2026 CIF CENTRAL SECTION D2 CHAMPIONSHIPS
- May 6-10, 2026
- Bakersfield, California
- Kern Aquatic Center
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2026 CIF CENTRAL SECTION D2 CHAMPIONSHIPS – “
- Team Scores (PDF)
The Bakersfield High School girls and Orcutt Academy boys were victorious on Friday at the CIF Central Section Division II Championships in Bakersfield, earning a pair of tightly contested titles over Highland High School.
The Bakersfield girls scored 205 points to top runner-up Highland (187.5) by 17.5 points, while the Orcutt boys outscored Highland by 10 points, 226-216. Last year, Bakersfield was competing in Division I, while the Orcutt boys placed 7th in Division II.
GIRLS’ RECAP
The Bakersfield girls were led by junior Katie Kaff, who swept the 100 breast (1:05.49) and 200 IM (2:09.44) titles after going faster in both events in the prelims (1:04.69/2:08.37).
Last year, Kaff placed 2nd in the 100 breast and 3rd in the 200 IM at the Central Section D1 Championships, setting respective best times of 1:03.55 and 2:05.75.
Kaff also contributed to both of Bakersfield’s winning relays, which kicked off in the 200 medley. The quartet of Brooke Parks (34.77), Kaff (29.79), Allison Bye (29.06) and Sophie Stallings (26.91) combined for a time of 2:00.53, edging out Highland, which placed 2nd in 2:00.94.
At the end of the meet in the 400 free relay, Bakersfield rolled to a dominant victory by nearly five seconds in 3:59.24 behind the squad of Stallings (1:01.88), Bye (1:02.19), Amelia Wood (1:01.16) and Kaff (54.01).
Matching Kaff with 40 individual points was Shafter junior Sarah-Jane Osborne, who went two-for-two with victories in the 100 back (58.96) and 100 fly (56.44). Her swim in the 100 back marked a new best time, while her 100 fly clocking matched her lifetime best from last year’s Central Section Division I Championships, where she placed 3rd.
Other Event Winners
- 200 free – Josie Martin, Shafter, 2:01.25
- 50 free – Alina Espinola, Chowchilla, 25.47
- 100 free – Kathryn Forbes, Dinuba, 55.39
- 500 free – Emma Taylor, Coalinga, 5:32.25
- 200 free relay – Highland High School (B. Briley, M. Fox, J. Ehret, D. Dotson), 1:46.57
- 1-meter diving – Rylie Pendergrass, Taft Union, 514.15
Girls’ Team Standings – Top 5
- Bakersfield High School, 205
- Highland High School, 187.5
- Chowchilla Union High School, 149.5
- Taft Union High School, 141
- Independence High School, 138
BOYS’ RECAP
Headlining the boys’ competition was Orcutt Academy senior Ray Pettit, who led his team to the title after setting a pair of Central Section Division II records.
Pettit kicked the meet off with a strong showing in the 200 free, firing off a time of 1:40.26 to take down a 23-year-old D2 record of 1:41.35 set by Chris Nolan in 2003. Pettit came into the meet with a best time of 1:41.96, set in February 2025.
Placing 2nd in the 200 free and nearly going under the old record was Yosemite sophomore Kaiden Rockey, who put up a time of 1:41.63.
Later in the meet, Pettit rolled to victory in the 500 free in 4:35.76, cracking the Central Section D2 record of 4:36.98 set by Peter Kline in 2007. Pettit owns a lifetime best of 4:32.96, set last year.
In addition to his runner-up finish in the 100 free, Rockey picked up a victory of his own in the 100 free, clocking 46.77 to fall just shy of the D2 record of 46.68 set by Landon Lassahn in 2023.
Rockey is coming off setting personal bests of 46.14 in the 100 free and 1:40.98 in the 200 free at the Speedo Sectionals in Oceanside at the end of February.
In addition to his individual wins, Pettit also anchored in 21.71 to lead the Orcutt Academy boys to victory in the 200 free relay in a time of 1:31.71.
Joining Pettit with two individual victories was San Joaquin Memorial junior Ike Rodriguez, who set best times en route to wins in the 100 breast (1:00.94) and 200 IM (2:04.45).
Highland High School won two of the three relays, dominating the field in the 200 medley relay by nearly seven seconds in 1:40.31, and then they followed up by claiming the 400 free relay by less than two-tenths in 3:19.71.
Highland’s 200 medley relay squad featured Juan Pablo Melgoza (25.46), Zane Rock (28.20), Nick Gonzalez (24.09) and Ian Duarte. (22.56), and in the 400 free relay, it was the same quartet: Gonzalez (50.61), Melgoza (48.90), Rock (51.70) and Duarte (48.50).
Orcutt Academy notably had a blistering 47.06 anchor from Pettit in the 400 free relay.
Other Event Winners
- 50 free – Kai Sharpe, Edison, 21.65
- 100 fly – Isaak Ensz, Immanuel Christian, 52.71
- 100 back – Jude Moore, Morro Bay, 53.79
- 1-meter diving – Mateo Sanchez, Golden West, 443.60
Boys’ Team Standings – Top 5
- Orcutt Academy, 226
- Highland High School, 216
- Golden West High School, 173
- Bakersfield High School, 165
- Morro Bay High School, 137
