PVP-PANORAMA No. 260 • 02/15/20

PANORAMA Palos Verdes Peninsula

No. 260 • February 15, 2020

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SOFTBALL OPENS SPRING SPORTS Transitions

• Softball opens the spring sports season with a parade of team floats, Opening Day ceremonies and competitive games.

Winter and spring sports are colliding the next few weeks with high school CIF playoffs underway and the opening of baseball, softball, lacrosse and track and field right around the corner.

Check out the next edition of Panorama out on Feb. 29 for extensive local coverage.

Spring Officially Opens . . . The 10U Raging Raptors march in the parade of teams during girls’ softball Opening Day ceremonies.

Rivalry Soccer . . . PV swept PV Soccer Moves Forward . . . Palos Verdes High boys’ soccer wins rivalry match and gets a first-round CIF playoff victory.

Top Float

Best Parade On The Hill See Page 10

MIS Robotics

Marauders Take The Prize See Page 2

Middle School

PVIS vs Ridgecrest Page 14

the boys’ and girls’ soccer matches over Peninsula and is ready for CIF playoff action.

Basketball

Basketball In Final Period See Page 15

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Miraleste Host Robotics Tournament Robotics

• Miraleste Intermediate School host annual VEX Robotics Tournament last week.

By Asumi Shuda

Marauders Come Through . . . The Miraleste team won the Excellence Award with its 7035T robot.

Participants of VEX Robotics had another successful day on Saturday, Feb. 1, in a VEX Robotics Competition called Tower Takeover.

The event lasted from 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon in Miraleste Intermediate School’s gym.

With 34 teams and 200 competitors from across Los Angeles participating, the gym was packed with excitement, technology, and artificial intelligence.

The teams compete in seven matches and get ranked based on their resulting scores.

The first-place team consisted of members from the Science Academy who had a strong robot and a consistent track record with competing.

The second-place team was from Washington Irving Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The third-place team was from Miraleste Middle School, where the head of the program, Campbell Nimick, teaches and instructs the school’s robotics teams.

Nimick has been running the program for the past eight years and works to provide students with experience in the STEM field as well as life lessons that students can take with them to

high school and beyond.

Because many students go into high school without any interest or passion in a certain field, Nimick wants to provide a program that gives insight into the professional and technological field of STEM and give participants a springboard into a possible career path.

Additionally, he hopes to teach skills on collaboration, camaraderie, and leadership through VEX Robotics.

“I want to expose these students to the reality of STEM in case it sparks any interest in pursuing the field in the future,” Nimick said. “Through the teams, the kids are essentially forced to work with people. We want to teach our kids lessons they would not learn in the classroom, things that would help them become better workers, professionals, and team players.”

This Isn’t Easy . . . A lot of work and planning goes into design and construction of a robot before its ready for competition.

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PEN Girls Basketball Wins Bay League Championship

Basketball

• Panthers make history with victory over rival Sea Kings to highlight historic season.

By Fiona Yang The Palos Verdes Peninsula varsity girls’ basketball team won the Bay League Championship Feb 6, beating Palos Verdes High School for the first time since 1999, a historic win for the team and the school.

Peninsula basketball coach of 12 years, Natalie Kelly, also recognized the significance of the victory.

“I have a great team this year,” Kelly said. “Winning the Bay League Championship was a huge milestone for us, as far as our program goes.”

The team now looks to their next game, in the CIF-SS playoffs, within the next few weeks.

Though this past season has provided the team with meaningful relation-

ships and personal growth, they still hope to reach new heights and continue their winning streak through their teamwork, dedication and passion for basketball.

“We are a younger team, so we lack some experience in certain situations,” Kelly said. “It is a little harder to have that confidence to keep playing through the game, so that was the biggest challenge for them.”

The training that the team underwent helped prepare them for the game, and worked on addressing their issues. Junior Nicole Tang both appreciated and struggled in the two-hour, six-day-a-week practices the team underwent in preparation for the game.

“The training that we go through really requires us to push ourselves and be mentally tough,” Tang said.

“Knowing basic movements and just being mentally strong enough to push through the pain is really difficult. But

even though you know it is going to be painful, you know all the hard work you put into the practices will pay off in the end,” Tang said.

Tang has been playing basketball since third grade, and joined Peninsula’s team during her freshman year.

From her three years on the team, she learned not only of the struggles of the sport, but the fun and competitiveness that accompanies it as well.

“Knowing that you’re playing on a competitive level, you are just required to be mentally strong,” Tang said. “In a way, it feels better knowing that the girls around you also [share] those same requirements, which makes us grow closer as a team and brings out the competitive side in us.”

