The CIF Southern Section Division 1 Championships: Finals Live Recap
The CIF Sectional meets are happening this weekend, and the Southern Section features the girls' State Champions from last season, Santa Margarita, along with a few big names in the world of high school swimming.
The prelims results saw a few major swims across the board, and we are hopefully in for a fun finals session tonight. Follow along for live updates.
Girls 200 Medley Relay
- Meet Record: 1:39.56, Santa Margarita (2022)
- NFHS Record: 1:36.98, Carmel (2023)
Top 3 Teams
- West Ranch — 1:43.55
- Santa Margarita — 1:43.74
- San Clemente — 1:44.51
The West Ranch girls earned the top time in the 200 medley relay, swimming 1:43.55 to win a close race against the Santa Margarita girls team, who swam 1:43.74 for 2nd place.
The two teams were locked in a tight battle after the backstroke legs. West Ranch's Nadine Fernando and Santa Margarita's Serena Ye both led off in 26.40, touching in an exact tie heading into the breaststroke leg.
Emma Hussein pulled the West Ranch team into a strong lead, splitting 28.08 to touch more than a second ahead of Haylee Pramono's 29.42 for Santa Margarita.
The fly saw Kalun Zhang split 25.76 for West Ranch, holding off Santa Margarita's Daniela Scott, who split 24.60.
On the freestyle, West Ranch's Emma Piltzer and Santa Margarita's Angela Lim split 23.31 and 23.32 respectively to maintain their 1st and 2nd place positions, finishing just under two tenths apart.
The bronze medal went to San Clemente in 1:44.51 with their team of Wren Collins (26.46), Neva Phillips (29.28), Macie Weingarten (25.11), and Zoe DeFabrique (23.84).
Woodbridge’s Tanja Amizic had the fastest backstroke split in the field of 25.99 to lead off their 4th place relays.
Boys 200 Medley Relay
- Meet Record: 1:29.08, Santa Margarita (2024)
- NFHS Record: 1:26.67, Jacksonville Bolles (2025)
Top 3 Teams
- Santa Margarita — 1:30.45
- Corona del Mar — 1:32.60
- University — 1:33.66
The Santa Margarita boys 200 medley relay won in dominant fashion, touching in 1:30.45 to win the event by more than two seconds over Corona del Mar’s 2nd place time of 1:32.60.
Sam Zhou led off in 23.01. Taylor Thongintra swam the breaststroke leg in 24.97. Darren Nguyen was 22.50 on the fly, and Bennett Korner split 19.97 on the freestyle to earn gold medal.
Corona del Mar’s relay consisted of Henry Chang (24.13), Ethan Lim (24.25), Radomir Shostak (23.15), and Grant Christian (21.07).
University’s Dylan Mac (24.09), Chris Lin (26.07), Tiger Chai (22.61), and Brendon Van Erp (20.89) swam 1:33.66 for 3rd.
Northwood’s Eli Siniak split a blistering 22.00 on the fly leg of their 7th place medley relay, a little more than a tenth behind the 21.89 he split in the prelims.
Girls 200 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 1:43.01, Kathryn McLaughlin (2015)
- NFHS Record: 1:42.81, Dagny Knutson (2008)
Top 3 Finishers
- Alyssa Ton (FOVA) — 1:45.15
- Charlotte Milkie (SNTG) — 1:49.01
- Zoe DeFabrique (SCLE) — 1:49.83
Fountain Valley High School junior Alyssa Ton repeated her first place finish from last year’s meet, swimming 1:45.15 to win the girls 200 freestyle.
Ton, who is committed to Tennessee for 2027, touched almost four seconds ahead of the rest of the field, splitting 24.13/26.55/27.13/27.34. Her time was about a second off the lifetime best 1:44.12 she swam to win the event last year.
Santiago High School’s Charlotte Milkie, who is committed to USC for 2027, swam 1:49.01 for 2nd place, about two-and-a-half seconds over her best of 1:46.48 from the Winter Junior Championships in December.
The bronze medal went to San Clemente senior Zoe Defabrique. She touched in 1:49.83, about a tenth off her best 1:49.76 from April of last year. Defabrique is committed to Indiana for the fall.
Boys 200 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 1:33.26, Grant Shoults (2016)
- NFHS Record: 1:30.46, Maximus Williamson (2025)
Top 3 Finishers
- Andrew Maksymowski (NRWO) — 1:34.70
- Liam Thomas (SNMR) — 1:37.28
- Michael Wang (NRWO) — 1:37.65
Northwood senior Andrew Maksymowski earned a repeat win in the boys 200 freestyle, touching in 1:34.70 to finish almost a second faster than the 1:35.61 he swam in 2025. This was also a new lifetime best for him, taking one hundredth off the 1:34.71 mark he set in April. He is committed to USC for the fall.
San Marino senior Liam Thomas set a massive personal best to finish 2nd, touching in 1:37.28 to take almost two seconds off the 1:39.03 mark he set last month at the Rio Hondo League Championships. He is committed to Davidson College.
Northwood sophomore Michael Wang swam 1:37.65 for the bronze medal, about half-a-second off his personal best 1:37.17, which he set in March.
Girls 200 IM
- Meet Record: 1:51.43, Teagan O’Dell (2025)
- NFHS Record: 1:53.38, Teagan O’Dell (2023)
Top 3 Finishers
- Emma Hussein (WERN) — 1:57.23
- Haylee Pramono (STMA) — 2:01.33
- Sofia Szymanowski (CODM) — 2:02.16
The girls' 200 IM went to West Ranch sophomore Emma Hussein in 1:57.23. She split 25.50/30.21/33.04/28.48 to be the only swimmer under 2:00 in the event, dropping two seconds from her previous best of 1:59.50, which she swam in December of 2024.
