Division I state swimming: Area well represented on the podium’s top spot

CANTON: Two girls and three boys from the Akron area waltzed out of C.T. Branin Natatorium with a Division I state championship Saturday.

Firestone senior Katie Miller set a state record and pool record in the 200 individual medley with a winning time of 1:57.98, shattering her own record time of 1:58.12 from Friday’s preliminary meet.

Miller also won the 100 backstroke Saturday in 54.04 seconds.

Jackson senior Chase Kinney won the 50 freestyle in 22.53 seconds, just .01 second ahead of the state record time she set during Friday’s preliminary meet.

Kinney also matched the state record time of 49.70 seconds in the 100 freestyle finals Saturday after she set it Friday in the preliminary.

Hudson sophomore Ross Palazzo won the 200 individual medley in a time of 1:48.49 and then snagged a second title when he placed first in the 100 breast stroke in 55.00 seconds.

Firestone senior Mark Belanger and Cuyahoga Falls senior Andrew Appleby both capped their high school careers with a state title in their last race.

Belanger won the 100 freestyle in a time of 45.17 seconds and Appleby placed first in the 100 backstroke in 49.00 seconds.

Check the Akron Beacon Journal and ohio.com on Sunday for complete swimming stories with results and quotes from athletes and coaches in Canton.