play.”

This team bonding propelled the team to sweep Fairfax 3-0 in their next match, fully returning from the early season losses. The team went on to sweep pool play in the SOCES tournament, not losing a single set in that time. The incredible support the team has for each other was showcased with a loud eruption after an impressive play.

“It would definitely be nice if we just had fun with it,” said Davis. “That would mean a lot for me as the season ends, just having fun with the games, because when the energy is up, it just goes a lot better for us.”

With a final regular season record of 10-16, LACES looked to upset many teams and make a deep run into the CIF LA City Section Division III playoffs. To do so, Paschen aimed to improve the team’s defense.

“Always committing to defense [is critical],” said Paschen. “It’s the least fun aspect of the game, but it’s the most important and the teams that go farther than they should are the ones that play defense.”

LACES’ playoff run started out well, dispatching Downtown Magnets handily with a 3-1 victory. Unfortunately, that success would fail to continue, as LACES lost their next match against Mendez. While the final score was 3-0, each individual set was close, with LACES losing 23-25, 23-25 and 22-5 respectively.

While LACES ultimately fell short of their goal, they showed their fight and resolve as a team.

The Unicorns huddle up.

Photo by Taizo Nakayama.

GALLERY