Haylee Pramono, a freshman from Santa Margarita, touched 2nd in 2:01.33, about a second add from her lifetime best 2:00.50 from March.
Corona Del Mar junior Sofia Szymanowksi grabbed 3rd in 2:02.16, half-a-second off his lifetime best 2:01.61 from November. Szymanowski is committed to Michigan for 2027.
Boys 200 IM
- Meet Record: 1:44.76, Colin Geer (2023)
- NFHS Record: 1:41.39, David Nolan (2011)
Top 3 Finishers
- Peter Vu (FOVA) — 1:48.60
- Cooper Ren (HAWE) — 1:49.02
- Nolan Weijland (CLSO) — 1:49.96
Fountain Valley senior Peter Vu, a Princeton commit for the class of 2026, swam the top boys' 200 IM time of 1:48.60. He split 24.22/28.44/29.95/25.99, just missing his lifetime best of 1:48.83 from April of 2025.
Cooper Ren, Harvard Westlake senior, swam 1:49.02 to finish 2nd. His swim was a new personal best time, taking seven tenths off the 1:49.76 he swam at this meet last year to finish 3rd overall. Ren is not committed anywhere for the fall.
Crean Lutheran South junior Nolan Weijland dropped under 1:50 for the first time, swimming 1:49.96 to earn the bronze medal. His previous best was 1:50.95 from last month’s Spring Meet of Champions.
Girls 50 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 21.64, Abbey Weitzeil (2015)
- NFHS Record: 21.56, Julie Mishler (2024)
Top 3 Finishers
- Gabi Brito (SAMO) — 21.66
- Ava DeAnda (PORI) — 22.82
- Isabella Parker (WOBR) — 22.87
Gabi Brito, from Santa Monica High School, had another massive drop in the girls' 50 freestyle, swimming 21.66 to take another three tenths off the 21.93 mark she swam in prelims. This will move her up to the 3rd fastest 15-16 girl in history in the event, only behind Rylee Erisman (21.61), and Claire Curzan (21.50).
Ava DeAnda, a Cal commit for 2026 from Riverdale Poly-tech, swam 22.82 to pick up the silver medal, four tenths off her best 22.44 from December of 2023.
Woodbridge High School junior Isabella Parker swam 22.87 to take a tenth off her lifetime best 22.98 from March.
Boys 50 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 19.95, Joey Hale (2008)
- NFHS Record: 19.08, Maximus Williamson (2025)
Top 3 Finishers
- Connor Ohl (NEHA) — 19.96
- Nolan Baker (JSER) — 20.22
- Bennett Korner (STMA) — 20.30
Newport Harbor High School’s Connor Ohl swam 19.96 in the boys' 50 freestyle, missing the 2008 meet record time of 19.95 by just one-hundredth. Ohl, who is primarily a water polo player, was about two tenths off his lifetime best 19.79 from last month’s Sunset Conference Championships.
Jessera Catholic senior Nolan Baker finished 2nd in 20.22, a tenth drop from the 20.32 which he swam at this meet last year.
Santa Margarita senior Bennett Korner touched 3rd in 20.30, a tenth add from his best of 20.20 from March. He is committed to Xavier University for the fall.
Girls 100 Butterfly
- Meet Record: 51.41, Gabriella Brito (2026)
- NFHS Record: 49.24, Claire Curzan (2022)
Top 3 Finishers
- Gabi Brito (SAMO) — 50.74
- Tori Yamamura (VALE) — 52.55
- Daniela Scott (STMA) — 55.45
Boys 100 Butterfly
- Meet Record: 46.00, Alex Valente (2015)
- NFHS Record: 44.97, Scotty Buff (2023)
Girls 100 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 47.09, Abbey Weitzeil (2015)
- NFHS Record: 46.73, Rylee Erisman (2025)
Boys 100 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 43.28, Rex Maurer (2023)
- NFHS Record: 41.54, Maximus Williamson (2025)
Girls 500 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 4:39.64, Kaitlin Sandeno (2001)
- NFHS Record: 4:34.78, Dagny Knutson (2008)
Boys 500 Freestyle
- Meet Record: 4:12.70, Rex Maurer (2023)
- NFHS Record: 4:11.91, Luka Mijatovic (2025)
Girls 200 Freestyle Relay
- Meet Record: 1:30.72, Santa Margarita (2025)
- NFHS Record: 1:29.61, Santa Margarita (2023)
Boys 200 Freestyle Relay
- Meet Record: 1:21.66, Loyola (2023)
- NFHS Record: 1:19.27, Jacksonville Bolles (2012)
Girls 100 Backstroke
- Meet Record: 51.09, Teagan O’Dell (2025)
- NFHS Record: 49.61, Claire Curzan (2022)
Boys 100 Backstroke
- Meet Record: 47.04, Kyle Gornay (2013)
- NFHS Record: 45.08, Will Modglin (2023)
Girls 100 Breaststroke
- Meet Record: 59.20, Jessica Hardy (2005)
- NFHS Record: 58.35, Kaitlyn Dobler (2020)
Boys 100 Breaststroke
- Meet Record: 53.05, Daniel Li (2024)
- NFHS Record: 51.62, Max McHugh (2018)
Girls 400 Freestyle Relay
- Meet Record: 3:18.22, Santa Margarita (2022)
- NFHS Record: 3:14.80, Santa Margarita (2022)
Boys 400 Freestyle Relay
- Meet Record: 2:57.52, Loyola (2023)
- NFHS Record: 2:53.81, North Allegheny (2018)
