Kings can’t solve Jordan Binnington in loss to Blues

• March 14, 2024

By JOE HARRIS The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — Be it the postseason or the race for a postseason berth, a hot goaltender is often the difference-maker.

Jordan Binnington made 40 saves and the St. Louis Blues beat the Kings, 3-1, on Wednesday night in a key game in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

“We had lots of pucks in and around their net,” Kings interim coach Jim Hiller told reporters in St. Louis. “I think we maybe tried to overpass in that area and the times that we did shoot and there were deflections or it just missed our stick, that’s not execution, that’s just the way the puck bounces sometimes. There were definitely opportunities to execute a little cleaner around the net [though] that we weren’t able to do.”

Alexey Toropchenko, Jake Neighbours and Brandon Saad scored for the Blues, who kicked off a four-game homestand.

“I think we’ve done a good job this year as a group, playing the right way and playing tight in our own zone,” Binnington said. “I think it’s been a lot better, and it’s fun to play back there and I’m enjoying it. It’s a big win for us, coming home like that. We’ve got more work to do. That’s the focus.”

Adrian Kempe scored the Kings’ goal and Cam Talbot made 27 saves as the Kings lost for the third time in five games.

“I think for us, our identity to play well defensively and break them down,” Kings defenseman Jordan Spence said in assessing the defeat. “And I think in general, for our whole game, I think we didn’t really do that. There are some bits and pieces that we did that during the game, but in order for us to win from now on, we have to play a full 60 minutes and we didn’t do that.”

The win moved St. Louis within six points of idle Vegas for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Blues have 16 games remaining, while the Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights have 17 left.

“It makes things very interesting and starts to put a little heat on some of the teams that are in front of us and certainly an important game … but we have to continue to work to keep that feeling,” Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said.

Toropchenko gave the Blues a 1-0 lead with 2:30 left in the first period. It was Toropchenko’s second goal in as many games and it snapped a streak of 81 minutes, 10 seconds since the Kings last allowed a goal.

“That was disappointing because we thought we came out ready to play,” Hiller said. “We were, you know, in and around their net. I don’t know how much we tested them, but we were around, pucks were just kind of rolling past. So, we felt we’re going pretty good and then yeah, to have to come in down 1-0, that’s not a great feeling.”

Neighbours made it 2-0 by tapping in a bouncing puck in front of the Kings’ net at the 1:57 mark of the second period.

Binnington made several tough saves in the second, stopping several deflections. He also got help from his post.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position here to create a new story and find a way in (the playoffs),” Binnington said. “We believe in this locker room that if you get there anything can happen.”

Saad made it 3-0 with 9:34 left in the third period off a slick tip of Colton Parayko’s shot. Kevin Hayes, who was playing in his 700th career game, also got an assist on the goal.

Binnington has left an impression on Hayes, who is in his first season with the Blues.

“It’s huge,” Hayes said. “It’s every night. He’s been our best player all year. We were struggling to score goals for a bit and he kept us in every game. He pretty much keeps us in every game every night.”

Binnington continued to frustrate the Kings in the third, with a sprawling save on a shot by Drew Doughty during a mid-period flurry. Kempe finally broke through with 6:52 left.

Pavel Buchnevich suited up in his 200th game as a member of the Blues.

UP NEXT

The Kings play at Chicago on Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT

​ Orange County Register 

Orange Lutheran’s Brianne Weiss pitches perfect game against Cajon

• March 14, 2024

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Orange Lutheran’s Brianne Weiss reached one of her annual softball milestones in extraordinary fashion Wednesday.

Weiss pitched a perfect game in an 8-0 victory against Cajon at Orange Lutheran High.

The left-handed senior bound for Notre Dame recorded her first perfect game and fourth no-hitter. She has now tossed a no-hitter in each of her four seasons with the Lancers.

In teaming with senior catcher Zara Mineo-Schrank, Weiss struck out a season-high 16.

Last season, Weiss earned The Register’s Orange County pitcher of the year award after leading the county in earned-run average and strikeouts. She posted a personal-best 0.79 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings.

The Lancers (7-2) supported their ace by tallying 13 hits. Mya Diaz, Olivia Oskorus, and Maddy Armendariz had two hits apiece.

Orange Lutheran and Cajon (3-6-1) squared off in a makeup game from the Norco showcase.

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​ Orange County Register 

San Juan Hills baseball continues shutout streak with league win over Aliso Niguel

• March 14, 2024

ALISO VIEJO — Winning baseball games is much easier when the other team doesn’t score any runs.

