Valley Sports ReportWAVERLY — The Waverly girls swim team returns a strong group of sophomores, and brings in a strong group of 7th-graders for what looks to be another strong season in 2026.
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LAST YEAR: 8-0 in duals. Second at Class B. 2026 OPENER: Waverly opens Wednesday at home against Oneonta.
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"I would call this team experienced – at least our sophomores," said assistant coach Kyle Ackland. "These girls have swam on some pretty big stages, several of them have been going to States since middle school.
"Some of them went to camp at the University of Virginia last summer, and several more were at our local camp with Andrew Sheaff this summer.
"They are very well versed in the sport of swimming," Ackland added.
The Wolverines return state qualifiers Meg Atanasoff (5o and 100 free, 100 fly), Audrey Kellogg (100, 200, 500 free), Natalie Steck (100 breaststroke, 50 and 100 free, 200 IM), and Brynna Twedt (50 and 100 free, 100 back).
Waverly also returns Ayla Wheeler (100 back and 200 IM), Madalyn Draper (50 and 100 free), Isabella Miner (200 and 500 free), Emma Paul (50 free and 100 back), Olive Sharpsteen (100 and 200 free), and Harper Varano (200 IM and 500 free).
Waverly's 7th-grade newcomers are Arielle Allison (50, 100 and 200 free), Jolie Fravel (50 free, 100 breaststroke), Olivia McGee (100 free, 100 breaststroke), and Makenna Twedt (50 free, 100 back).
"If I had to pick one newcomer to make an impact this season it would be Arielle Allison," said Ackland. "She is training for the 200 and will need time to get used to that, but I expect her to podium in the 50 free and 100 free at our invite, as well as sectionals.
"She is tall, athletic, and most importantly has an outstanding attitude," Ackland added.
Ackland said the Wolverines' strength is sprinting, and it's definitely by design.
"In high school, eight out of 11 swimming events are four laps or less," said Ackland. "Two more are only eight laps and take around two minutes.
"Only one event is truly aerobic dominant — the 500," he noted. "Despite this, many teams still train in the 'old school' way of just piling yards on every practice. It would be like everyone on a track team training to compete in the 3,200-meter run.
"For better or worse, that is not us," said Ackland. "We do individualize practices, Audrey and our 200 group do more yards per week than the others, but at our core we are sprinters.
"It is not a coincidence we have two relays in the top 5 in Section IV history and an All-American 50 freestyler," he added. "We go short and fast at some point almost every day."
In turn, Ackland said Waverly's weakness is in the longer distance events.
"Live by the sprint and die by the sprint," he said. "We often struggle with the 200, 200IM, and 500.
"We are slowly, but surely addressing that," noted Ackland. "But it continues to be a sore spot for us.
"We overwhelm teams in sprinting so much that it hasn’t really mattered up to this point, but it may come back to bite us this year," he added.
Ackland has lofty goals for 2026.
"We want an undefeated dual meet season, two relays to States, and at least one, and possibly two, individual state qualifiers."
AROUND SECTION IV, CLASS B
"Maine-Endwell is the team to beat in Class B," said Ackland. "Our chances are slim to none.
"It is almost mathematically impossible for us to beat them," he noted. "It is odd, but if they took away classes we would fare much better and probably would have won last year. For example, at the EFA Invite last year, when it was scored out with all classes we won overall. When you remove the class A teams we were second to Maine-Endwell at that meet as well.
"Without the class A teams present, the Maine-Endwell swimmers are typically good enough to get ahead of the other class B swimmers and we can never pull away from them," he said.
We won eight of 11 events last year, and second four of them, and the meet was not remotely close, we lost by 160 points," added Ackland. "None of this is M-E's fault, but unless we show up with 35 kids, or other Class B teamed become good enough to knock some of the M-E kids down, we're never winning."
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IN PHOTO: Waverly's Natalie Steck. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.
