DeSales swimmer Luke DeFrancisco stars at state, winning two titles

Lamar Jackson will reportedly miss 6-9 weeks

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DeSales swimmer Luke DeFrancisco stars at state, winning two titles

Dave Purpura, Columbus Dispatch · The Columbus Dispatch

Sat, Feb 28, 2026 ·

5 min read

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CANTON – Wearing a personalized hockey jersey designed by his mother, one with his school crest on the front and 14 stars between the chest and both sleeves, DeSales senior Luke DeFrancisco stood atop the podium Feb. 27 as one of the stars of the Division II state swimming meet .

After winning his first state championships in his final meet, taking the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 individual medley in relatively comfortable fashion, DeFrancisco laughingly said there was no special significance to the number of stars.

"Those are just filling out space, I think," he said.

DeSales' Luke DeFrancisco stands atop the podium after winning the Division II state title in the 200 individual medley. He also won the 100 breaststroke.

DeFrancisco carved out his own prominent space at Branin Natatorium, dropping well over a second to take the 200 IM in 1:48.77 – 2.54 seconds ahead of runner-up Thomas Lathrop from Ottawa Hills – before taking the final individual event of the night in 56.36, a comfortable 1.23-second victory over Beachwood's Derek Fan.

DeFrancisco was third in the 200 IM last year , when like this year he was the top seed entering state, and fourth in 2024. He was 100 breast runner-up a year ago and earned the top seed in that event coming out of district.

"[This meet] last year was pretty heartbreaking," DeFrancisco said. "I went into state seeded first, into the finals seeded first, and I didn't win. The big thing [this year] was capitalizing. I wanted to get some vengeance in the 200 IM. I am really happy with how the meet went."

DeSales' Luke DeFrancisco swims the breaststroke leg of the 200 individual medley. He won the event and the 100 breaststroke.

DeFrancisco said the breaststroke was perhaps his weakest event halfway through high school.

"My best stroke is always changing with all the IM training," he said. "Sophomore year, my breaststroke was really lacking and it started to come along last year as I worked on it more."

Wellington's Mahaffey wins 100 back title

It speaks to the high standard to which Wellington junior Jack Mahaffey holds himself that minutes after winning the 100 backstroke, still out of breath even after receiving his medal, that he already was looking forward to analyzing his performance.

Mahaffey's winning time of 48.38 was 0.16 ahead of Gates Mills Hawken's Everett Losch and 0.1 off the state record – a time he exceeded in December at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships in Indianapolis, where he swam a 48.23.

Mahaffey's championship is the first swimming title at Wellington and only the second for the swimming and diving program. George Callanan won Division II boys diving in 2020 .

Jack Mahaffey of Wellington swims the boys 100 yard backstroke in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Luke DeFrancisco swims out the breaststroke leg of the boys 200 yard IM for DeSales in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Katie Drummond swims the girls 100 yard butterfly for Bexley in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Luke DeFrancisco is on the podium as state champion for DeSales, having taken the title in the boys 200 yard IM in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Katie Drummond swims the butterfly leg of the girls 200 yard medley relay for Bexley in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Genevieve Bennett touches the wall for a second place finish for Bexley in the girls 200 yard medley relay in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

The ladies of Bexley are your second place medalists in the girls 200 yard medley relayin the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Powering throught the backstroke helped Luke DeFrancisco take home the state championship for DeSales in the boys 200 yard IM in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Luke DeFrancisco of DeSales touches the wall to claim the state title in the boys 200 yard IM in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Katie Drummond of Bexley makes it to the wall for a second place finish in the girls 50 yard freestyle in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Maddie Esposito saw a sixth place finish for Columbus Acsdemy in the girls 50 yard freestyle in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Katie Drummond of Bexley is on the podium with her second place medal from the girls 50 yard freestyle in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Bexley's Kattie Drummond touch the wall and takes third place in the girls 100 yard butterfly in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Katie Drummond of Bexley shows off her third place medal from the girls 100 yard butterfly in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Jack Mahaffey of Wellington made it to the wall fist to claim the state championship in the boys 100 yard backstroke in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Jack Mahaffey of Wellington is atop the podium with his first place medal from the boys 100 yard backstroke in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Dispatch)

Hartley freshman Charlotte Galbreath finished second in both paralympic events at state Feb. 27, the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
(Dave Purpura/Columbus Dispatch)

Reese Reilly of Roger Bacon placed first with Lily Schneider of Jonathan Alder taking second in the girls 100-yard breaststroke in the finals at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, Feb. 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer)

Jonathan Alder's Lily Schneider finished eighth in the 200-yard freestyle at the Division II state meet Feb. 27 at Branin Natatorium in Canton.
(Dave Purpura/Columbus Dispatch)

Granville's Nolan Schneider finished fourth in the 200-yard freestyle at the Division II state meet Feb. 27 at Branin Natatorium in Canton.
(Dave Purpura/Columbus Dispatch)

