2022 CIF-SS Division 2
- Prelims: Tuesday, May 3, 2022
- Finals: Friday, May 6, 2022
- Marguerite Aquatic Center, Mission Viejo, CA
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
- Results also on MeetMobile, search “2022 CIF-SS Division 2”
Sonora senior Matthew Chai got the job done during finals of the CIF-SS Division 2 Championships in Mission Viejo yesterday. The 18-year-old downed Jeff Kostoff‘s legendary Division 2 record in the 500 free, which has stood since 1983. Kostoff’s record sat at 4:16.39, but Chai would dip under that mark, swimming a 4:15.91. The swim also marks a personal best for Chai, who swam a 4:16.32 in mid-April.
As for the swim itself, Chai put together an incredible race. He negative split the swim, posting a 2:08.40 on the first 250, then coming home in 2:07.51. He was scorching on the final 100, splitting 50.42. Additionally, Chai is now #25 all-time in the 17-18 boys age group.
Chai also won the boys 200 free, swimming a 1:37.42. He closed extremely well in that swim as well, splitting 24.11 on the final 50. The swim was just a touch off the 1:37.02 Chai swam in mid April.
Another Division 2 record holder, Tona Zinn, a senior out of Laguna Hills, won a pair of events on Friday. First up was the boys 200 IM, where Zinn successfully defended his title against Sonora senior Joseph Kling. Zinn established the early lead, swimming a 22.87 on the first 50 of the race, compared to Kling’s 23.49. Kling inched back closer to Zinn on backstroke, but Zin would make his move on the breaststroke leg, splitting 30.23 to Kling’s 31.39. Kling would come home much faster than Zinn, but the deficit was too great to be overcome. In the end, Zinn finished in 1:47.09 with Kling right behind in 1:47.65.
Zinn would then go on to win the boys 100 breast, swimming a 54.26. Kling would also go on t0 win an event himself, taking the 100 back in 48.99.
Emily Xu, an Arcadia senior, took a pair of events, winning the women’s 200 free and 100 free. Xu would establish the early lead in the 200 free, splitting 25.97, then continue on, finishing in 1:51.22. She would then go on to take a similar path in the 100 free, getting out to the early lead with a 24.51 on the first 50. She would come home in 26.40 for a 50.91.
Other Division 2 Event Winners
- Girls 200 IM: Hojung Yoon (Crescenta Valley) – 2:02.67
- Girls 50 Free: Riley Botton (Saugus) – 23.30
- Girls 100 Fly: Bella Fisco (Saugus) – 54.38
- Girls 500 Free: Kailee Chow (Sunny Hills) – 4:58.32
- Girls 100 Back: Hojung Yoon (Crescenta Valley) – 55.90
- Girls 100 Breast: Henley Kerr (El Toro) – 1:02.92
- Boys 50 Free: Lucas Brunett (Palm Desert) – 20.71
- Boys 100 Fly: Cooper Costello (Dos Pueblos) – 49.20
- Boys 100 Free: Justin Schneider (Murrieta Mesa) – 45.19
- Girls 200 Medley Relay: Esperanza (Sato, Liu, Hugins, Dimitriadis) – 1:46.20
- Girls 200 Free Relay: Crescenta Valley (Yoon, Hong, Yoon, Addiego) – 1:35.27
- Girls 400 Free Relay: Ayala (Ogilvie, Wooden, Villarreal, Sunahara) – 3:32.27
- Boys 200 Medley Relay: Murrieta Mesa (Dillon, Schneider, Schneider, Elizondo) – 1:32.38
- Boys 200 Free Relay: Murrieta Mesa (Elizondo, Dillon, Schneider, Schneider) – 1:24.32
- Boys 400 Free Relay: Murrieta Mesa (Elizondo, Yang, Schneider, Schneider) – 3:07.22
I bet that with decent goggles and a fast swimsuit, Jeff would have been under 4:15
He also did the swim in ELAC (East LA). If you know that pool, then you understand how amazing that 4:16 was.
yes, not a fast pool at all. Probably was even slower back then
Awesome! Congratulations Matthew and Congratulations to FAST Swim team on his development!
Jeff Kostoff ran X-Country too at Stanford (4:01 mile was his best conversion pace) and was a nationally ranked rower after college (I think). Endurance was (is) his thing.
I was in HS around the same time as Kostoff. When I grumbled once to my swim coach once about our practices he told me that one of Jeff Kostoff’s workouts was 3 x 5000 descending. That shut me up. I should have reminded him that my event was the 100 breast but knowing him, he wouldn’t have cared.
If I recall correctly, the interval for those 3×5000 was 50 minutes each.
Bruh
I’m always shocked to see some Americans still swim in the bathtub in May. 🙄
Cut that nonsense out. They’re kids.
Americans bathe regularly throughout the year.
One of the many differences with the French.
I normally like your commentary but it’s a little disingenuous to think the US will just stop swimming yards (in may) in short order.
Regardless – great swim and lovely to see age-groupers getting negative splits in the distance races still, bodes well for summertime.
In this case, I think it has to do with geography. Most (all?) California high school pools are outside. Water polo season is in the Fall, so swimming season is in the Spring.
I’m always shocked to learn French don’t take a bath
Are you also shocked by the superior turns the other 11 months?
Bro, that old record🥶
Wonder what Kostoff did in 200 free? 1:37.0 is way faster than I ever did, but quite slow for a 4:15 swimmer
I think there has been a huge emphasis on strength and speed in swimming the last decade. That’s why we are seeing a lot of 50-100 distance records drop earlier and earlier, but you still see distance records from 40+ years ago hanging around. I bet the total yards put in during practice in the 70s and 80s is way more than we see on the average team today. Coaches have learned a lot… And I bet a lot less burnout and injury today as well
I remember reading that Kostoff did a set of 4×1000@10:00 every Monday morning. Descend 1 to 4 with last one under any college time that weekend. National Record while in HS will always be legend
I sometimes have to remind myself that 4:15 is a really fast time. All these age groupers going mind boggling times has really skewed my perception of what’s fast.
4:15 is insanely fast, by most standards.
? Kostoff with a tech suit ? Fast !