Palo Alto has long been a powerhouse at the Central Coast Section swimming and diving championships.
The Vikings are a perennial contender at the CCS meet, having won back-to-back boys team championships in 2022 and 2023. The girls won titles in 1995, 2005 and two in a row in 2016 and 2017.
But Paly took things to another level on Saturday at Independence High School. For the first time in the proud history of the Vikings program, Paly won both the boys and girls team titles at the CCS championships.
It was the first time the same school won both the boys and girls titles in the same year.
The Palo Alto High School boys and girls swim teams celebrate together for both winning overall during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
The girls held off Archbishop Mitty in a tight race for the CCS team title, compiling 194 points to Mitty’s 190. And the boys lapped the field, collecting 244.5 points to easily clear second-place Bellarmine (203) and earn their third CCS championship in program history.
“It was a little stressful near the end, but I liked the conclusion of it,” Paly coach Danny Dye said.
The Vikings used strength in numbers to secure their titles. Paly won the girls 200-yard freestyle relay, with Llew Ladomirak, Katie Spitzer, Hannah Oh and Sabrina Meyers clocking a time of 1:34.99.
But that was the only event the Vikings won on either side of the meet. Instead, they got contributions from across the lineup to earn their championships.
Woodside’s Seth Collet dives in the pool for the 500 freestyle during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“Both of them were actually true team victories, where we didn’t have any individual champions and only one relay champion,” Dye said. “But we had balance throughout, and it was because of that that they were able to pull the point totals where they were.”
The CCS record fell in the 200-yard freestyle, as King’s Academy junior Nathan Foucu swam a blistering time of 1:35.40 to set the new meet standard.
Valley Christian junior Princeton commit Yury Kuzmenko broke the CCS record in the 100-yard freestyle, swimming to a time of 43.42 to win the event. Kuzmenko flirted with the record in the 50 free, winning the event in 19.65 seconds to come up just short of Ethan Harrington’s 2023 mark of 19.57.
But the biggest story of the day was Palo Alto’s dominance across both genders. The Vikings had to sweat out the girls title, as Mitty kept things close until the final event.
Palo Alto girls swim team cheers on the boys after getting first during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
The boys kept things a little simpler, clearing the field by leaps and bounds.
“They were definitely rooting for each other,” Dye said. “From the beginning of the year, I told them what they could accomplish. So they’ve been pushing each other all year, cheering each other on. You get the club kids and you let them know how high school is different, and how the points go. So they really understood their role.
“Swimming in high school, you swim to get in, and then the next day, you swim to place and get points. And they all really understood that role. Even if there was a disappointing swim, they knew that they could still get points and add to the team. It was great to see the camaraderie of both teams, understanding and supporting and empowering. If there wasn’t a good swim, the other swimmers picked them up in the next race.”
It was a validating meet for Paly, which finished as the runner-up in both the boys and girls competition last year. The twin titles gave Dye his sixth and seventh section titles all-time, surpassing legendary Paly coach Nort Thornton Sr. for most in Vikings history.
Judges watch a relay during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Thornton Sr. won his section titles during his Palo Alto tenure from 1945-60, when the Vikings competed in the North Coast Section.
“They were so stoked,” Dye said. “It was amazing to see how excited they were in the water after throwing me in and taking the pictures and doing all the different stuff. It was amazing to see their energy and smiles and laughter.”
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Dye picked up his 300th and 301st career dual meet wins at Paly’s final dual of the year against Gunn, setting the stage for a strong performance at the section meet. After avenging the boys’ runner-up finish to Gunn in 2024 and holding off Mitty in the nip-and-tuck girls race, the Vikings have a lot to celebrate as they get ready for the state meet in Clovis.
Gunn’s Nate Yoon swims during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
“The pressure was on,” Dye said. “Mitty has some very, very good swimmers, so you’re worried that those swimmers can step up and pass you by with that little bit of a lead that you gave yourself. But our girls held serve. For every movement one of the Mitty girls made, our girls did the same thing. They stood tall and did what they had to do.
“It was amazing to see how stoic they were. It didn’t make them nervous, it didn’t make them scared. They didn’t choke and have bad times. They stood up to the challenge and did it. And the boys were amazing. They were like a machine. We know we have a lot of senior leadership, so here’s what we need to do, here’s what we’re going to do. To see them step up with that maturity as athletes, as high school athletes, it was an amazing feeling.”
Menlo Atherton’s Hailey Preuss prepares to dive in for the 500 freestyle during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Saratoga’s Kelsey Zhang swims during the during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Enzo Balbuena swims during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Sacred Heart Prep boys celebrate after a relay during the Central Coast Section boys and girls championships at Independence High School pool in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)