Austin Carpenter of St. Charles scored a first place finish in the boys 100 yard freestyle preliminaries at the OHSAA State Swimming Championships, Canton, Ohio, February 27, 2026.
(Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer)

Upper Arlington's Griffin O'Neill finished third in the 200-yard freestyle at the Division I state meet.
(Dave Purpura/Columbus Dispatch)

Upper Arlington's Kiera Powers celebrates her Division I state championship in the 200-yard individual medley.
(Dave Purpura/Columbus Dispatch)

St. Charles senior Jake Lloyd celebrates his 50 free state championship, which he earned in a state-record time of 19.32 seconds.
(Dave Purpura/Columbus Dispatch)

"A slight add all-time, but for this pool, I have to be happy with a state title," said Mahaffey, who also was seventh in the 50 free (21.21). "I'm thrilled but even without seeing the video, I know there are things to work on. I can see improvement.

"The last 25 [yards] were really difficult, but winning this means a lot. I am behind a ton of really fast guys at Wellington [historically] and this is a fast race every year. I am really happy."

Led by senior Nolan Schneider's podium finishes in the 200 freestyle (fourth, 1:42.5) and 100 free (seventh, 46.77), Granville finished ninth (82) and was central Ohio's top team.

Hunting Valley University School (216) won its fifth consecutive championship, edging out Ontario (204).

Bexley's Katie Drummond swims to third place in the 100 butterfly. She was also second in the 50 freestyle.

Bexley leads central Ohio girls teams

Five top-four finishes, including a second in the 50 free (23.21) and third in the 100 butterfly (55.83) for sophomore Katie Drummond, led Bexley to third place for the second year in a row.

Drummond was defending champion in the 50 free but came up 0.26 of a second short of Bryan's Nora Kunsman.

She also helped the young 200 medley relay to second place (1:45.67) with classmates Sophie Dankof and Vivi Hoy and freshman Genevieve Bennett and was on the third-place 400 free relay (3:35.65).

"I tried not to put a lot of pressure on myself," Drummond said of a championship repeat. "I just tried to be present and think of everything I have done to work up to this point."

Dankof was fourth in the 100 back (57.92).

Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (375) won its fourth straight title. Hawken was second (165), but losing only two seniors in Charlotte Holzhall and Hadley Langolf, Bexley appears poised to stay among the state's elite.

"We'll take [third] all day every day," coach Sandy Sliwowski said. "They're very competitive. They like to push each other to the next best thing. I hope that trend continues."

Reese Reilly of Roger Bacon placed first and Lily Schneider of Jonathan Alder, right, took second in the 100 breaststroke in the Division II state meet Feb. 27 at Branin Natatorium in Canton.

Jonathan Alder senior Lily Schneider finished second (1:02.96) in the 100 breast – only 0.27 behind three-time winner and Duke signee Reese Reilly of St. Bernard Roger Bacon – and eighth in the 200 free (1:57.38).

"You can tell [how close the race is] because when you're pushing off the wall, you can see them coming up on you and know you just have to go," said Schneider, a Southern Indiana signee. "Definitely at the turns you can tell and all through the underwaters. You can see in your peripheral vision how close everyone is to you. It can get scary."

Hartley freshman Charlotte Galbreath finished second in both paralympic events at state Feb. 27, the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

Hartley's Galbreath earns Paralympic runner-up finishes

Hartley freshman Charlotte Galbreath finished second in both para events, the 50 free (35.09) and 100 back (1:27.93).

Galbreath added half a second from her 50 free qualifying time but dropped a tenth in the 100 back.

"At the beginning of the season I was around a 1:32, then to 1:30 and down to a 1:28 tonight," Galbreath said. "I like backstroke more, but the 50 free is easier for stamina [purposes]. I get really tired in the 100 back. If there was a 50 back, I'd do that instead of the 50 free."

Other central Ohio swimmers who reached OHSAA Division II state podium (top-eight finish)

BOYS

200 medley relay:Columbus Academy (eighth, 1:38.76)
200 free relay:Granville (sixth, 1:28.11)
100 breaststroke:William Duan, Academy (seventh, 59.14)
400 free relay:Granville (fifth, 3:14.09)

GIRLS

Paralympic 50 free:Chloe Smith, Big Walnut (fourth, 59.88); Aubrey Hurt, Westerville Central (seventh, 1:25.18)
50 free:Maddie Esposito, Academy (sixth, 23.21)
100 free:Maddie Esposito, Academy (seventh, 52.71)
Paralympic 100 backstroke:Smith (third, 2:13.45); Hurt (seventh, 2:53.96)

(This story has been updated to add a photo gallery.)

High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: DeSales' Luke DeFrancisco wins two OHSAA Division II swimming titles

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Lamar Jackson will reportedly miss 6-9 weeks

DeSales swimmer Luke DeFrancisco stars at state, winning two titles

Wellington's Mahaffey wins 100 back title

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Other central Ohio swimmers who reached OHSAA Division II state podium (top-eight finish)

BOYS

GIRLS