The 2026 CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships are underway, and the excitement is palpable. With the diving and swimming preliminaries complete, the finals are set to be a thrilling showcase of talent and determination. The top seeds in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle events are Northwood senior USC commit Andrew Maksymowski, who will be looking to defend his title. The championship is being held at Clovis West High School in Fresno, California, and is being conducted in SCY (25 Yards).
The girls' 200 medley relay saw a close race, with Archbishop Mitty touching in 1:43.64 to take the gold, just two tenths ahead of the silver medalists, Mountain View. The boys' 200 medley relay was even more dramatic, with Valley Christian setting a new state record of 1:28.80, taking two tenths off the previous record held by Santa Margarita.
The girls' 200 freestyle went to Foothill senior Mckinley Scobie, who touched in 1:47.42, just half a second off her lifetime best. The boys' 200 freestyle was won by Kings Academy senior Nathan Foucu, who improved on his bronze medal finish from last year, taking the gold in 1:34.38. Foucu's performance was particularly impressive, as he sat in second place through the first 150 yards and then made a strong final 50-meter sprint to take the lead.
The girls' 200 individual medley was won by Kelsey Zhang, who touched in 1:58.07, while the boys' 200 individual medley was won by Songrui Wu, who set a new state record of 1:44.55. The girls' 50 freestyle was won by Jada Duncan, who set a new state record of 22.23, and the boys' 50 freestyle was won by Yury Kumzenko, who set a new state record of 19.55.
The girls' 100 freestyle was won by Teagan O'Dell, who set a new state record of 48.02, and the boys' 100 freestyle was won by Ethan Harrington, who set a new state record of 42.92. The girls' 500 freestyle was won by Miranda Heckman, who set a new state record of 4:41.53, and the boys' 500 freestyle was won by Luka Mijatovic, who set a new state record of 4:11.91.
The girls' 200 freestyle relay was won by Santa Margarita, who set a new state record of 1:30.90, and the boys' 200 freestyle relay was won by Northgate, who set a new state record of 1:21.36. The girls' 100 backstroke was won by Teagan O'Dell, who set a new state record of 50.82, and the boys' 100 backstroke was won by Jonah Cooper, who set a new state record of 46.62.
The girls' 100 breaststroke was won by Zoie Hartman, who set a new state record of 59.66, and the boys' 100 breaststroke was won by Ben Dillard, who set a new state record of 52.74. The girls' 400 freestyle relay was won by Santa Margarita, who set a new state record of 3:14.80, and the boys' 400 freestyle relay was won by Loyola, who set a new state record of 2:56.14.
In summary, the 2026 CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships have been a showcase of exceptional talent and determination, with several new state records being set. The finals are sure to be a thrilling spectacle, with the top swimmers and divers vying for the ultimate prize.
