2022 CIF SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- May 12-14, 2022
- Clovis Olympic Swim Complex, Fresno, CA
- SCY (25 Yards)
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) held its state championship for swimming and diving this weekend in Fresno at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex.
TEAM SCORES (TOP 5)
GIRLS
- Santa Margrita – 378
- Davis SR HS – 204
- Sacred Heart Prep – 103
- Harvard-Westlake – 101
- Compolindo – 94.5 (TIE)
- St. Francis – 94.5 (TIE)
BOYS
- Loyola – 217.5
- Santa Margarita – 177.5
- Palo Alto – 158
- Northgate – 127
- De La Salle – 106.5
The meet ended with the Santa Margarita girls cracking the National High School and 15-18 National Age Group Records in the 400 free relay. You can read more about that swim here.
Girls Meet Recap
Santa Margarita was dominant in the girls meet, sweeping the relays, winning 6 individual events, and recording a trio of 2nd place individual finishes. The best team performance in an individual event came in the 50 free, where Santa Margarita had 4 swimmers in the ‘A’ final. They were led by sophomore Teia Salvino, who won the race in a new personal best of 22.58. Lindsay Ervin, an STMA senior, took 4th in 22.96, while junior Macky Hodges was 5th in 23.01, and freshman Gracyn Aquino tied for 6th in 23.27.
3 of those 4 would go on to team up in the 200 free relay. In that relay, sophomore Ariel Lin led off in 23.81, and was followed by Salvino (22.99), Aquino (22.80), and Ervin (22.92) for a final time of 1:32.52.
Salvino would go on to win the 100 free later in the session, swimming a 49.34. That swim also stands as a personal best, clipping the 49.47 she swam a week ago. Ervin would come in 2nd, clocking a 49.87 to give STMA a 1-2 finish. Ervin’s personal best stands at 49.48 from April.
Santa Margarita freshman Teagan O’Dell was phenomenal this weekend, winning both her individual events in personal best fashion. She started in the 200 IM, where she would roar to victory in 1:55.15, chipping 0.31 seconds off the 1:55.46 she swam last weekend. O’Dell was incredible on the backstroke leg of the race, splitting 27.46, which would end up being slightly faster than her freestyle split of 27.48. Additionally, O’Dell’s swim ties her for #10 all-time in the 15-16 age group at just 15 years old.
O’Dell would go on to win the 100 back in 52.27, again chipping the 52.31 she posted the week previous. As just a freshman, O’Dell broke the CIF State Meet Record with the performance, also rising to #30 all-time in the 15-16 age group. Teammate Macky Hodges would take 2nd, swimming a new personal best of 53.50.
Santa Margarita senior Justina Kozan was another double event winner on the day, taking the 200 free and 100 fly. In the 200 free, Kozan went head-to-head with Saint Joseph’s Claire Tuggle, also a senior. Kozan established her lead on the first 50 of the race, splitting 24.65 to Tuggle’s 25.27. The pair would essentially match each other’s splits on the middle 100 of the race, then Tuggle would come home a tick faster on the final 50. In the end, Kozan swam a 1:44.63, touching just ahead of Tuggle (1:44.97). For Kozan, the swim was just off her personal best of 1:44.40, which she swam at the CIF State Champs last year. Tuggle’s swim came in just 0.01 seconds off her personal best of 1:44.96, which she swam at the 2018 NCSA Spring Championships when she was 13 years old. The performance is also Tuggle’s 2nd fastest of her career, her 2nd time under 1:45, and the fastest she’s swum in the event in 4 years.
Kozan would then take the 100 fly in 52.75, opening up a huge lead on the ‘A’ final on the 2nd 50 of the race. Her personal best sits at 52.42, which she swam at a 2019 Speedo Sectionals meet.
Claire Tuggle would go on to win the 500 free, swimming a 4:44.88 to finish as the only swimmer in the field under 4:50. She was off her personal best of 4:41.36, which was also set at the 2018 NCSAs when she was 13. Tuggle was actually under her best time pace at the 300 mark of the race, but faded a bit through the final 200. She was 2:48.44 at the 300, which is on pace for a 4:40.75 at the 500.
Eastlake’s Emily Lundgren, a senior, took the 100 breast in 1:00.61. The swim was just off the 1:00.58 she swam in prelims, which also stands as her personal best.
In the 200 medley relay, Santa Margarita’s Macky Hodges (25.19), Teagan O’Dell (27.75), Justina Kozan (23.72), and Lindsay Ervin (22.38) teamed up for a 1:39.04, breaking the CIF State Meet Record. The performance also put the quartet within a second of the National HS Record of 1:38.13.
Boys Meet Recap
Loyola won the boys team title handily despite not having a 200 free relay in the meet. Ordinarily, missing a relay would make it extraordinarily difficult to win a team title at a high school state meet, but victories in the other two relays, as well as 8 individual ‘A’ finals appearances was enough to put Loyola comfortably over the edge.
