The Palo Alto High School girls swim and dive team finished a strong season with a second place finish at the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships.
After winning CCS in 2025, the Vikings entered this season with momentum, but also some challenges as the team had graduated a couple key contributors from its championship roster the year prior. This created new opportunities for new swimmers and also forced returning swimmers to take on bigger roles. Despite these challenges, Paly stayed very competitive throughout the year going undefeated in dual meets, as well as winning their 6th straight SCVAL league title.
The Vikings focused their season on consistency and having a strong and fun team culture. Rather than only relying on a few top scorers, the team found points across a wide range of swimmers, from individual races to relays. This balance was one of the team’s biggest strengths, allowing them to stay in contention against the top programs throughout the section.
Swimmers also had to step into unfamiliar positions as younger athletes on the team gained experience in many races and returning swimmers helped maintain the standard set by previous seniors. The team wasn’t exactly trying to recreate the championship roster from last year, but instead tried to work to form a fun team culture that could succeed in its own way.
That approach paid off at CCS. Competing against the section’s best swimmers and divers, Paly delivered a strong overall performance and finished as the runner-up. While the Vikings did not repeat as champions, placing second in one of the most competitive sections in the state showed the team’s ability to return and show up after a successful season and still compete at an elite level.
This season also highlighted the importance of the team’s collective mindset. Most of the time, swimming can feel very individual and alone, with athletes focused on their own lanes, times, and events. Despite this, the Vikings were able to find success by treating each performance as part of a larger team effort and not be as focused on performing as individuals.
Following a championship year, there were high expectations and the team entered the season with some pressure to prove themselves. Instead of being overwhelmed by that pressure, the Vikings responded with improvement throughout the year and a strong finish when it mattered most.
The runner-up result adds another major accomplishment to a program that has become one of the most consistent at Paly. Over the past three seasons, the Paly girls swim and dive team has earned a CCS title and two CCS second place finishes.
Although the season ended just short of another championship, the Vikings still left their mark. Their 2026 season showed that Paly girls swim and dive remains one of the section’s best, built on depth, hard work, and a team first culture.
