VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' PETTITT NAMED 'SWIMMER OF YEAR;' WAVERLY'S KITTLE, ATHENS' BOLT, KEISTER ALSO EARN TOP HONORS ON ALL-VALLEY SWIM TEAM (2025-03-25)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY — Athens sophomore Brayden Pettitt earned a PIAA medal, and swam in four events at the state meet. He is the 2024-25 Valley Sports Report "Swimmer of the Year."

Waverly junior Mira Kittle swam in four events at the New York State Championships, and led two Wolverine relays to state medals. She is the Girls "Swimmer of the Year."

Athens freshman Kaylee Bolt is the "Diver of the Year," while Athens boys coach Mark Keister is the "Coach of the Year," and a pair of relays — the Waverly girls 200-yard medley, and the Athens boys 200-yard medley relays — share "Relay of the Year" honors.

Pettitt finished eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke at States in 59.18 seconds. He swam a school-record 58.57 seconds in the prelims, and was Athens' first state medalist since 2014.
 
At the District 4 Championships Pettitt was second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:00.17, and was also second in the 200-yard IM in a school-record time of 1:59.19. He was 17th at States in the IM.

Kittle qualified for States in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, and 100-yard backstroke, and also qualified for States with the 200-yard medley relay.

She won the 50-yard freestyle, and the 100 backstroke at Class Bs in a school-record 56.79 seconds.

At States, Kittle swam the fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle preliminaries, but was disqualified in the finals. She placed 11th in the 100-yard backstroke in 58.43 seconds.

She led Waverly to a pair of relays to medals, fifth in the 200-yard freestyle in a school-record time of 1:37.93, swimming her leg in a time of 23.48 seconds, which earned All-America consideration.v

The 200-medley relay team finished eighth in a school-record time of 1:51.07.

With just three varsity meets under her belt, Bolt finished second at the District 4 Championships with an 11-dive total of 285.5 points to punch her ticket to States.

Keister directed the Athens boys to an unbeaten season and the program's first-ever District 4 title.

The Wildcats had seven events at States, including all three relays.

RELAYS OF THE YEAR
Kittle teamed with junior Olivia Cheresnowsky, freshman Lauryn Welles, and 8th-grader Natalie Steck to place fifth at States in the 200-yard medley in a time of 1:51.05.

Pettitt teamed with seniors Ethan Hicks and Ryan Gorman, and sophomore Eli Hicks to finish 11th in the 200-yard medley relay at States in a time of 1:40.17.

SWIMMING
Swimmer of the Year: Brayden Pettitt, Athens.
Girls Swimmer of the Year: Mira Kittle, Waverly.
Diver of the Year: Kaylee Bolt, Athens.
Coach of the Year: Mark Keister, Athens.
Relays of the Year: Athens boys 200-yard medley; and Waverly girls 200-yard medley.

2024-25 All-Valley Swim Team
Brayden Pettitt, sophomore, Athens: See above.

Mira Kittle, junior, Waverly: See above.

Ethan Hicks, senior, Athens: Hicks won District 4 gold in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 22.38 seconds. He finished 19th at States.

Ethan Hicks also swam on all three District 4 relays that won gold. At States, his split in the 400-yard freestyle relay set a school-record in the 100 free.

Eli Hicks, sophomore, Athens: Hicks finished second in the 100-yard freestyle in 50.19 seconds at the District 4 Championships, which earned him a wild card to the PIAA Championships. He was 28th at States.

Eli Hicks also swam on all three District 4 relays that won gold.

Lauryn Welles, freshman, Waverly: Welles won the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 55.83 seconds, and placed fourth in the 100 free. She also swam on 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relays that won Section IV, Class B gold.

At States, Welles swam on both relays that won State medals.

Megan Atanasoff, 8th-grader, Waverly: Atanasoff placed second in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.99 second at the Class B Championships, and was third in 100 free in 57.0 seconds.

She also swam on the 200 and 400 free relays that won Class B gold, and on the 200 free relay that won a state medal.

Olivia Cheresnowsky, junior, Waverly: Cheresnowsky placed second at the Class B Championships in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 56.79 seconds.

She swam on 200 free and 200 medley relays that won Section IV gold, and the two Wolverine relays that won State hardware.

Evelyn Panek, junior, Athens: Panek placed second at the District 4 Championships in the 50-yard freestyle in 25.73 seconds. She was third in the 100 free in a school-record time of 56.57 seconds.

Panek also swam on relay teams that placed third and fourth in school-record times at the District 4 Championships.

Audrey Kellogg, 8th-grader, Waverly: Kellogg was second in the 100-yard freestyle in a time of 56.7 seconds at the Class B Championships, and was sixth in the 200-yard IM.