Starting out with the 200 medley relay, Loyola’s William Kim (22.37), Alekos Binder (26.19), Max Cahill (21.50), and Rex Maurer (19.57) combined for a 1:29.63, breaking the CIF State Meet Record.
Rex Maurer would go on to win the next event: the 200 free. He swam a 1:35.40, touching less than a second off his personal best of 1:34.59, which he swam at the 2021 Speedo Winter Junior Championships in December. Maurer took the race out fast, splitting 21.78 on the first 50, then followed it up with a 24.05, for a 45.83 on the first 100. He wouldn’t be able to keep up that 24.0 pace, splitting 24.85 and 24.72 on the final two 50s, for a 49.57 on the final 100.
In the most anticipated boys race of the meet, Sonora’s Matthew Chai beat out Maurer in the 500 free, speeding to another personal best of 4:15.09. He again managed to negative split the race, swimming a 2:07.70 on the first 250, then coming home in 2:07.39 on the back half. With the swim, Chai moved up to #5 all-time amongst high school performers in the 500 free.
| Rank | Name | School | State | Time | Year | CA |
| 1 | Grant Shoults | Santa Margarita | CA | 4.12.87 | 2016 | 1 |
| 2 | Jack Conger | Good Counsel | MD | 4.13.87 | 2013 | |
| 3 | Rex Maurer | Loyola | CA | 4.13.90 | 2022 | 2 |
| 4 | Jacob Mitchell | Carmel | IN | 4.14.68 | 2020 | |
| 5 | Matthew Chai | Sonora | CA | 4.15.09 | 2022 | 2 |
Maurer just didn’t have it in the 500 this weekend, getting out to a 22.92 on the first 50, but then quickly getting up to 26s. He finished in 4:17.39, well off the 4:13.90 he swam the week before.
Maurer would go on to help the Loyola 400 free relay to victory, leading the team off in 44.02. Zachary Larrick went 2nd , splitting 44.37, then Max Cahill split 45.44, and William Kim anchored in 44.67. The team finished in 2:58.50, breaking yet another CIF State Meet Record.
Laguna Hills senior Tona Zinn took the 200 IM in 1:46.47. He got out to a fast start, splitting 23.18 on the first 50, then sealed the deal with a 30.13 on the breast split.
In the 100 breast, San Marino sophomore Daniel Li won with a 53.79, touching 0.60 seconds ahead of Zinn, who came in 2nd (54.39). Zinn was out slightly ahead of Li, splitting 25.63 on the first 50 to Li’s 25.68, but Li was able to hold onto to his speed better, and pulled away on the 2nd 50.
Harvard-Westlake’s Ronald Dalmacio, a senior, took the 100 back in 48.08, establishing a lead on the first 50 and holding it through the finish.
Palo Alto’s Ethan Harrington picked off the 50 free and 100 free. The junior was on fire in the 50, swimming a 19.85. That swim came in just off the 19.73 he swam on May 6. He then went on to swim a 43.60 in the 100 free, clocking a new personal best by 0.16 seconds. Despite being the 50 free champion, Harrington’s strength in the 100 came on the 2nd 50, where he split a sizzling 22.81 to pull away from the field.
San Juan Hills junior David Schmitt took the 100 fly in 47.68.
Northgate won the 200 free relay in 1:22.34. Freshman Kyle Kengla led the team off in 21.20, followed by sophomore Scott McMillan in 20.67, then junior Andrew Hallett in 19.77, and sophomore Mason Wendler in 20.70. Of course, this means that all 4 members of the relay will be returning next year, so the CIF State Meet Record of 1:22.13 could be in jeopardy.
Buchanan senior Colby Hatton threw down the gauntlet in the 400 free relay, anchoring his team in a blistering 42.87 to help the squad to a 10th place finish. Hatton’s split was by far the fastest in the field, and comes in well under his flat-start personal best of 43.96. Hatton is set to begin his collegiate career with Cal this fall, where it appears he will be adding to the legacy of great Cal sprinters.
Wow looking at the breaststroke/freestyle finals and each swimmers progression, it’s absolutely nuts to see how quickly they improved in under 8 months or so. eg. Daniel Li, Andrew Ko, Anthony Sebastian, Zachary Elian, and Ethan Harrington. What the hell are they doing down there in Socal. Never heard of these kids and they just absolutely explode.
Don’t know about these swimmers in particular, but as a California resident, things have been pretty shut down for a couple years. Even when pools were open, space was limited. There were fewer meets. Things have only recently been more normal. For some of these swimmers, this may be their first complete season of training and racing since 2019.
Zachary Elian is from Northern California. Swims on Walnut Creek Aquabears. He is a stud!! Great kid and athlete! He’s from a program that instills having fun while swimming fast.
Ethan and Anthony are also from Northern California.
Worth mentioning that Colby Hatton anchored Buchanans 4 free relay in 42.8