Gondos Win City Section Golf Championship

The pressure was on Monday at the L.A. City Section boys golf championships in Griffith Park. The tournament was reduced from two rounds to one this season as a result of budget cuts, but when it was over, Venice High had captured its second team title in three years.

The Gondoliers, who won the 2A League title and were one of the favorites going into the City finals, shot 404 to win by an 18-stroke margin over Granada Hills and reclaim the section title on the par 72 Wilson Course.

Junior Clay Yamaguchi led the way by shooting a four-over par 76, junior Ryan Miyamoto shot 80, junior Kevin Cullen shot 81, senior Kevin Lundell shot 83, freshman Luke Almendariz shot 84 and senior Peter Prior shot 90.

Venice and Granada Hills qualified for the Southern California Regionals next Tuesday at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. 

It was a fulfilling result for Gondoliers Coach Myra Einberg, who is retiring this spring after 37 years at the school. She started out coaching basketball and gymnastics, winning a City title in gymnastics in the 1970s. She then coached volleyball and gymnastics beginning in 1986 and led the boys volleyball team to City 3A championships in 1991 and 1992. 

"The team this year has worked hard and the kids really love the game,"Einberg said. "They all get along great and support each other. It was wonderful to end my coaching career as a winner."

Venice won the boys golf team title two years ago and was runner-up to El Camino Real by 10 strokes last season. 

Junior Troix Tonkham of Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies won the individual title with a one-under par 71. Yamaguchi was fifth overall and shot 38 on the front nine and 38 on the back nine at Wilson.

Swimming

Venice finished fifth in the girls competition and sixth in the boys competition at last Friday's City Section Swimming Championships at John C. Argue Stadium in Los Angeles.

The girls scored 192 points and senior Leslie Cardenas won the girls 100-yard backstroke to take the City title. Palisades won the team championship with 458 1/2 points, followed by Cleveland (385), Granada Hills (224) and Birmingham (201.5).

The boys finished with 135 points, behind City champion Cleveland (385), Granada Hills (311), Birmingham (305), Palisades (272 1/2) and San Pedro (148 1/2).