NEW YORK STATE SWIMMING: KITTLE FINISHES CAREER AS MOST ACCOMPLISHED SWIMMER IN PROGRAM HISTORY, BUT MAKES AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT AS A TEAMMATE / LEADER (16 PHOTOS) (November 22, 2025)

BY BRIAN FEES
Valley Sports Report
WEBSTER — When Mira Kittle started her career at Waverly only a few girls had ever competed at States. Four years later. she has completely rewritten every record book at the school.

On Saturday, the Wolverines senior came home with three more state medals. That gives her a program-record 10 in her career. She swam in a program-record 13 events in her career at States. 

With a third-place finish in the 50 free on Saturday in 23.35 seconds, the Wolverines senior recorded the best individual finish by a Waverly swimmer.

“It’s really special,” Kittle said. “I’m super-excited about it. I’m really glad to leave high school knowing I was able to come here and compete for four years.”

For Kittle, earning the best individual finish by a Waverly girl is a pretty special moment.

“I think I’m only the second person in school history to get top three in an individual event,” Kittle said. “So, that's really special to me. I know I’m leaving something for these younger girls to look up to. Hopefully, they can look up to it and, hopefully, get better each day.”

The 50 free finish comes just a couple races after Kittle helped the 200 medley relay finish fifth. She swam a person-best time of 22.93 split for the 50 free. While the time doesn’t count as a personal best, or school record because it was the final leg of the race, it does show Kittle what she’s capable of. 

“It’s my fastest split,” Kittle said. “It’s just really great. I know I didn’t get a 22 in my open 50, but it helps set in what I can do.”

A year ago, Kittle swam in the B final in the 100 back. On Saturday, she finished fifth in the race in 57.3 seconds.

“Two individual state medals, it wasn’t what I expected this year, but it’s really great,” Kittle said. 

For the senior, it’s "crazy to think" this is the end of her high school career.

“My coach said to me earlier, 'we are so proud of you,' and I got a little tear jerker,” she said. “Like a lump in my throat. It’s a little sad, but I know I did my time here, I did everything I could do here and it’s time to open a new chapter.”

While Kittle hasn’t committed to anyplace yet for college, she is hoping to find success at the collegiate level.

“I am really excited to hopefully get into a good sprint program that will help me to excel more,” Kittle said. 

For Kitlte, it’s just special to see how far the program has come since she started her career. 

Kittle was the lone state qualifier as a freshman, swimming in two events. A year later, four swimmers competed in three events between them. A year ago, the program brought home two state medals after having what was a program-record five state qualifiers and this year, they rebroke that program record with six state qualifiers. 

“It’s just great to see our program has grown so much,” Kittle said. “Not only over the past couple of years, but over a great deal of time. Our coaching staff has put into us a lot more. It’s really good.”

This year also saw the Wolverines win a state medal in the 200 free relay without Kittle. Something that hadn’t happened in the past couple of years.

“It was really great getting to see them go out there and do what they re capable of by themselves,” Kittle said. “Being able to see that, they are becoming really great leaders. Seeing I don’t have to be like, ‘we are going to do great girls, we’ve got this.’ They can handle it. Those younger girls can handle it on their own, they can go and get it done.

“It also helps set in for the years to come when I’m not going to be here and I can watch them swim and hopefully still be a part of it in some way.”

Four of the six swimmers at states for Waverly this year were underclassmen. Ending her career with Olivia Cheresnowsky, who is a fellow senior, is special for Kittle. 

“It’s really sad,” Kittle said. “We have been swimming together for a while. But, it’s really good to see we ended it well together.”

Over the past four years not only has Kittle gotten better as a swimmer, she’s gotten smarter as a swimmer, too. She knows that all the things she’s learned about preparing for races will only help her in the future.

“I think just being able to swim all that and knowing the rest in between, what I need to do, when I need to get in the water,” Kittle said of things she’s learning. “It’s really helpful at the next level, especially since meets are going to be different then. It’s not just high school swimming, I think it will really help me adapt, knowing when I need to get my rest in, when I need to cool down, when I need to warm up."

Kittle knows she has set the bar high for the next group of swimmers, but she also knows that they setting their own bar of what they want to accomplish. 

“I’d say yes (on setting the bar), but at the same time, they have their own bars they want to reach,” Kittle said. “They have their own goals they want to accomplish themselves. I think whatever they want to do, whatever they want to accomplish, I’ll be proud of them no matter what.”

And, these younger girls are already starting to make their marks. Kittle was the first swimmer program history to make states in four events a year ago. She matched that this year, and so did Lauryn Welles, who has now been to States in seven events in her career, as a sophomore. She has three state medals.

For Kittle, there’s little she hasn’t accomplished in her career. She has school and pool records. She has swam more events at states than anyone in program history, she has the most medals of anyone in program history and the highest finish of anyone in program history. 

The day may come that she can go back and see her name all over the record board at the school. But, Kittle would be perfectly happy if she never sees her name up on the board in the future.

“Hoping my name won’t be there. Hoping those younger girls will go take it down after me.”

And, that’s what truly makes Kittle special.

For all the impact that Kittle has made in the pool with the records and state medals, she’s made an even bigger impact as a teammate and leader for the younger girls. 

PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

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