IUSD is proud to highlight five sports teams that have captured California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championships across a range of divisions and levels. We are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of these student-athletes, who have shown exceptional skill, dedication and teamwork in their respective sports.
The five championship teams come from Northwood High School, Woodbridge High School, and University High School, each of which brought home titles in swimming, golf, softball and tennis.
In CIF, there are multiple divisions a team could compete. These divisions are determined based on competitive equity and school enrollment, which ensures that teams are matched against similarly competitive programs, regardless of school size or geographic location.
"We are incredibly proud of our CIF champions and all our student-athletes who represent IUSD with integrity and excellence," shared Superintendent Cassie Parham. "Their hard work on and off the field inspires us all."
These championship victories underscore the dedication of all IUSD’s student-athletes and coaches, whose dedication and planning were instrumental in each team's success. Congratulations to these teams!
Northwood High School – CIF State Champions, Boys Swimming (Division 1)
Northwood High School took home its second California State Championship with a total of 180 points at the state tournament, outpacing runner-up Clovis West (161 points).
In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Northwood finished second in a county-best time of 2:59.14. The relay team featured freshmen Eli Siniak and Will Chen, as well as Andrew Maksymowski and Derek Hitchens. Hitchens also shone individually, placing second in the 100 backstroke with a time of 47.67 seconds.
Woodbridge High School – CIF Southern Section Champions, Boys Golf (Division 4)
Woodbridge High School's boys golf team captured the CIF Southern Section Division 4 title, defeating Crean Lutheran by four strokes with a team score of 373.
Sophomore Eli Allgood led the charge with a phenomenal round of 7-under-par 65, scoring eight birdies and recording the lowest individual score in the division. He was supported by Joseph Firestone (75), Alex Li (77), Charles Godinez (77) and Logan Li (79). The team’s average score of 74.6 demonstrated both accuracy and consistency.
Woodbridge High School – CIF Southern Section Champions, Boys Tennis (Division 1)
On the court, Woodbridge added a second CIF title by edging Marina High School 10-8 in the Division 1 boys tennis championship match.
Junior Brady Tallakson, the team’s No. 1 singles player, swept his matches, while the doubles teams were pivotal. The championship-clinching set came from the doubles team of Ethan Yu and Mac Perkins, who defeated Marina 6-4.
University High School – CIF Southern Section Champions, Girls Softball (Division 6)
University High School made school history with its first-ever CIF championship in girls softball, claiming the Division 6 Southern Section title with a 4-1 win over Rio Hondo Prep.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the tying run at the plate, third baseman Alexandra McBride fielded a sharply hit ground ball and fired a perfect throw to first baseman Sienna Gillen for the final out and securing their championship win. This milestone win is a testament to the team's determination and a breakthrough moment for Uni's softball program.
University High School – CIF Open Division, Regional, and State Champions, Boys Tennis
University High School’s boys tennis team took home three championship titles this season, winning the CIF Southern Section Open Division title, the CIF SoCal Regional, and the California State Championship for the second consecutive year.
In the state final, University (29-1) defeated Menlo-Atherton High School 4-3, with the deciding point coming from sophomore Rishvanth Krishna. Coming back from trailing 3-5 in the first set, Krishna won five consecutive games to win the first set, setting him up to win the match in straight sets.
Other standout performances included:
- Daniel Zhu (No. 4 singles) won 6-1, 6-0
- Tyler Chandler and Reid Hashimoto (No. 2 doubles) won 6-4, 7-5
- Arystarkh Len (No. 3 singles) won 6-2, 6-3
Earlier in the postseason, University defeated Harvard-Westlake twice—first in the Open Division final (10-8) and again in the SoCal Regional final (5-2).
This back-to-back triple title run showcases University High's dominance in high school tennis.