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HS Swimming: Corning's Angie McKane breaks two Section 4 records at Elmira meet

andrew legare, elmira star-gazette
·6 min read

Corning senior sensation Angie McKane broke two Section 4 records and Horseheads took the team title in the highly competitive Class A Division during the final day of the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Saturday at Ernie Davis Academy.

McKane broke her own section record in the 50-yard freestyle and added a Section 4-topping mark in the 100 backstroke, an event she has swam rarely in high school meets. She also has the section mark in the 100 butterfly (54.05).

She also helped Corning win the 200 medley relay (1:56.19) and rack up 314 points in Class A. Horseheads piled up 342 points for the Class A victory. McKane delivered her fastest 50 butterfly (23.74) in that relay.

"I was pretty happy with how the day went," McKane said. "I am coming off of a cold, so I'm still very congested and have a cough. ... I'm very grateful the races went well and being sick didn't seem to too harshly affect my races, but I definitely know I have more in me for sectionals."

Chenango Valley topped the Class B field and Dryden paced Class C schools. The meet included 11 teams total.

Hawks diver Brooke Terwilliger got Corning going Friday by winning the diving competition and breaking her own pool record of 536.20 with a score of 538.75. Madison Morris of Maine-Endwell and Corning's Cella McLaughlin joined Terwilliger in reaching the state standard of 440.

McKane adds to storied career

Angie McKane helps Corning to first place in the 200-yard medley relay at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.
Angie McKane helps Corning to first place in the 200-yard medley relay at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.

McKane, who has committed to swim at Division I Army, added to a resume that ranks among the best in Section 4 history. She won public schools state titles in the 100-yard butterfly in 2021 and 2022 in addition to winning Federation and public schools titles in the 50 freestyle last year.

Her first record Saturday came in the 50 free with a time of 23.18 seconds. That topped her old mark of 23.39 from prelims of last year's state meet.

McKane topped the backstroke section record of 56.30 set in 2019 by Sophia Verkleeren of Horseheads with Saturday's winning effort of 55.86.

Not surprisingly, both times Saturday were pool records. McKane came in as the pool record-holder in the 50 freestyle (23.62) and broke the backstroke record of 58.17 held by Lansing's Sarah Newman since 1990.

McKane also broke the 1993 pool record of 52.42 seconds in the 100 freestyle – held by Ithaca's Beth Timmons – with her leadoff time of 51.56 in the 400 freestyle relay. McKane has Elmira's pool record in the 100 butterfly (55.05) as well.

McKane has knocked off pool records across Section 4 with regularity this season, including four earlier in the week in a dual meet at Horseheads.

What's ahead for McKane?

Corning's Angie McKane atop the podium after setting a Section 4 record in winning the 50-yard freestyle at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.
Corning's Angie McKane atop the podium after setting a Section 4 record in winning the 50-yard freestyle at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.

McKane could be looking at a backstroke, butterfly combination for the state meet despite being a state champ in the 50 freestyle.

"I’m only really starting to train (the backstroke) this season because last winter out of nowhere I dropped four seconds from my personal record at a rested meet in Ithaca," she said. "I was kind of shocked, so I am just trying to take advantage of my talents and maybe hone in on my backstroke skills. I think I want to swim that event at states, so I’m trying to get some experience racing it."

Lowe sisters boosted Raiders to triumph

Horseheads' Sibby Lowe, top, finished first and Chenango Valley's Colsten Beers, bottom, took second in the 100-yard butterfly at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.
Horseheads' Sibby Lowe, top, finished first and Chenango Valley's Colsten Beers, bottom, took second in the 100-yard butterfly at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.

Sibby Lowe gave Horseheads a victory in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:00.66 to edge runner-up Colsten Beers of Chenango Valley (1:01.03).

Lowe added a fourth-place finish in the 50 free (25.01) and helped the Raiders place second in the 200 freestyle relay and third in the 400 freestyle relay.

Her sister, Anna, was part of both relays and finished second in the 100 freestyle (57.33).

Little Red paced other winners

Ithaca's Ivy Bascom finished first in the 200-yard individual medley at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.
Ithaca's Ivy Bascom finished first in the 200-yard individual medley at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy.

