Matthew Chai Posts 4:23.43 500 Free at CIF Division 2 Prelims in Mission Viejo

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”

PRELIMS PDF RESULTS

Prelims of the CIF-SS Division 2 Championships took place in Mission Veijo yesterday. The swimmers will be back in action on Friday for finals.

Sonora’s Matthew Chai was one of the stars of the prelims session and will surely be one of the stars of finals. Chai, who competes for Fullerton Aquatics Sports Team for club swimming, was dominant in the boys 500 free prelims, clocking a 4:23.43. It was actually a very relaxed swim for Chai, despite his leading the field by 8.5 seconds. Chai swam his personal best of 4:16.32 last month, putting him well ahead of anyone else in the field. The senior has his sights set on Jeff Kostoff‘s legendary CIF Division 2 record of 4:16.39. Chai’s personal best last month put him 0.07 seconds under the record mark, but he’ll need to do it again on Friday to officially break the record.

Although Chai’s time was 7 seconds off his PB swim, he showed a flash of promise at the end of the race. His final 100 was the fastest of the race, coming in at a speedy 50.59. It was significantly faster than his first 100, which came in at 52.69. Chai having that much left in the tank for the end of the race would seemingly be an indication that he had more to give in the earlier stages of the swim. We’ll see how that pans out on Friday.

Chai also swam the 200 free, finishing 3rd with a 1:41.41. The swim was also well off Chai’s personal best of 1:37.06, which he set in mid-April as well. Alexander Cole, an El Segundo junior, led prelims of the 200 free with a 1:39.61. Cole swam his personal best of 1:38.41, which he posted at the SI CA NV Speedo Sectional in March.

CIF Division 2 record holder Tona Zinn out of Laguna Hills took 2nd in prelims of the men’s 100 breast, swimming a 55.22. The swim comes in off Zinn’s D2 record of 53.66, which was set at last year’s Championships. It was San Marino sophomore Daniel Li who posted the top time of the prelims session, clocking a 54.92. Li has a personal best of 54.22, which he set last month. We could see a great race between Zinn and Li in finals.

Zinn also led prelims of the boys 200 IM, which he coincidentally is also the CIF Division 2 record holder in. In prelims, Zinn clocked a 1:49.64, leading the field by nearly a second. His Division 2 record stands at 1:46.47, which he also set at last year’s Championships.