2023 CIF Central Section Championships (California High School)
The 2023 California High School State Championship season kicks off this week with a run of Sectional meets around the country.
That includes the Central Section, where the bigger schools (D1) will race at the newly-renovated Clovis West High School that is also hosting the state championship meet on May 12-13.
The Central Coast Section isn’t quite as deep as, say, the Southern Section or North Coast Section, but it still is home to many of the states best swimmers.
Check out 5 to watch at this weekend’s Central Section Championships below.
1. Hannah Marinovich, Junior, Clovis West (D1)
The Tennessee commit has been slowly marching up the rankings in the 100 yard breaststroke, but earlier this year at the Speedo Sectionals meet in March in College Station, she had a huge breakthrough to swim 1:01.75 in the 100 breaststroke, placing 3rd at the meet. That was a clear ‘level up’ meet for the defending Section runner-up in the event.
At last year’s state meet, she swam 1:03.54. Since Sectionals, she has made 1:03-lows and 1:02s a regular part of her repertoire.
The section champion Mackenzie Miller graduated, but that doesn’t mean that Marinovich won’t be pushed: Clovis North sophomore Ellie Fitzgerald, Marinovich’s club teammate at the Clovis Swim Club, is the #2 seed at 1:02.16.
2. Hayden Lambert, Senior, Clovis North (D1)
The tw0-time defending Section Champion in the 500 free is trying to make it a perfect three-for-three in his high school career in the 500 free (his freshman campaign was canceled by COVID-19), and as the top seed by more than seven seconds, he’s in a great position to do that.
At last year’s Section meet, he went 4:31 in the 500, and at his conference meet last month he swam 4:29.53 already. That gives the UNLV commit a chance for a big swim at Sections.
He also has the chance to add a novel feather into his cap: he’s the top seed in the 200 free in 1:39.98. He hasn’t finished better than 4th at the Section meet in the 200 free.
Clovis North are the defending champions for both men and women.
3. Olivia Sundgren, Senior, Buchanan High School (D1)
Sundgren, a Cal Poly commit, was one of the Central Section’s top performers at last year’s CIF State Championship meet when she placed 3rd in the 500 free.
Year-over-year, she’s way ahead of schedule this season compared to last season. If she hits around a 4:55 this week, look out for something big coming down the pipeline at State. She’s well on track to be under Cal Poly’s school record of 4:50.57 already this season in HS.
4. Winston Liang, Sophomore, Clovis North (D1)
Last year, as a freshman, Liang finished 4th at the Central Section Championship meet int he 100 breaststroke in 58.71.
Not only have the three guys ahead of him all graduated, including the Section record holder Bryan Wong (55.86 from 2021), Liang had dropped tons of time in the interim.
He swam a new best time of 56.43 at the Mt. Sac Meet of Champions a few weeks back and enters this year’s Section Championship meet as the top seed by two seconds.
5. Charlie Potter, Freshman, Garces Memorial High School
The section lost its big D2 star from last year when Claire Tuggle graduated from Saint Joseph, but another one is on the rise in Garces Memorial High School freshman Charlie Potter.
He has the opportunity to chase a lot of D2 records, including Peter Kline’s 2007 mark in the 500 free of 4:36.98 in his four years. For now, he’s the top seed in the 200 IM by more than six seconds (1:57.25) and the top seed in the 500 free by more than 12 seconds (4:42.62).
Last year, Garces High swam at the D1 meet. Their girls finished 18th and the boys didn’t score. This year, in D2, they have the top seed in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay – partially thanks to the D2 move and partially thanks to their star freshman.