San Juan Hills recorded its fourth consecutive shutout in a 1-0 win over Aliso Niguel in a Sea View League game Wednesday at Aliso Niguel High.

The Stallions (11-1, 2-0) haven’t allowed more than one run in 10 consecutive games and haven’t allowed a run in 33 innings.

“It’s been fun to watch our pitchers just compete,” San Juan Hills coach Bret LeVier said. “It’s nice to have the pitching depth that we have.”

San Juan Hills also beat Aliso Niguel 1-0 Tuesday in the first game of the two-game series. In that game, Aliso Niguel had the bases loaded in the seventh inning with no outs. The Stallions managed to get out of that inning with no damage.

“My blood pressure isn’t going to go down if we keep having to win 1-0,” LeVier said. “We know that you have to win one-run games in this league and it’s tough.”

UC Irvine signee Dane Grant pitched five shutout innings with five hits allowed and six strikeouts.

“Nobody wants to let up a run. It’s like a game for the pitchers right now,” Grant said. “It feels great and we don’t see ourselves losing right now.”

Brown University commit Drew Nelson relieved Grant and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save.

Aliso Niguel (6-4, 2-2) was able to get runners on the basepaths, but stranded seven runners Wednesday, five of them in scoring position.

“They don’t give in when there are guys in scoring position or if there is a runner on third with less than two outs,” LeVier said. “It seems like they get a little tougher and they grind out those at-bats.”

Aliso Niguel nearly scored the tying run in the seventh inning. The Wolverines had a runner on third with one out when a line drive was hit to right field and Ryder Stowasser made a diving catch to prevent a run from scoring.

The Stallions scored their lone run in the top of the fourth when Stowasser scored on a run-scoring single by Sorrell Rubin.

Brandon Tatch pitched well for Aliso Niguel, allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts through five innings.

Connor Etnire threw two scoreless innings of relief for the Wolverines.

Tanner Kessler had two hits for San Juan Hills and Jake Vuoso had the only extra base hit of the game. Corbin Nichols had a single and a stolen base for the Stallions.

Brandon Schaff had two hits for the Wolverines with a stolen base.

San Juan Hills is off to its best start in school history and has some time to enjoy the success. The Stallions have a week off before playing El Toro in a league game Wednesday, March 20.

Aliso Niguel will host Peninsula and Sunny Hills in nonleague games on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Wednesday, March 13

• March 14, 2024

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Wednesday, March 13

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES

BASEBALL

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Irvine 6, Sage Hill 2

Portola 3, University 2

Woodbridge 3, Laguna Hills 1

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

San Juan Hills 1, Aliso Niguel 0

SJH: Grant (W, 5IP, 5H, 0R, 6K). Nelson (Sv, 2IP, 1H, 0R, 2K). Rubin 1-3, RBI.

AN: Tatch (5IP, 5H, 1ER, 4K). Schaff 2-3, SB.

San Clemente 1, El Toro 0

SC: Erspamer (W, CG, 1H, 0R, 3K). Cesare 2-3, RBI. Wood 1-3, 2B, R

ET: Joyce (6IP, 6H, 1ER, 1K). Merwin 1-3.

TRINITY LEAGUE

St. John Bosco 9, Santa Margarita 2

SM: Finnegan 2-4, RBI. De Groot 2-4. Ankrum 2-3.

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Tustin 4, Cypress 3 (8 innings)

Tus: Saltzer 2-4, 2B, RBI. Lavander 2-4, SB, RBI. Crain 1-4, 2B, R.

Cyp: Montgomery 1-3, HR, RBI. Short 1-4, 2B, RBI.

ORANGE LEAGUE

Savanna 12, Western 4

NONLEAGUE

Huntington Beach 3, Newport Harbor 1

HB: McNiven (W, 2.1IP, 2H, 0R, 4K). Garcia 3-4, HR, RBI. Clark 1-1, HR, RBI.

