The state swimming and diving championships will look a little different this season, as the OHSAA has made many adjustments to ensure the health and safety of the competitors and all involved at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

Among those COVID-19-related changes is a one-and-done format per each event, or timed finals. There will be three heats in each event, with the winners based on time. There is no qualifying for the “Saturday finals” as in previous seasons when all finals in Divisions I and II were held, following the “B finals” or consolations.

There will be just one meet per day, as the Division II girls will compete today, with Division II boys competing on Thursday. Division I girls will follow on Friday and Division I boys will wrap up the championships on Saturday.

All of that is fine with senior Connor Fritz, who will lead four Canfield Cardinals into the pool on Thursday.

“I like the one shot to swim your best because nobody’s just laying back and trying to hold back for the finals,” he said. “It is the finals.”

Fritz will be competing in the 100-yard backstroke, where he is seeded ninth after placing third at district in 52.65 seconds. Last season, Fritz placed 22nd in the 100-yard backstroke and was on the 200 free relay that finished 10th, and the 200 medley relay that placed 12th.

“My (personal-record in the backstroke) is 52.52, which I set last year at state, and my goal on Thursday is to get into the high 50s or low 51s,” Fritz said. “Our school record is 50.90 set by Ryan King, and it would be amazing to break that in my final high school swim.”

Swimmers have had to compete all season without parents and family members in attendance. They were able to watch via a live stream. At state, each swimmer is allowed to have one parent attend.

“My parents haven’t decided who’s going yet,” Fritz said. “I think they’ve said they’re going to flip a coin to see who is going.”

Canfield coach Jamie Dietz forfeited his pass to assistant coach Maggie Brucoli.

“She’s the technical coach and stepped in to help out after I said I would coach so that the kids could have a season,” Dietz said. “Unless you have a certain number of competitors, you only get to send one coach.”

Still, Dietz will be in attendance — as a father. His son Luke is a junior and will compete in four events. He is seeded 18th in the 200 freestyle after placing fourth at district (1:47.11) and is seeded 24th in the 100 free after being sixth at district (48.71).

Dietz and Fritz will be joined in the 200 medley relay by Ty Schaab and Cameron Burnett. The same group also comprises the 200 free relay. The medley relay is seeded ninth (1:39.13) after placing fourth at district and the 200 free relay is seeded 18th (1:31.18) after being seventh at district.

Also competing in the boys Division II meet are Hubbard junior Dominic Panozzo, Liberty senior Andrew Riser and Poland sophomore Carmen D’Alesio.

Panozzo (48.51), Riser (48.64) and Dietz finished third, fifth and sixth in the 100 free at district. Panozzo is seeded 20th at state and Riser is 22nd.

“From the eighth grade up until now, my two main goals were to compete at state and to go on and swim in college,” said Panozzo, whose mother will be in attendance at state. “I dropped eight-tenths of a second from my PR and set the school record. I was fully tapered, so the goal this week is to find consistency in my time. I want to be a little faster, or at least stay right about the same.”

Riser finished 20th at state last year.

D’Alesio is seeded 22nd in diving after placing ninth at district with an aggregate score of 308.4 points.

The area’s highest-seeded competitor is Howland’s Jared Mindek, who is fourth in the 100 breaststroke and ninth in the 200 individual medley. He won a district title in the breast (57.18) and is a fourth-year state qualifier who placed third last year, fifth as a sophomore and 15th as a freshman.

Mindek was fifth at district in the 200 IM (1:58.47).

Competing today in the girls state meet are Poland sophomore Kendall Nigh in diving and Liberty freshman Theresa Garono in the 100 free.

Nigh is seeded ninth (405.35 points) after placing third at district. Garono was eighth at district (54.95) and earned the final state berth, being seeded 24th.

The area has no state qualifiers in Division I girls or Division I boys meets.