The 2026 CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships kicked off with a bang, and the prelims session was a sight to behold. The top seeds didn't disappoint, with Kelsey Zhang leading the way in the girls' 200 IM and 100 butterfly events. But it wasn't all about the top-ranked swimmers; the meet showcased a range of talent, from the diving finals to the 200 medley relays.
In the diving finals, Saint Mary's junior Lucius Haddad took the gold with a score of 556.60, just under three points ahead of Jasper Nemeth. On the girls' side, Mater Dei senior Gianna Kenrick dominated with a score of 520.75, more than 30 points ahead of Hailey Tipton in second place.
The 200 medley relays saw Campolindo take the top spot with a time of 1:43.40, just two tenths ahead of Davis High School. Valley Christian boys team came out on top of the boys' relay results, stopping the clock in 1:29.47, the only team under 1:30 in the event.
The 200 freestyle prelims saw McKinley Scobie from Foothill High School set the top time, touching in 1:47.90, the only swimmer under 1:48 in the event. Northwood senior and USC commit Andrew Maksymowski swam the top time in the boys 200 freestyle of 1:35.29, just missing the 1:34.70 best time he swam last week.
Kelsey Zhang, the top seed in the girls' 200 IM, posted a time of 1:58.37, while Kayla Han came in second with 1:59.10. The boys' 200 IM saw no state records broken, with the top three swimmers separated by just six tenths.
The meet continues with the finals, where the top nine swimmers will move on to the 'A' final, and the next nine will swim the consolation final. The diving finals and the swimming prelims have set the stage for an exciting championship, with the top seeds and underdogs alike ready to make their mark.