NH: Martin 2-3, RBI. Williams 2-4, SB

Other nonleague scores

Fountain Valley 7, Marina 1

La Habra 3, Tesoro 1

SOFTBALL

GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE

Godinez 18, Santa Ana 7

Ocean View 13, Westminster 1

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Northwood 15, University 5

NONLEAGUE

Oxford Academy 10, Los Amigos

Trabuco Hills 18, Capistrano Valley Christian 1

Sonora 6, Whittier Christian 5

Redlands East Valley 19, Laguna Hills 2

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

TRINITY LEAGUE

Santa Margarita def. St. John Bosco, 25-19, 25-18, 25-18

NONLEAGUE

Newport Harbor def. Fountain Valley, 25-20, 25-19, 26-24

Edison def. Laguna Beach, 25-13, 25-16, 25-15

Huntington Beach def. Los Alamitos, 25-17, 25-15, 25-18

San Jacinto Leadership Academy def. NOVA Academy, 25-17, 25-8, 25-22

BOYS GOLF

NONLEAGUE

Los Alamitos 209, Laguna Beach 224

El Niguel CC (par 36)

Medalist: Murnane (LA) 40

605 LEAGUE

Oxford Academy 198, Pioneer 200

Navy Destroyer GC

BOYS TENNIS

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

University 13, Beckman 5

NONLEAGUE

Kennedy 16, Westminster 2

​ Orange County Register 

Long Beach State women topple UCSB in Big West Tournament opener

• March 14, 2024

Blowing a 21-point third-quarter lead can take the air out of a lot of teams, but the Long Beach State women’s basketball team fired back at UC Santa Barbara in the fourth and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big West Tournament with a 90-75 victory on Wednesday afternoon in Henderson, Nevada.

“It was the fight,” Long Beach guard Savannah Tucker said. “It was the fight in us and we found it.”

Seventh-seeded Long Beach (14-17) will face third-seeded UC Riverside (18-12) on Thursday at noon.

LBSU helped itself by shooting 12 for 27 from 3-point range, 16 for 18 from the free-throw line and forcing 19 turnovers.

Six players scored in double figures for Long Beach, led by Tucker with 17 points, Sydney Woodley with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals and Cheyenne Givens with 16 points off the bench.

Patricia Chung contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for LBSU, which did not return any starters this season, featured a new coach in Amy Wright and lost seven of its first eight conference games before going 7-5 the rest of the way.

Tucker said Long Beach caught a lot of teams off guard in the second half of conference play, including UCSB, which beat LBSU by 13 points in the first meeting only to lose by six in the second meeting at home last week.

“I think we flipped that switch that second time around in conference,” Tucker said. “We showed what we really could do and I think that showed today in the fourth quarter.”

The sixth-seeded Gauchos (16-15) were led by Alexis Whitfield, a former CIF-SS Division 1 Player of the Year from Chaminade High in West Hills, who finished with a career-high 30 points along with 17 rebounds and eight assists.

The Gauchos finished the season on a seven-game losing streak.

UCSB ended the third quarter on a 13-0 run and Whitfield’s jumper on the first possession of the fourth further trimmed the lead to 65-64, but LBSU came back with five straight points to establish some breathing room.

After the Gauchos scored their first points of the fourth, Long Beach came back with a 7-0 run to put them back down by double digits and they could only get back within five before LBSU closed the game on a 10-0 surge.

Wright said her team experienced a similar game on Feb. 10 at Cal Poly, when LBSU owned a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter before losing 84-76.

“That moment at Cal Poly, they felt that,” Wright said. “They know what it’s like for this to happen to them, so they weren’t going to let it happen again.”

Much like UC Davis did in the first game of the day, Long Beach was on fire in the first half from 3-point range, shooting 8 for 15 to build a 54-34 lead.

UC Davis shot 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the first half against Cal State Fullerton to help it to a 46-26 halftime lead and the Aggies eventually won, 81-57.

Long Beach also flashed its defense early on by forcing four turnovers in the first 3½ minutes to help it take an early 10-3 lead.

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LBSU scored eight unanswered points during a 34-second stretch later in the opening quarter to stretch the lead to 25-11.

Whitfield scored the final five points of the first quarter and the Gauchos converted the first field-goal attempt of the second to cut the margin to 27-20.

An 11-0 run by Long Beach extended the lead back to 45-26 with 2:56 left in the half. After the Gauchos scored five straight points, Jada Crawshaw and Tucker made back-to-back 3-pointers for LBSU to push the lead to 51-31 and LBSU maintained the 20-point lead at the half.

Tucker told her teammates at the half that UCSB would make a run.

“We had to match that, we had to bring another level to that,” she said. “We knew they were going to come out, they were going to make some shots.”

​ Orange County Register 

Bill Essayli: Voters deserve a strong opposition party in Sacramento, not a cozy uniparty

• March 14, 2024

Republicans have lost 10 seats in the State Assembly over the last 10 years. When you’ve lost seats in every single election over the last 10 years, you might be doing something wrong. Republicans in the legislature dropped below super minority status years ago, and now at only 18 out of 80, we’re less than 1/4 of the votes in the Assembly. This means Republican votes alone can’t stop legislation in Sacramento—what matters is serving as a strong opposition party against Democrat policies which hurt Californians.

