Record-setting performances by Valley Christian’s Yury Kuzmenko and Foothill’s Luka Mijatovic provided highlights among local participants at the 2025 CIF Swimming and Diving championships Saturday at Clovis West High School.
Kuzmenko, a junior, won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events, anchored the 200 medley relay team to another first-place finish and was on the 200 free relay team that placed third.
Mijatovic, a sophomore, won the 500 free in a national record 4:11.91. He also set a state meet record in winning the 200 free in 1:33.52 and was clocked in a 42.91 split on Foothill’s third-place 400 free relay team.
“I’m really excited to see what the future brings for him,” Foothill coach Ali Smith said. “I’m very proud of him. He’s a great team member. His future is very bright.”
Kuzmenko set a state record in the 50 free with a time of 19.55 on Friday in the prelims and came back in the finals on Saturday to win in 19.74. He was timed in 43.34 in winning the 100 free. But his favorite memory was of his 18.88 split anchoring the medley relay in Friday’s prelims.
“I’m super happy,” he said. “I broke 20 last week and broke 19 this week.”
He has given a verbal commitment to Princeton.
“What stands out with him is his tenacity, his mental toughness,” Valley Christian coach Kevin Parizi said.
Dougherty Valley’s Songrui Wu was another double winner, winning the boys 100 backstroke in 47.20 and the 200 individual medley in 1:44.55.
Archbishop Mitty sophomore Shareef Elaydi took first place in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 53.18 and also placed second behind Wu in the 200 IM (1:44.96). Palo Alto’s Gunnar Grubbs won the boys diving event with a score of 611.80.
In the girls meet, Campolindo freshman Stella Canoles won the 100 free in 49.26 and Granada’s Brooke Bennett captured the 500 free with a time of 4:49.15. Canoles was also a second-place finisher in the 50 free (22.78).
Northwood won the boys team title. Valley Christian was third, Northgate fifth, Palo Alto sixth and Foothill seventh.
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Santa Margarita won the girls team title. San Ramon Valley placed second, Monte Vista third, Campolindo fourth and Mitty fifth.
Other top boys finishers included Nathan Foucu of The King’s Academy, who took third in both the 100 free (43.83) and the 200 free (1:35.78). Bellarmine’s Tyler Porter was third in the 50 free (20.08) and Woodside’s Seth Collet was a third-place finisher in the 500 free (4:22.66).
On the girls side, Maren Byrne of Los Altos placed second in the 200 individual medley while Mitty sophomore Mia Su took second in the 100 breast (1:01.00). Irvington sophomore Alison Su came in third in the 50 free in 22.80, Mitty’s Isabel Wu took third in the 100 butterfly (54.39) and Monte Vista’s Ella Busquets was third in the 100 back (53.66). Monte Vista came in second in the 200 free relay (1:33.53) and San Ramon Valley placed second in the 400 free relay (3:25.88). Palo Alto took third in the 200 medley relay in 1:44.16.
