For 2nd Year in a Row, California Cancels State Swimming & Diving Championships

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced on Thursday that it would “not be hosting State Championships in swim & dive” originally schedule to take place in Clovis on June 4-5, 2021.

The announcement came a day after the state’s largest section, CIF-Southern Section, received approval from Orange County to hold separate Section Championships for its Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4 in late May.

Last summer, CIF separated its high school sports into two groupings: season 1 sports and season 2 sports, meant to give a chance for all sports to be played from January to June. Boys and girls swimming was to have a relatively normal start on March 13 and end on May 21.

The 10 different sections that make up CIF have followed local public health guidelines, leading to different outcomes for swimming and diving in different regions of California. On April 12, the Los Angeles City Section announced postseasons for baseball, softball, lacrosse and volleyball but said that trace, swimming & diving, tennis, and golf would require a waiver from LA County. On 4/26, the Central Coast Section posted that they were actively seeking approval in track & field and swimming.

Thursday’s CIF press release specifically referred to the lack of swimming and diving championships in four of the six Northern California sections opted out of a spring postseason.

“With only two of the six Northern California Region Sections offering Championships at this time (Central Coast Section and Oakland Section), it is not feasible for the State CIF to conduct Northern California Regional Championships. Also, due to the limited number of Sections in Northern California conducting championships, coupled with potential logistical/travel issues, the State CIF will not be hosting State Championships in swim & dive, track & field, and wrestling.”

Below is the list of California postseason championships that we know of, at this time:

Section Dates Location Results
CIF Central:
Division 1
Division 2
D1 & D2 Diving: May 27
D1 & D2 Swimming: May 28-29
D1 Diving: Clovis West HS
D2 Diving: Site TBD
D1 Swim Meet: Clovis West High School
D2 Swim Meet: Kern District Aquatic Center
D1 results:
D2 results:
CIF Central Coast TBD
CIF Los Angeles City TBD
CIF North Coast CANCELED
CIF Northern CANCELED
CIF Oakland TBD
CIF Sac-Joaquin Diving: Girls-May 21/ Boys-May 22
Swimming: May 27-29
Diving: McClatchy High School, Sacramento
Swimming: Tokay High School, Lodi
CANCELED
CIF San Diego D2: April 23-26
D1:
D2 results
D1 results
CIF San Francisco CANCELED
CIF Southern Diving: May 20-21
Swimming: May 25-29
Diving: Marquerite Aquatics Center
Swimming: Santa Margarita Catholic High School
D1 results
D2 results
D3 results
D4 results
CIF State Meet June 4-5 Clovis Olympic Swim Complex
Clovis West High School
1070 E. Teague Ave
Fresno, CA 93720
CANCELED

 

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Annoyed Parent
2 years ago

So, wrestling is ok, football is ok, basketball is ok… BUT, swimming, in a chlorinated pool, 8 feet apart, is not. I HATE CA!

DemocratDoctorsaysletthemswim
2 years ago

We have held numerous swim meets indoors going all the way back to August with zero case transmissions including most recently the state high school championships with 300 swimmers swum at 4 sites instead of 1! As a physician and swim coach and swim parent, I saw no reason not to swim based on the science. No spectators(most parents sat outside and watched on Jumbotron)swimmers in the stands masked sitting separated, minimum number of masked officials and Marshall’s to run a safe competition. Relays run every other lane with swimmers only walking behind block just after previous swimmer has dived in… follow good protocols and minimize risk and let the kids swim! Not political…science says swim

Disappointed in Indiana
2 years ago

This is a lazy decision that doesn’t look to protect the interests of young people. What about mental health? How are student athletes supposed to feel when they see so many discrepancies with other organizations and/or states? Is it more work? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Safety protocols can be developed and enforced whether inside or out. SO many examples of plans that work. Just plain LAZY.

Only Slightly Disappointed in California
Reply to  Disappointed in Indiana
2 years ago

I mean, I get the frustration and all.

But in Trials years, most of the state’s top swimmers don’t show up anyway because it’s so late, and those who do show up aren’t focused on this meet.

Plus remember this state meet isn’t really like the state meets we see elsewhere. It’s a fairly-new event, and Sections still seem to be more important around here.

I’d get it if they canceled something like the Indiana HS State meet, but I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal here.

Daddio3
2 years ago

They not have outdoor pools in CA? Weather must not be good enough there (or did cdc say swimming outdoors iunsafe? Is anywhere safe???). Feel for these kids battling to be recruited in second straight long course season with no real energy around high school swim.

Dababy
2 years ago

Pain

Last edited 2 years ago by Dababy
Anonymous
2 years ago

I hate living here.

Cindy
Reply to  Anonymous
2 years ago

I’d like to know how many of you making comments live in California and coach high school swimming?

Caeleb’s left suit string
2 years ago

It’s just sad, regardless of how you feel about lockdowns or regulation, at this point it’s easily doable in a safe environment, but the higher ups of these organizations like ClF are just playing politics, and it’s the athletes that suffer.

You Can’t Be Serious
2 years ago

CIF fails again. Worthless.

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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