To be an effective opposition party, Republican lawmakers must be zealous advocates for the public in the face of fierce resistance from the Democrat party and their allies. And yes there will be consequences from the party in power, and legislators may not get the crumbs they so crave from the Democrats in Sacramento. That is okay because the goal is not crumbs, it’s to be relevant. 

Last year, when Democrats in the Assembly Public Safety Committee rejected SB 14, Republican Senator Shannon Grove’s bill to make human trafficking of a minor a “serious” felony, the public outcry was swift and decisive. So decisive, in fact, that Democratic leadership attempted to distance themselves from then-Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer, who refused to support the bill. Republicans rallied human trafficking victims and their stories ultimately won the day and the bill was signed into law, demonstrating both the moral bankruptcy of those who opposed as well as the power of public scrutiny in a building that would much rather push their harmful agendas under cover of darkness.

This year, Assemblyman Jones-Sawyer introduced a horrific bill, AB 2031, which would spend taxpayer dollars to defend illegal immigrants facing deportation after they have been convicted of violent or serious felonies—in other words, free lawyers for illegal immigrants who murder Californian citizens. I strongly condemned this bill and rallied the public to pressure the Assembly Judiciary Committee to reject this dangerous bill, and it worked. The author pulled his bill from the committee hearing, even though he was in town and presented other bills in committee that same morning.

Violent and serious felonies, as the naming implies, are some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Murder, rape, kidnapping, lewd acts on a child under 14 years of age, and, as of SB 14 being signed into law, human trafficking of a minor. Keep in mind, the illegal immigrants this bill sought to provide legal assistance to are not merely accused of these acts, they have been convicted of them. 

We’re talking about the lowest, most detestable dregs of society receiving taxpayer-funded legal support. The same ones that murdered 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, beheaded 55-year-old America Thayer, stabbed to death 20-year-old University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbets, and shot 32-year-old San Franciscan Kate Steinle in the back of the head, among the many other horrendous murders perpetrated by criminals who never should have been in this country in the first place. 

It is almost unthinkable that an elected member of the California Legislature would even introduce such a dangerous bill—almost. Assemblymembers who think like Jones-Sawyer are far more common than Californians would like to believe. 

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Just as the public outcry was felt in Sacramento when SB 14 was initially rejected last year, I am proud that our communities made their voices heard when AB 2031 was set for a hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee this morning. Social media pressure, phone calls to the offices of the Judiciary Committee members, and press scrutiny led directly to Assemblyman Jones-Sawyer pulling the bill from consideration last night. A win for public safety and a win for common sense. 

While this represents a tremendous victory for California and a testament to the importance of public participation in the legislative process, this is only the beginning of the fight. AB 2031 could make a comeback at a future hearing in the coming weeks. Republican lawmakers need to stand firm if AB 2031 rears its ugly head again to engage and activate the public to kill this bill for good.

Bill Essayli was elected in 2022 to represent the 63rd State Assembly District, which includes the whole cities of Norco, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and Canyon Lake, as well as portions of the cities of Eastvale, Riverside, and Corona. Assemblyman Essayli is a former federal prosecutor and Riverside County Deputy District Attorney. He is also a small business owner as partner at the estate planning law firm of Essayli & Brown LLP.

​ Orange County Register 

Dylan Andrews has career day as UCLA advances in Pac-12 Tournament

• March 14, 2024

LAS VEGAS — He yanked the ball between his legs early in the second half, asserting his presence in one simple step-back move, rising for a jumper with a surplus of confidence and without a shred of hesitation.

Dylan Andrews, if you haven’t been able to tell, has arrived.

The UCLA sophomore answered the bell at every turn against a rapidly creeping Oregon State team in the second half, finishing with a career-high 31 points on a lights-out 11-of-15 performance from the field as the fifth-seeded Bruins dispatched the 12th-seeded Beavers 67-57 in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday.

UCLA (16-16, 11-10 Pac-12) looked all but dead in the water as recently as last Thursday, dropping their fifth game in a row in a rout by Arizona; suddenly, though, with Andrews’ emergence and a two-game win streak, they’ll carry significant momentum into a quarterfinal matchup with fourth-seeded Oregon (20-11, 12-8 Pac-12) on Thursday.

