Riverside Poly's swimming super twins, Ava and Dash DeAnda, concluded their junior year with solid performances at both the CIF Southern Section and CIF State championships, continuing their legacy in the pool with one more year of high school competition ahead.
Ava, committed to UC Berkeley for 2026, maintained her flawless record in the 100-yard freestyle at the Southern Section Division 1 championships on May 10, winning with a time of 48.92 seconds. She followed this with a strong showing at the CIF State championships on May 17, placing second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.38.
Meanwhile, Dash made school history as the first male swimmer in more than 25 years to qualify for the state meet in two events — the 200 and 500 freestyle. At the state championships, Dash placed 29th in the 200 freestyle preliminaries with a time of 1:40.98.
Competing at a high level takes commitment from the whole family. "The dedication is there; they would be angry if they are late to training or miss a day. It matters to them," said their father, Jason DeAnda.
The DeAnda twins as kids—side by side at the competition pool then, just as they are today. (Courtesy of Jason DeAnda)
When not in the water, the twins enjoy walking their dogs together and share a love for Chick-fil-A. Their music tastes differ: Ava prefers pop music, while Dash leans toward classic rock, reflecting their distinctive personalities outside of swimming.
As summer approaches, the DeAndas face a packed competition schedule including the National Championships (Ava), Speedo Grand Challenge, USA Futures, Junior Nationals, U.S. Open and Speedo Winter Juniors.
Looking ahead to their senior year, the DeAnda twins remain focused on closing their high school careers with more records and championships before transitioning to collegiate competition.
