2023 CIF Swimming & Diving Championships
- May 11-13, 2023
- Clovis West High School
- Fresno, CA
- SCY (25 yards)
- State champ central
- Psych Sheet
California’s top swimmers are slated to rewrite the record books at this week’s CIF State Championships taking place Thursday through Sunday at Clovis West High School in Fresno.
Loyola senior Rex Maurer is listed atop the psych sheets in both the 200-yard freestyle (1:33.54) and 500 free (4:12.70) after breaking the national high school record in the latter at last week’s Southern Section Division I Championships. Former Santa Margarita standout Grant Shoults owned the former national high school record in the 500 free at 4:12.87 from back in 2016. Maurer could also make a run at the national high school standard in the 200 free as the Stanford commit is within a second of Aaron Shackell‘s 1:32.85 from February. At last year’s CIF State meet, Maurer won the 200 free (1:35.40) and placed second in the 500 free (4:17.39) behind current Cal freshman Matthew Chai.
Santa Margarita sophomore Teagan O’Dell is positioned to defend her state titles as the top seed in both the 200 IM (1:54.75) and 100 back (51.45). During prelims of last week’s CIF-SS Division I Championships, O’Dell clocked a personal-best 1:54.07 in the 200 IM, which is under Ella Eastin‘s current CIF State meet record of 1:54.31 from 2015. If she can find enough for another time drop, O’Dell could threaten the national high school record of 1:53.73 posted by Torri Huske in 2021. In the 100 back, O’Dell looks like a lock to take down her own meet record of 52.27 from last year after going 51.45 last week.
Palo Alto senior Ethan Harrington will also enter the meet as the top seed in multiple individual events as he eyes repeat victories in the freestyle sprints. The Stanford commit is the only swimmer sub-20 seconds in the 50 free (19.57), but the 100 free should feature a fun showdown with Cal commit Samuel Quarles, who’s seeded second just .12 seconds behind Harrington’s 43.53. Last year, Harrington won the 50 and 100 free in 19.85 and 43.60, respectively.
Long Beach Poly senior Colin Geer is looking to cap off his high school career with CIF State meet record in the 200 IM. His top-seeded time of 1:44.76 is already well under Ethan Hu‘s meet record of 1:45.44 from 2019. Geer, a Michigan commit, is also seeded second in the 100 fly (46.69) just a couple tenths behind San Juan Hills senior David Schmitt (46.47). It’ll be a rematch of last year’s race, where Schmitt (47.68) edged Geer (48.05) by less than half a second.
Riverside Polytechnic freshman Ava DeAnda and Santa Margarita senior Asia Kozan are set for head-to-head battles in both the 100 free and 200 free. DeAnda is the top seed in the 100 free (48.85), less than a second ahead of Kozan (49.78) and within a half second of Amalie Fackenthal‘s meet record (48.43). In the 200 free, Kozan owns the top-seeded time of 1:46.62, but DeAnda is right on her heels with a 1:46.68.
DeAnda isn’t the only freshman on top of the psych sheets. Sarasota freshman Kelsey Zhang has the best 100 fly time in the state with a 52.62, more than a second faster than No. 2 seed Angela Quan (53.90).
Santa Margarita sophomore Gracyn Aquino is the only girl under 23 seconds in the 50 free (22.77) after placing sixth in the event last year (23.27).
In the girls 100 breast, Davis senior Sarah Bennetts (1:00.93) will have to fend off Clovis West junior Hannah Marinovich (1:01.25) and Sacred Heart senior Audrey J-Cheng (1:01.31).
In the boys 100 breast, Daniel Li is seeded nearly two seconds ahead of the field with a 52.43. Last year, the San Marino junior won the event in 53.79.
In the relays, the Santa Margarita girls own the top seed in the 200 medley, 200 free, and 400 free relays. Just last month, they set the national high school record in the 200 free relay at 1:29.61. On the boys’ side, Maurer’s Loyola squad leads the 200 and 400 free relays with entry times (1:21.66 and 2:57.52) that are under the current meet records (1:22.13 and 2:58.50).
Missed out on some people her. Notably Raya Mellott in the 100 breast with the top entry time who is also the favorite to win it as the only person under 1:00
It’s a great meet but also kind of disappointing that many of the big names historically swim through it or skip the meet to focus on LCM. I’ve noticed a few big names that would win their individual events are not in attendance this year.
Bro Rex decommit from the dumpster fire of Stanford swimming, if you wanna take swim seriously come join the powerhouse of a school Kent State
Is this typically a taper meet for this area? Will Rex be rested and shaved?
Historically it has depended on 1) each individual swimmer’s long course goals and 2) the timing of Trials.
In an Olympic Trials year, for example, everyone big almost always swims through it (or skips it altogether).
It’s still a while until Trials and it’s not the Olympic Trials, so maybe? But lots of roster spots up for grabs this summer too. But also his team is going for a State Championship. So…
Rex, if you are reading this, it’s not too late to de commit from Stanford.
All degrees are very similar. Don’t be enticed into doing an overly rigorous unnecessary curriculum.
It’s not too late to the powerhouse in Dallas called SMU
Will be refreshing this website to see what this big boy puts down this weekend
Oh boy have I been waiting for this showdown. My son Has been waiting to vs rex maurer since he was a little munch. He’s been up at dawn on that grussle. My speedy little much is hungry for pizza.
Huh? Am I not reading the comments enough to decipher this ?
There’s corporate lingo, SwimSwam lingo, Gen Z lingo, and Gen Alpha lingo… then there’s… whatever this is
Can we appreciate that it might take a sub 3:05 to A final and sub 3:10 to B final the mens 400 FR? Girls have to be potentially sub 3:30 for a second swim in the 400 FR as well… absolutely bonkers for a high school state championship.
10th place in the Illinois Girls state meet for the 400FR was 3:29 and 12th place in the state for the boys was 3:08