The North Coast section of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the state’s high school athletics governing body, canceled their section championship that was scheduled to take place next month. The meet was also canceled in 2020 due to the virus, meaning the last time the meet was held was in 2019.
The North Coast section stretches from the northern shore of the state down to just north of San Francisco. This year’s meet was set to be held at the Concord Community Pool in Concord.
While it’s been two years since the meet was last held, the 2019 edition of the meet featured swimmers such as Zoie Hartman, who finished as the NCAA runner-up in the 200 IM for Georgia this year. Missing out on their final CIF Section Championship were swimmers such as Shelby Suppiger, who is committed to Cal, and Alexis DePaco, who is committed to UC-San Diego. Both girls were medalists at the meet in 2019 as sophomores.
The CIF Championship meet is currently scheduled to take place from May 11-13 at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex.
While the meet is canceled, cities in the area have begun to loosen restrictions. In San Francisco, outdoor events can take place at 50% capacity following either vaccination or negative testing.
Despite the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions in California, the state has maintained a ban on out-of-state youth sports competitions.
As the North Coast Section cancels their section championship meet, the San Diego Section has announced that they will be going forward with theirs, despite having originally canceled the meet last month. Following a collaboration between the CIF and the San Diego Health Department, the Section Championships will be taking place on April 23rd and 24th.
San Diego got their meet reinstated, I hope this section does the same thing. We’re running meets – indoors – with no spectators. Come on man. Let’s let these young people have their day on the blocks.
How can CIF possibly hold a state championship meet when at least two of the sections (North Coast and Sac-Joaquin) have cancelled their respective championships? Those meets are the state championship qualifier.
Let the sections who do hold champs send their swimmers to the state meet. It’s outdoors and it can be done in a Covid safe manner. CDPH has now said teams can travel within the state to compete. Let the kids compete! San Diego swimmers and Coaches had to push hard to get their meet reinstated.
Gavin Newsome was a polo player and hates swimming. What a guy!
Horse-polo, or water polo?
Maybe, both. Anyways, more purplish areas of the state will do this like the OC or Riverside. I mean CIF swimming.
Marco Polo.