CLOVIS, Calif. – Junior Lilla Kapinya finished second in the 50-yard freestyle with a school record of 22.85 seconds as the last remaining St. Francis swimmer at the CIF State Swimming & Diving Championships at the Clovis Olympic Swim Complex Saturday.
The 50 mark represents the fifth time that the UCLA commit has adjusted her own school record in the past three weeks. Kapinya entered the season as the holder of the 23.40 benchmark from the previous year's state final. She cut that to 23.06 at the Sierra Foothill League championships, trimmed another tenth to 22.96 in the Sac-Joaquin Section trials, improved by .01 to 22.95 in the second final, then went 22.93 in the opening split of the 200 freestyle relay later on May 8.
Kapinya also becomes the first St. Francis to finish second at the state meet since Ava Chavez achieved the same in the 200 free and 100 butterfly at the 2023 state meet.
The only swimmer ahead of the Troubie 11th-grader in the meet was another junior, Castro Valley's Khanh Seaton, whose meet-record 22.22 shows why she has already committed to Michigan as a sophomore. For that matter, the next-highest upperclasswoman in the 50 free 'A' final was fourth-place Ava DeAnda of Riverside Poly, a senior who signed with Cal on the November 12 signing day.
Kapinya went on to win the 100 free consolation final with a time of 50.19 seconds, more than a full second ahead of River City's Brianna Gough (51.21). She and Chavez are the only Troubies ever to swim that distance faster than 51 seconds: Kapinya holds the record at 50.04, with Chavez in second with her 50.49 relay split from the 2023 state meet.
The second and 10th places amounted to 29 team points, putting the Troubies in a tie for 30th place with Las Lomas. Campolindo and Archbishop Mitty battled down to the wire, with Campo winning the state title with 149 points to the Monarchs' 148. Woodbridge placed third with 137 points, while San Ramon Valley (128), Mountain View (128), Clovis West (125) and Santa Margarita (122) engaged in a close race for fourth through seventh places.
St. Francis qualified the 200 medley relay to the state championship, with Riley Wood, Mackenzie Terry, Kapinya and Landen Didriksen competing on Friday. Terry also made the 100 breaststroke field in her first trip to Clovis West.
2026 CIF STATE SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY 3
Clovis Olympic Swim Complex (Clovis, Calif.)
Events with SF entrants only • Winner plus SF finishers listed
GIRLS' 50 FREESTYLE - 1. Khanh Seaton, Castro Valley, 22.22... 2. Lilla Kapinya, 22.85.
GIRLS' 100 FREESTYLE - 1. Khanh Seaton, Castro Valley, 48.22... 10. Lilla Kapinya, 50.19
