T-L Photo/SETH STASKEY PICTURED IS the Ohio Valley trio of swimmers, who will compete in this weekend’s OHSAA Division II State Swimming & Diving Championships in Canton. From left are St. Clairsville’s Zach May, Martins Ferry’s John Consort and St. Clairsville’s Evan Yost.

Evan Yost and John Consort will swim on the literal final day of the Division II season.

The two area competitors put forth strong showings Thursday evening at the Branin Natatorium in the shadows of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton during the opening night of the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships.

Yost, a junior at St. Clairsville, qualified for the B Final in both the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, while Consort advanced to the B Final in both the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

YOST, taking part in his first state meet, narrowly missed the A final in the 100 fly when he posted a 52.08. That time is the top seed in the B Final. He was 13 hundredths of a second behind the eighth qualifier.

In the backstroke, he advanced as the 14th qualifier, garnering B Final with a 53.44.

“I feel accomplished to have made finals in my first year at state,” Yost said. “I am very happy with how I swam. I’m excited to see what I do (Friday). I know what I did wrong (on Thursday), and I just need to get in and fix it.”

St. Clairsville sophomore Zach May, also a first-time state qualifier, saw his season come to an end in both the 50 and 100 freestyles. He finished 23rd overall in both events. In the shorter sprint, he touched the wall in 22.37 and then came back a short-time later to post a 49.02 in the 100.

CONSORT set the tone for the evening when he earned a second swim in the 200 freestyle. The Brazilian exchange student put forth a time of 1:45.36 to finish 10th overall in the qualifying round. He was 1.81 seconds behind the eighth qualifier.

In the 100 breaststroke, Consort was the 11th qualifier with a 59.82. He was a full second behind the eighth seed.

“I swam pretty well, but I am looking for faster swims (on Friday),” Consort said. “I am very proud of how I swam and I am very impressed with the level of competition at this meet.”