Andrews ascended to a headlining act all unto himself Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, single-handedly lifting a UCLA team that’s been in desperate and Mick-Cronin-expressively dire need of a shot-creator in an up-and-down season. The 6-foot-2 guard controlled the pace, a steady hand for a program whose guards have been consistently erratic, spotting up when needed. And he was electric in simply conjuring offense from chaos, putting a Beavers defender on skates on that second-half possession, nailing a jumper in rhythm and jogging back coolly.

When the Beavers’ Tyler Bilodeau hit a 3-pointer to cut UCLA’s lead to seven, Andrews responded with a timeout-prompting triple to push it back to 10.

When Oregon State’s Jordan Pope nailed a three with 10 minutes left to nip the Bruins’ lead to four, Andrews came right back with his fifth triple.

And as Oregon State mounted one final push, it was Andrews who rose with confidence on the wing – pass-faking to the corner – to deliver the dagger, all but ending the Beavers’ season with his seventh 3-pointer to push UCLA’s lead to 14 with 2:19 left.

This was not an isolated explosion, Andrews’ growth coming steady, more aggressive and assertive in averaging 18 points and nearly five assists in his last four games entering Wednesday. He showed composure and leadership in crunch-time, putting his arm around Bona and speaking calmly as the power forward went to the free-throw line in the final two minutes, the energetic Bona having just snared a rebound and slapping the ball repeatedly in emphasis.

And Andrews’ emergence seemed to take offensive pressure off Bona, who struggled with six first-half turnovers but finished with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting, calmer in his second-half decision-making in the post.

The Bruins’ defense and toughness – their staple through an up-and-down season characterized by some frank Cronin-isms in postgame pressers and a team with precious little shot-creation – thrived in the first half en route to a 34-22 lead at the break. They held Pope, the Beavers’ explosive sparkplug, to just five points on 2-of-7 first-half shooting, and forced two five-second violations on Oregon State, the second immediately followed by Andrews’ third 3-pointer of the half.

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And UCLA forced two Oregon State turnovers in the final minute of the first half, the first a bad pass from Pope that prompted a hearty flex and a grin from Bona, the second a loose ball from Oregon State’s Dexter Akanno that ended up in Andrews’ hands just before the halftime buzzer.

Fitting, really, because Andrews dominated the second half the same as the first, scoring 16 after the intermission. UCLA 6-foot-7 freshman Brandon Williams, who’d had a largely quiet season offensively, provided a nice second-half lift with a turnaround jumper and an and-one.

Pope had 16 points for the Beavers and Bilodeau had 13.

​ Orange County Register 

LA Marathon: Experienced runners advise first-timers, who make up 40% of field

• March 14, 2024

Since distance running is a solitary sport, veteran runners of the LA Marathon, being held on Sunday, March 17, jumped at a rare chance this week to share teacherly tidbits aimed at educating race newbies.

From dos and don’ts to must-see moments along the 26.2-mile course stretching from Elysian Park to Beverly Hills, their advice ran the gamut from what not to wear on race day, to downing energy bites and power drinks like crazy in order to increase stamina during the exhausting jaunt.

And their wisdom may prove critical, since those who’ve run the LA Marathon before are in the minority this year. About 56% of the more than 26,000 runners are newcomers to this race. And 40% — that’s more than 10,000 runners — will be running their first marathon of any kind, said Dan Cruz, spokesperson for the race.

“That is a lot of new runners,” Cruz said. “Might be due to a post-pandemic time when more people are comfortable coming to big events.”

Do this, don’t do that

Louis Briones has run all 38 LA Marathons. At age 76, he’s prepared to run on Sunday, the 39th annual LA Marathon. So when he dishes up advice, people listen.

Like other veteran runners, Briones stressed that how a runner handles the first six miles is critical in preventing a total body breakdown later in the race. In short, the first lesson is all about pacing.

“When that starter gun goes off you are feeling powerful, so you blast out of the gate and you run too fast. You will end up walking the last half of the marathon,” he said.

Many, including Briones, said there should be a caution label affixed to each entry application: Don’t attempt unless you’ve done at least six months of training. For the couch potato, that means baby steps at first. “Buy a good pair of shoes, put them on, head out your front door and run around the block. Start slow, with short distances, get your legs accustomed to moving,” Briones said.

Michelle Russell, an occupational therapist from Encino, ran her first marathon in the LA Marathon of November 2021. Because of the pandemic, the event was pushed back eight months. She trained for six months, something she said was brutal and time-consuming but necessary for a successful race.

“I would caution people: It is achievable but you have to take care of your body. If you don’t train for it, it is going to be miserable,” said Russell, 32, who is not running this race and said her marathon days are in the past.