Varsity captain of the girls basketball team and junior Mia Yamada shares Tang’s appreciation for the companionship of basketball. Like Tang,

Please continue on Page 13 . . .

Local Club Basketball Teams Help Teach Skills For Next Level Players

Club Basketball • Basketball taking over as the latest popular sport on the Hill.

By Sarah Liu Athletics has always been an essential part of drawing students to the Palos Verdes high schools, and, while strong athletic traditions are effective at recruiting athletes, it is not the only thing that students consider in choosing a high school.

A variety of factors play a role in how middle schoolers choose the high school they will be attend next school year. Location and class schedule are

important, but club sports teams have influenced athletes on the Peninsula for years.

The prominence of club sports is high on the Hill, as young players, some even starting kindergarten, join yearround programs.

While recreational basketball leagues, such as the Palos Verdes Basketball Association or the Palos Verdes Youth Basketball League, are popular among elementary school students looking to start in the sport, more time-intensive clubs, such as the Palos Verdes Cagers and Palos Verdes Breakers Basketball Academy, have dominated the scene for prospective high

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school athletes.

The Cagers and Breakers tout the opportunity for athletes to train and compete under experienced coaches.

The Cagers specifically state that their goal is to prepare players for high school-level basketball.

While neither the Cagers or the Breakers have an affiliation with the school district, a silent dynamic has attached the club programs to the high schools. It is almost implied that there is a club-to-school pipeline between the Cagers and Palos Verdes High School and the Breakers and Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.

Please continue on Page 13 . . .

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Sea Kings Take The Hill, Set For CIF

Boys Soccer

• The Palos Verdes High boys’ varsity soccer team swept Peninsula and notched a first-round CIF playoff victory over Saint Francis.

Joaquin Lugo It took the PV boys varsity soccer team two overtimes to beat the Saint Francis High School Golden Knights, 2-1, last week (Feb. 12) in the first round of the CIF playoffs.

The match was a scoreless first half with great defenses on both sides.

Palos Verdes goalie Brad Brothers, with help from great defensive plays

by AJ Mead Tatum, kept the Knights in check.

The second half began with Saint Francis striking first, but the Sea Kings rallied to get on the board.

The game ended 1-1 and the teams headed into the first of two overtime periods. Strong defense by both teams continued to keep the game tied. The Sea Kings scored first, then put the Knights in check and came away with the win.

PV On The March . . .

The Sea Kings picked up a first-round CIF win after defeating Peninsula last week.

Please continue on Page 13 . . .

Another Close Rivalry Game . . . Palo Verdes High senior Ryan Hynes keeps the ball away from Peninsula High senior Eugene Kim.

PV Gets A Rivalry Win . . . Palos Verdes High senior Frank Colaruotolo controls the ball against Peninsula during the final regular season game of the year.

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Back To You . . . Peninsula High senior Paul Friebe-Makinto kicks the ball back to Sea Kings junior Ryan Baeza during rivalry game action last week.

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PV Girls Finish Undefeated In Bay League Girls Soccer • The Palos Verdes High girls’ soccer team earns a Bay League championship and CIF playoff berth.

Palos Verdes High senior Elena Wingard scored two goals with assists from Olivia Yang to help defeat Peninsula High, 2-0, and finish the Bay League season undefeated.

The Sea Kings host Valencia High School in the opening round of CIF Division 2 playoff action Feb. 13.

PV finished Bay League with a 9-0-1 record and are currently 14-7-2 overall.

Sea Kings Take Care Of Business . . . Palos Verdes High junior Lexi Randolph controls the ball against Peninsula last week at PV High.

Panthers Set To Be Back . . . Peninsula High goalie Gianna Rosato makes a diving save against Palos Verdes last week to finish the season.

More Celebrations . . . The PV girls’ soccer team celebrates the second goal from Elena Wingard to help secure the win over Peninsula.

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Spring Softball Season Underway

Fast Pitch

• The Palos Verdes Peninsula Girls’ Softball League kicked off the spring sports season with its Opening Day parade and a schedule of competitive games last week.

The league received an uptick in new players for its 47th season on the Hill and will have 23 teams competing in 6U through 14U Divisions at Cornerstone School.

The season began with the tradition parade of team floats that began with a police escort from Highridge Park down to Cornerstone School.

Each team was introduced by division and team name in front of rows of cheering fans and family. Teams then gathered for the traditional league picture

Spring Competition Underway . . . battle on Opening Day at Cornerstone School.

Charting a path to Growth Girls Go First . . . The Palos Verdes Peninsula Girls’ Softball League begins its spring season two weeks before the local Little Leagues.

Big Yellow Ball Goes Boom . . .

