Elmira Invitational: Corning state champ Angie McKane a 4-time winner

Corning won half of the 12 events and Horseheads flexed the depth that has produced an unbeaten record in 2022 during this weekend's Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational at Ernie Davis Academy's Thomas Natatorium.

Hawks junior Angie McKane was part of four of Corning's six victories and was voted by coaches Most Outstanding Swimmer at the 14-team meet that started Friday with diving and concluded Saturday with timed swim finals at the recently renovated pool.

More:Top 10 swimmers, divers in Section 4 this season

Horseheads piled up 315.5 points to take the title in the eight-team Class A division, followed by Corning with 284.5.

Chenango Valley was titlist in Class B and Chenango Forks tops in Class C.

Four wins, but frustration for McKane

McKane broke EDA pool records in winning the 50-yard freestyle (23.62) and 100 butterfly (55.05), with her butterfly time breaking her own 2021 mark. She added a personal record 100 time of 52.70 leading off the Hawks' victorious 400 freestyle relay (3:46.44) to close the meet. McKane helped the Hawks win the 200 medley relay (1:55.21) to begin Saturday's schedule.

Her 100 freestyle gave McKane the top time in New York state this season in four of the nine individual swimming events. The 50 free, butterfly and 200 individual medley are the other three. Last year she was state public schools champion in the butterfly.

"There were definitely some ups and maybe some not-so-ups, I guess," McKane said. "I did pretty good in my 50 free. I got a PR in my 50 free and 100 free, but then my 100 fly was close to my PR, but not quite there yet. But I’m just coming off a sickness. Hopefully by sectionals and states it will be back up there."

McKane was noticeably frustrated after finishing her butterfly despite outdistancing her nearest competitor by more than six seconds.

"I came into the meet with some higher expectations," she said of her reaction. "I guess seeing that time, it may have been mentally a little bit hard, but I know there’s more opportunities in the future. ... I'm proud of how I've progressed (this season). Especially in my freestyle, I've gotten better and my potential for my fly is definitely there."

Another record for the Hawks

Corning diver Brooke Terwilliger gave Corning its first record of the weekend Friday when she won the 1-meter diving with a score of 536.20, breaking the pool record. Emma Bachert of Horseheads finished second and also topped the state qualifying standard of 440 with her score of 468.40.

Carolyn Heckle was part of both Corning relay wins and finished first in the 100 freestyle (56.89).

"I’m definitely very proud of everyone on the team. I saw a lot of big drops, a lot of PRs," McKane said. "As a whole the team did great."

Olsian, Kittle among other winners

Binghamton/Seton Catholic Central's Ava Olsian and Waverly's Mira Kittle picked up wins in events in which they top the Section 4 leaderboard.

Olsian captured the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.32 and finished second to McKane in the 50 free in 24.24. Olsian placed eighth in New York last year in the 50 free and both of her individual times Saturday were not surprisingly below the state standard.

Kittle, who has qualified for states in the backstroke, won that event Saturday in 1:00.64, about two-tenths of a second off the state standard.

Other individual winners were Chenango Valley's Jenna Beck in the 200 freestyle (2:01.41), Elmira Notre Dame's Allie O'Brien in the 200 individual medley (2:21.54) and Ithaca's Ivalee Bascom in the 500 (5:38.92).

Horseheads' strong season continues

Defending Section 4 Class A team champion Horseheads improved to 7-0 in dual meets this season with a 96-90 victory over Corning earlier in the week.

Along with Bachert's state-qualifying diving performance, another highlight was Saturday's victory from Sibby Lowe, Gabrielle Janeski, Gracie Ringer and Grace Shelhamer in the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.89).

Horseheads took third in the other two relays. Lowe's day included a runner-up finish in the butterfly (1:01.69) and a tie for fourth in the 50 free (25.69).

Results

Team Scores

Class A: Horseheads 315.5, Corning 284.5, Greece 202, Ithaca 180, Elmira 127, Binghamton/Seton CC 93, Union-Endicott 70, Hilton 19.

Class B: Chenango Valley 395, Waverly 280.

Class C: Chenango Forks 359, Dryden 311, Elmira Notre Dame 207, Susquehanna Valley 150.

Top Finishers

200 medley relay: Corning (Maria Kuksenkova, Audra Hilker, Angie McKane, Carolyn Heckle) 1:55.21; Greece 1:56.63; Horseheads 1:58.99.

200 freestyle: Jenna Beck (CV) 2:01.41; Kara Peters (Corn) 2:04.27; Fiona Blakely-Armitage (Ith) 2:08.68.

200 IM: Allie O'Brien (END) 2:21.54; Alice Clapp (Ith) 2:21.58; Marissa Figueroa (CF) 2:27.57.

50 freestyle: McKane (Corn) 23.62; Ava Olsian (Bing) 24.24; Mira Kittle (Wav) 24.53.

100 butterfly: McKane (Corn) 55.05; Sibby Lowe (Horse) 1:01.69; Figueroa (CF) 1:03.17.

1-meter diving: Brooke Terwilliger (Corn) 536.20; Emma Bachert (Hors) 468.40; Alexis Gherig (Hil) 407.75.

100 freestyle: Heckle (Corn) 56.89; Peters (Corn) 57.70; Sophia Desisti (Wav) 57.72.

500 freestyle: Ivalee Bascom (Ith) 5:38.92; Fiona Blakely-Armitage (Ith) 5:41.99; Mary Evans (Greece) 5:49.63.

200 freestyle relay: Horseheads (Sibby Lowe, Gabrielle Janeski, Gracie Ringer, Grace Shelhamer) 1:43.89; Greece 1:46.62; Corning 1:47.16.

100 backstroke: Kittle (Wav) 1:00.64; Alice Clapp (Ith) 1:01.03; O'Brien (END) 1:03.25.

100 breaststroke: Olsian (Bing) 1:08.32; Emily Thomas (Greece) 1:09.64; Bascom (Ith) 1:15.58.

400 freestyle relay: Corning (McKane, Heckle, Kuksenkova, Peters) 3:46.44; Chenango Valley 3:56.81; Horseheads 4:05.67.

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Angie McKane, Horseheads lead way at Elmira swim invitational