Woodside swimmer Clara Young double repeats at Central Coast Section championships

While Young would go on to repeat as CCS champion in both the 50 and 100, Thursday’s confusion hit her hard. Because of a misfire in a girls’ 50 freestyle trial heat, confusion with the starting gun caused Young to hit the water late.

“Clara flinched and saw the other girls go,” Woodside head coach Stephanie Couch said. “So, some of the girls went and some of the other girls didn’t.”

Because no one technically left the blocks early, the heat wasn’t ruled a false start. Instead of reeling off her typical 50 free swim in the 22-second range, Young recorded a time of over 23 seconds, putting into jeopardy her chance to qualify for the “A” final field of eight.

“Clara was in tears ... because she did a 23 and she knew she could faster,” Couch said.

Young’s was already a circuitous route to the CCS prelims. The nationally ranked junior swimmer missed the Peninsula Athletic League meet the previous week due to swimming at the Olympic training National Diversity Select Camp. With the PAL meet serving as a qualifier for the CCS meet, the two-time reigning sprint champion had to petition to swim in the section finals.

“I think she’s noted ... because she had to apply for that and she got it,” Couch said. “So I think they see that she has huge potential.”

Due to protests after Young’s heat in the 50 free, swimmers were allowed to re-swim the preliminary. This time, Young aced it in an All-American time of 22.86 seconds, the second-best time back of St. Ignatius freshman Charlie Terrell. It also set a new Woodside program record, topping Audrey Chung’s program mark set in 2024.

“It was very exciting and a Woodside High School record for the 50 free,” Couch said.

In Friday’s finals, Young and Terrell finished one-two, with the Woodside sophomore breaking away down the stretch for a championship time of 22.87. Terrell took second in 22.97. The 100 free finished in the same order, with Young taking the CCS title with a first-place time of 49.77 — also a new program record, breaking Chung’s mark set in 2023 — and Terrell second in 50.55.

Chung, now a sophomore at Brown University, never teamed with Young at Woodside, having graduated the year prior to the current high school underclassman’s arrival.

“It was fantastic because when Audrey left I got Clara,” Couch said.

By virtue of her two CCS titles, Young qualifies for the CIF State Swimming & Diving Championships, May 14-16, at Clovis Olympic Swim Complex in Clovis. Young also qualified for the state meet in two relay races. In the 200 medley relay, Young, sophomore Charlotte Teague, freshman Ella Moser and senior Reese McCallum took fifth place in 1:46.01. In the 400 free relay, Moser, freshman Sophia Achterkirchen, Teague and Young took second place in 3:28.35.

Last year, Young qualified for the state meet in the 50, 100 and 200 medley relay. This is her first year qualifying in the 400 free relay.

Moser also qualified for the state meet in the 200 free, taking third place in 1:50.60. Leigh-San Jose freshman Aya Gillis-Pade took the title in 1:48.62.

Woodside took fifth place in the girls’ team rankings, San Mateo County’s top finisher. Mitty swept the team championship for girls and boys. Burlingame was the top placer in the boys’ team rankings, taking ninth.

M-A junior goes the distance

Menlo-Atherton junior Michael Powell was the only other county swimmer to claim a CCS individual championship, taking first in the boys’ 500 free. Powell finished in 4:25.07, holding off Mills junior Dylan Yang, who placed second in a bang-bang finish in 4:25.69. Both times are All-American Auto qualifiers.

Yang also took second in the boys’ 200 free in 1:38.02, finishing back of CCS champ Nathan Foucu, a King’s Academy senior, who broke the CCS meet record in 1:35.55.

Serra’s Raghunathan sets program mark

There was more from the CCS sophomore class, as Serra sophomore Brian Raghunathan took second in the boys’ 200 individual medley in 1:50.56, breaking a 40-year-old record previously held by Ray Looze. Mitty junior Shareef Elaydi took the 200 IM championship in 1:46.88.

Other state qualifiers: Carlmont sophomore Louise Scherrer, second place, girls’ 100 fly, 54.44; M-A senior Hailey Preuss, second place, girls’ 500 free, 4:51.84; M-A senior Ava Jannink, second place, girls’ 1-meter diving.