Softball batters were in mid-season form on Opening Day and put the ball in play for some exciting games.

First Base Saves The Day . . .

Great catches at first base will help your team get into the playoffs.

Nightmare and Raging Raptors

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6U Purple Panthers

6U Honeybees

8U Silver Bullets

8U Green Dragons

10U Queen Bees

10U Black Widows

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6U Pink Panthers

6U Neon Green Supreme

6U Green Clover

6U Blue Dolphins

8U Purple Donuts

10U Pink Pups

6U Black Licorice

8U Pink Pumas

8U Golden Foxes

10U Sonic Hedgehogs

10U Purple Nightmare

12U Bandits

6U Koala Bears

8U Mustang Sallies

10U Raging Raptors

10U Ballin’ Bulldogs

14U Royals

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38,000+ Softball Girls Are Ready To Play . . . The 10U Ballin’ Bulldogs are excited about the spring softball season at Cornerstone School.

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Back In The Game . . . Longtime school Principal Jody Pastell throws out the first pitch to PV High catcher Rachel Allen.

Environment Inspires PV’s Capozzola Conservation

• Palos Verdes High AP Biology teacher makes an impact on the environment with her camera.

By Asumi Shuda With the climate crisis and other environmental issues, wildlife conservation is a hot topic now more than ever.

Underwater photographer and Palos Verdes High School biology instructor Renee Capozzola highlights such conservation issue in marine life through photographs of the world below sea level.

Currently, Capozzola uses the Canon 5D Mark III and Nauticam housing.

Her passion for underwater photography began with her love for the ocean. In 2004, she and her husband Damien Capozzola became certified scuba divers and experienced seeing the often-forgotten marine life firsthand.

Her fascination for the underwater world then translated into wanting to capture it through photography. Beginning with simple snapshots, she progressed in her photography skills as she started to buy more advanced camera equipment.

“Originally, my photos were not very good, but I eventually got more serious about my photography, [making me upgrade my equipment],” Capozzola said.

In 2013, she took a step in her photography career by buying an underwater flash called a strobe, which enabled her to take clearer photos in the depths of the ocean.

Then, in 2016, she revamped her instruments to a DSLR camera, which

took photographs faster. This purchase marked the beginning of her entries to various photography contests.

“I originally entered a lot of contests to help pay for the rather expensive activities of traveling and scuba diving,” Capozzola said. “But then, I started winning various prizes, such as camera equipment and free trips.”

Capozzola’s love for scuba diving began with her and her husband Damien’s passion for traveling. Hawaii was a location both frequented growing up, and while traveling there the couple discovered an underwater activity called snuba, a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving.

This allowed Renee and Damien to witness underwater life up close while being able to breathe through a regulator that floated on top of the water. After falling in love with snuba, the couple decided to experiment with scuba diving in Maui. “[Damien and I] were hooked on the first scuba dive,” she said. “We saw a huge turtle which was, according to the divemaster, 80 years old, based on its size. To us, [seeing such creatures] was super exciting, so we were convinced to become certified divers.”

Fast forward to now, she recently accomplished a milestone in an in-

ternational underwater photography competition called the World Shootout, where she placed as the USA Photographer of the Year competing with photographers in 38 countries.

She also won in USA national team category with two teammates, Ron Watkins and Jeff Milisen.

The award ceremony was held in Germany, and Renee and her husband traveled there to accept the prizes in person. It was one of her 40 international awards in the last few years.

Capozzola’s specialty with her photographs is the split shot, where the image is split between above and below sea level, and she submitted this style of photos as her main entries to the World Shootout. She says her passion for marine conservation, fueled by a career as a biology teacher, crafts her split shots to an award-winning level.

“Besides my passion for photography, another reason why I take part in such competitions is that a lot of these contests use submitted images to promote marine conservation,” Capozzola said.

Marine conservation is a movement she wants to emphasize in her work as a photographer and in her classes at Palos Verdes High School as a biology teacher. Specifically, she likes to perform shark photography, which is represented in one of the main photographs she submitted to the World Shootout.

One contest she recently entered was a United Nations photo competition, where she won first place in the seascapes division. This contest will soon send the winning photographs to a U.N. Conference in New York City that will take place on World Oceans Day in

June. These actions will, according to Capozzola, hopefully help delegates pass new laws regarding endangered species and other conservation issues.

“I really like that these various contests are using submitted photographers for a greater cause,” Capozzola said.

In addition to marine conservation, Capozzola wants her photographs to tell a story. The split-shot technique allows her to do just that, as it provides context of the environment, location,

Courtesy Photos

and even time of day of a photograph.

Split shots also allow her to show a scene beyond the naked eye.

