Swimmers seek to make a splash in state championships

Q: What is the CIF State Swimming Championship schedule?

The CIF State Swimming Championship preliminaries start on Friday, followed by finals on Saturday.

Q: Which local swimmers are competing in the state championships?

Local swimmers include Garces seniors Jett Kalmikovs, Charlie Potter, and Clay Selvidge, as well as Liberty seniors Sophia Munoz-Rodriguez and Migo Armas.

Q: Where is the CIF State Swimming Championship being held?

The championship is hosted at Clovis West High School.

Q: What are the qualifications for swimmers in the CIF State meet?

All competitors are among the best in their CIF region, with no byes or easy heats, making it a highly competitive event.

When the CIF State Swimming Championship meet weekend opens with preliminaries on Friday, it might decide a title, but it figures to be the most spirited and the most competitive. Everyone has to go all-out just to reach Saturday’s finals.

That goes for everybody. There are no byes, and there are no easy heats. Everyone who is competing at the championship host site, Clovis West High School, is among the best in their CIF region, everyone is fast, and everyone is as driven as the person in the next lane in pool is to finish their season with a title or, at least, a medal.

The list of locals who have made it to the state meet is, once again, filled with some of the usual suspects.

Garces boys swimmers, seniors Jett Kalmikovs, Charlie Potter and Clay Selvidge are back with a chance to end their high school careers with a memorable finish.

Liberty has both girl and boy swimmers who’ve also got one more shot to complete the season as only they can. Two of the Patriots’ best, Sophia Munoz-Rodriguez and Migo Armas are seniors and both are Cal State Bakersfield-bound this fall, along with Garces’ Potter. Another seasonlong standout for the Patriots is junior Lucas Cuper.

There are also some who are not Rams or Patriots who are swimming at Clovis West in hopes of chasing their own bit of glory. Bakersfield Christian’s Hailey Todd, a sophomore, is eligible for two events. Faith Roberts, a junior at Centennial, is here, too. Another junior, Sarah-Jane Osborne, has also had a strong season while representing Shafter High.

Preliminaries begin at 1 p.m. Friday with swimmers vying to finish in the top eight for a final, but at least top 16 to swim in a consolation final when Saturday’s finals begin at 10:30 a.m.

Here are the swimmers who have advanced to the state meet and can compete in the preliminaries. Some alterations may occur in the relays where entries have more than the four swimmers on the list should the need arise.

Girls

200-yard medley relay — Liberty, 1 minute, 45.14 seconds. Relay members are: Jillian Bean, Sophia Munoz-Rodriguez, Gracie Dean, Paige Bowyer, Ellie Horrisberger, Izzy Dorsett, Payton Bronson and Logan Graham.

200 individual medley — Munoz-Rodriguez, Liberty, 2:01.96.

100 butterfly — Munoz-Rodriguez, Liberty, 54.46; Sarah-Jane Osborne, Shafter, 56.44.

100 freestyle — Hailey Todd, Bakersfield Christian, 52.16.

200 free relay — Liberty, 1:37.42. Relay members are: Munoz-Rodriguez, Bean, Horrisberger, Bowyer, Dorsett, Graham, Brooke Porter, Sophie Dean.

100 backstroke — Todd, BCHS, 57.52; Bean, Liberty, 58.65; Osborne, Shafter, 58.96.

100 breaststroke — Faith Roberts, Centennial, 1:03.30

There are no local state entries for girls in the 50 free, 200 free, 500 free and 400 free relay.

Boys

200-yard medley relay — Garces, 1:32.64. Relay members are: Jett Kalmikovs, Charlie Potter, Clay Selvidge, Owen Weishaar, Ben Potter, Ben King, Nick Garcia and Khane Eseberre. Liberty, 1:34.35. Relay members are: Migo Armas, Carter Stiles, Jonathan Lo, Lucas Cuper, Mike Ohanessian, Aidan Wright, Konner Sullivan and David Zimmerman.