Ithaca swimmers earned spots atop the podium in four events, including a pair of individual wins from junior Ivy Bascom. She took the 200 individual medley (2:18.68) and the 100 breaststroke (1:12.74).

Ithaca's Lea Teschl won the 200 freestyle (1:59.27).

Bascom and Teschl joined Alice Clapp and Blue Maralani in winning the 400 freestyle relay (3:51.66).

Other winners were Chenango Valley's Jenna Beck in the 100 freestyle (55.03), Corning's Kara Peters in the 500 freestyle (5:22.18) and Waverly's 200 freestyle relay of Olivia Cheresnowsky, Lauryn Welles, Megan Atanasoff and Mira Kittle (1:40.44).

Kittle's strong day included runner-up finishes behind McKane in the 50 freestyle (24.06) and backstroke (59.25). Both times were well below the state standard.

Team scores, top finishers

Corning's Angie McKane, left, and Waverly's Mira Kittle fist-bump after McKane finished first and Kittle second in the 50-yard freestyle at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy. McKane's time of 23.18 seconds set a Section 4 record.
Corning's Angie McKane, left, and Waverly's Mira Kittle fist-bump after McKane finished first and Kittle second in the 50-yard freestyle at the Elmira Girls Swimming and Diving Invitational on Oct. 14, 2023 at Ernie Davis Academy. McKane's time of 23.18 seconds set a Section 4 record.

Class A team scores: Horseheads 342, Corning 314, Ithaca 246, Union-Endicott 167, Elmira 116.

Class B team scores: Chenango Valley 382, Waverly 324, Maine-Endwell 52.

Class C team scores: Dryden 388, Chenango Forks 260, Elmira Notre Dame 165.

200 medley relay: 1-Corning (Maria Kuksenkova, Erika Liu, Angie McKane, Kara Peters) 1:56.19; 2-Ithaca (Alice Clapp, Ivy Bascom, Kathleen Pollock, Lea Teschl) 1:57.52; 3-Chenango Valley (Mia Volpe, Kamryn Hoyt, Colsten Beers, Olivia Blaise) 2:04.40.

200 freestyle: 1-Teschl (Ith) 1:59.27; 2-Peters (Corn) 2:05.09; 3-Sophia Bucci (CV) 2:07.81.

200 IM: 1-Bascom (Ith) 2:18.68; 2-Mia Carro (Hors) 2:24.41; 3-Clapp (Ith) 2:24.46.

50 freestyle: 1-McKane (Corn) 23.18; 2-Mira Kittle (Wav) 24.06; 3-Olivia Cheresnowsky (Wav) 24.90.

1-meter diving: 1-Brooke Terwilliger (Corn) 538.75; 2-Madison Morris (M-E) 489.65; 3-Cella McLaughlin (Corn) 450.0.

100 butterfly: 1-Sibby Lowe (Hors) 1:00.66; 2-Beers (CV) 1:01.03; 3-Carro (Hors) 1:04.28.

100 freestyle: 1-Jenna Beck (CV) 55.03; 2-Anna Lowe (Hors) 57.33; 3-Blue Maralani (Ith) 59.30.

500 freestyle: 1-Peters (Corn) 5:22.18; 2-Teschl (Ith) 5:23.97; 3-Sophia Bucci (CV) 5:38.57.

200 freestyle relay: 1-Waverly (Cheresnowsky, Lauryn Welles, Megan Atanasoff, Kittle) 1:40.44.

100 backstroke: 1-McKane (Corn) 55.86; 2-Kittle (Wav) 59.25; 3-Cheresnowsky (Wav) 1:01.22.

100 breaststroke: 1-Bascom (Ith) 1:12.74; 2-Hoyt (CV) 1:17.75; 3-Welles (Wav) 1:18.95.

400 freestyle relay: 1-Ithaca (Bascom, Clapp, Maralani, Teschl) 3:51.66; 2-CV (Beck, Mary Bush, Bucci, Beers) 3:51.75; 3-Horseheads (S. Lowe, Elise Levantovich, Carro, A. Lowe) 3:51.76.

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Angie McKane of Corning broke two Section 4 records at Elmira invite