One way for newcomers to succeed is to follow a pace group holding flags indicating finish-time goals. “Look for the pacer with the five-hour flag and follow them,” advised Loren Piretra, 34, of Santa Monica, who has run the LA Marathon and will be a time-keeper this year.

Piretra and other experienced runners said participants should run at their training pace and not fret about a finish time.

“I’ve seen so many runners end the race defeated because they didn’t achieve their goal time. I see people distraught. I say, who cares? Be proud of yourself for achieving a massive accomplishment,” Piretra said. The LA Marathon time limit on each runner is 6 hours, 30 minutes.

Those runners interviewed all cautioned runners to stay hydrated. Many do that by taking the water handed out by volunteers during the run. Some bring their own concoctions.

“I carry an electrolyte drink that’s got calories. And I eat gummies with sugar for more energy about every half hour,” said Ashley Daunt, 34, of Los Angeles, who will be running in her sixth marathon on Sunday.

Pamela Price, 37, of Los Angeles has two marathons under her belt. She said if a runner is losing energy, grab the snacks. “Take the Twizzlers and the pretzels. You will need the energy,” she said.

Some runners, like Allison Olvera, 29, a driving school instructor from Santa Ana, doesn’t eat during the race. “I stay away from snacks and stick with electrolytes, Gatorade,” she said. She finished the Huntington Beach Marathon in February but not without some drama.

At Mile 21, her legs started to give out. “I said to myself I am not a quitter; I’m not going to give up” and made it through the next five miles. At the finish line she felt relieved. “I couldn’t feel my legs,” she said. Determined, Olvera will run in the Hoag OC Marathon on May 5 in Newport Beach.

Daunt’s fashion advice to runners is don’t wear anything new on race day. Rather, wear the shorts, shoes, etc. from recent long training runs. “That’s to make sure there are no surprises, like shorts that chafe.”

A collective lift

Price said it’s not all about meeting your time goal but about having a good time and meeting new people.

She described her first LA Marathon as “a tour of the city with world citizens.”

This year’s run will feature participants from all 50 states and 70 countries.

Runners will stop to help someone, Price said. “It sounds cheesy but it’s about lifting each other up. You’ll see somebody who is struggling and people will stop and say: ‘You can do this! You’ve got this!,” she said.

Looking back on her 2021 LA Marathon run, Russell said she could feel the cheers of onlookers penetrating her weakened body toward the race’s end. “There was no negative energy,” she said. “Everyone was uplifting, telling you ‘you are amazing.’ It’s like people could be good in the world.”

Julie Weiss, of Santa Monica, is about to run in her 117th marathon on Sunday. She’ll run in the LA Marathon on March 17, 2024. (photo by Babak Ardalan)

Julie Weiss, 53, is about to run in her 117th marathon. About 11 years ago, she ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks and wrote a book about it called: “52 Weeks, 52 Marathons: The Miles and Trials of a Marathon Goddess.”

Having losing her father to pancreatic cancer, Weiss runs to support the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. In the last 10 years, she’s raised more than $1 million in donations from running marathons, she said. “It motivates you to run for something bigger than yourself.”

While running in a recent LA Marathon, she picked up a penny at the Capitol Records Building and thought of her dad, who was a Big Band musician. “I just happened to look down. It was a beautiful moment,” she said.

It’s how you finish

Veteran runners say pacing, keeping hydrated and listening to your breath to keep a good pace will help newer runners have a good marathon experience.

Another way to do that, they say, is to lift up their heads and take in the sites. Many newer runners said they had never been to some of the places in the route, such as Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. “It is a unique chance to see all those places without the traffic,” Daunt said.

Weiss, who has run marathons in Rome, Athens, New York and Boston, favors the one in her hometown, never missing out on the iconic sites, sounds and smells of L.A. “On Hollywood Boulevard you feel like a rock star,” she said. “The LA Marathon gives everyone a place to shine.”

Many marathoners said the finish is just the beginning of the post-marathon effect.

“It does carry over to your professional life,” said Daunt. “I find I can push through when things get hard.”

Olvera, who teaches teenagers how to drive when she’s not training for her next marathon in Orange County, was asked which activity is harder. “It is more stressful teaching. I’d rather run the marathon,” she said.

Long-time marathoners say setting a goal, planning and completing months and months of training, then finishing the actual race sends endorphins to your brain that signal you can accomplish anything. “It is an analogy for everything worth doing in life,” said Briones.

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​ Orange County Register