“With the naked eye, we cannot see both above and below the surface at the same time,” Capozzola said. “Thus, a picture that shows such an image naturally draws viewers.”

Now, she hopes to continue participating in competitions and, above all, promote marine conservation through pictures that speak a thousand words.

There are always new aspirations for Capozzola as a person, photographer, teacher, mother, and wife, and she will keep pursuing such goals as the years go on.

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PV Moves Forward In CIF Playoff Action After 2-OT Win . . . Continued from Page 5 Interviewed before the game, Kamel Baker said, “We all have the same goal in mind…We are looking to win it.”

That attitude showed as the Sea Kings now advance to round two of CIF Division 1.

The Sea Kings finished the regu-

lar season with a 1-0 win over Peninsula High. Senior Sean Agahee scored the winning goal in the final minutes of play with an assist from Frank Colaruotoolo.

With the victory PV took home the Bay League championship with a 9-1 record and entry into CIF Division 1 playoff action.

It’s Winning Time . . . PV junior goalie Brad Brothers is leading the Sea King defense in CIF action.

Play With Style . . .

PV junior Johnny Granick goes up against Peninsula senior Aiden Hay.

PEN Lady Cagers Win Bay Club Basketball Feeds League In Historic Season Into High School Programs . . . Continued from Page 4 Yamada has played basketball since a young age, later playing on Peninsula’s varsity team her freshman year.

During these three years, Tang and Yamada both agreed on one of the most important aspects of basketball: “Support from my team helps me overcome my obstacles in basketball because I think we all know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, which helps us pick each other up,” Yamada said.

“We know each other really well, so we try to support each other from there.”

The team’s support for each other was displayed during the game, as the crowd cheered on both sides. Both teams were enthusiastic as players from both teams dribbled, sprinted and sweat on the basketball court. The

energy and tension was high in the gym, from both the players and the crowd.

“I was a little bit more nervous than usual before the game, because that game determined whether we would win the Bay League Championships,” Yamada said. “However, I was also excited because of the crowd and the energy there, and thinking that it was our last game in the league made me want to put my best out there.”

“As the season went on, they have gained a lot of experience, and you can see how they have grown since the beginning of the season until now,” Kelly said. “But, best of all, they are a positive group of girls that support each other and are fun to be around. I hope we continue to achieve more, get better and strive to be a top basketball program.”

. . . Continued from Page 4 The relationship between the Cagers and Sea Kings is apparent. In addition to an overlap in playing style, varsity head coach Brian Edelman is an assistant coach for the Cagers. Players that have played for the Cagers before PVHS say their club training has given them a leg up in comparison to other athletes.

“Cagers players have an advantage because they already know the plays and also the coaches,” sophomore and frosh-soph player Aaron Brandt said.

“The Cagers and PV run similar plays because both varsity and frosh-soph coaches coach at Cagers,” Junior and varsity player Lucas Hong joined the Cagers in fourth grade and believes that his time on the club benefitted his high school career, from

the intensity of training that the program provided to the relationship with coach Edelman that he was able to develop before he tried out for the team at PV. “He knew how I played, so it was not so much me proving myself when I was trying out, it was just seeing how I adjusted,” Hong said. “It was a lot easier and less stressful.”

Hong also noted that the offensive game of the Cagers was identical to the style of play at PVHS, so for Cagers players, it was particularly easy to assimilate. While the demanding nature of club basketball teams translates into enhanced performance for high school athletes, the inherent basketball IQ and player-coach relationship that Cagers players carry into the Sea Kings’ program cannot be replicated.

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PVIS, RIS Battle In Winter Sports Middle School • Palos Verdes Intermediate and Ridgecrest School finish the winter sports season with games in boys’ and girls’ basketball and soccer.

PVIS A teams won both boys’ and girls’ basketball games and soccer matches. Ridgecrest boys’ and girls’ B basketball teams each got wins.

Ridgecrest, PVIS and Miraleste will battle in boys’ volleyball and girls’ softball for the spring sports season in a few weeks.

First To The Ball . . . PVIS girls’ A team defeated the Ridgecrest A team while the Ridgecrest B team took down the PVIS B team in girs’ basketball competition.

Crowds Line Highridge Park . . . The middle school rivalry games in soccer Sea Kings Hold Back The Raiders . . . The PVIS boys’ soccer team got a 4-0 and basketball are extremely competitive and always attract a large crowd.

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win over Ridgecrest at Highridge Park to finish the winter sports season.

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PVIS Soccer Continues To Score Big Wins . . . The PVIS girls’ soccer team gets a goal from Talia Herniter against Ridgecrest Tuesday at Highridge Park.

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