Orange Lions Roar Into Day 2 at OHSAA Division II State Finals

CANTON, OH- The Orange Lions made waves on Thursday night at the OHSAA Division II State Finals, sending a strong contingent of swimmers into Friday’s championship finals at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.

The evening opened with Charlotte Bolton diving into the girls 200-yard freestyle. Competing against the best in the state, Bolton clocked a time of 2:00.94 to finish 26th overall, setting the tone for a determined Orange lineup.

In the boys 200-yard freestyle, Sam Amato delivered one of the Lions’ first breakthrough performances of the night. Amato touched the wall in 1:45.20, earning a 12th-place finish and a coveted return swim in Friday’s finals.

Liz Campbell represented the Lions in the 200-yard Individual Medley, finishing 31st with a time of 2:20.81. Shortly after, Galvin Dovgan sprinted to a 12th-place finish in the boys 50-yard freestyle, stopping the clock at 21.85 to secure his spot in Friday’s finals.

Dovgan wasn’t done. He later added another finals appearance in the 100-yard butterfly, placing 16th with a time of 52.84. Amato continued his standout night in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing 12th in 47.65 to advance once again.

Distance specialist Gianni Cakulev battled in the grueling 500-yard freestyle, earning 23rd place with a time of 5:01.35.

Relay teams provided some of the most exciting moments of the night. The girls 200-yard freestyle relay team of Aanya Chepyala, Charlotte Bolton, Lucy Jais, and Liz Campbell combined for a time of 1:42.16, finishing 11th and punching their ticket to Friday’s finals.

The boys 200-yard freestyle relay team — Galvin Dovgan, Gianni Cakulev, Michael Shuster, and Sam Amato — powered their way to a 5th-place finish in 1:27.42, securing a strong lane assignment for finals.

Bolton returned to the pool in the 100-yard backstroke, placing 26th with a time of 1:02.07.

In the 400-yard freestyle relays, both squads ensured the Lions would have a presence in the final event sessions. The girls team of Chepyala, Campbell, Jais, and Bolton placed 14th in 3:46.10 to advance, while the boys quartet of Dovgan, Cakulev, Shuster, and Amato capped the night with an 8th-place finish in 3:15.64, earning another shot at the podium.

With multiple individual swimmers and all three relays advancing, the Orange Lions will return to the blocks Friday evening with momentum and confidence. Finals begin today at 5 p.m. in Canton, where the Lions will look to turn strong prelim swims into podium finishes.

Complete results on the link below: