ATANASOFF NAMED MEET MVP; STECK BREAKS 31-YEAR-OLD SCHOOL RECORD
Valley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Waverly won seven of the 11 swimming events, including a school-record performance by sophomore Natalie Steck and three state-qualifying performances — two relays and one individual — here Saturday afternoon at the Waverly Swimming & Diving Invitational.
Waverly had a quarter of quad-winners, led by meet MVP, sophomore Meg Atanasoff. The other four-time winners were Steck, and fellow sophomores Aubrey Kellogg and Brynna Twedt.
The Wolverines finished fifth in the team standings with 266 points, well off the pace set by team champ Horseheads, which had 363 points. Corning was second with 289, U-E was third with 288, and Valley Central was fourth with 273 points
Steck won the 100-yard breaststroke in a school-record time of 1:10.44, eclipsing the 31-year-old mark of 1:10.77 set by Jessica Sutter. The state cutline in the event is 1:08.6.
Waverly opened the meet with a first-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay by the foursome of Atanasoff, Kellogg, Twedt and Steck, winning in a state-qualifying time of 1:49.4, well below the state cutline of 1:52.35. All four swimmers posted personal-best splits in the relay.
The same foursome also won the 200-yard freestyle in a state-qualifying time of 1:40.45, more than a second faster that the state cut of 1:41.69. Atanasoff led off and swam a time of 24.65 seconds, which was a second individual state cut in the 50 free.
Atanasoff, Kellogg, Brynna Twedt, and Steck also won the 400-yard freestyle in a time of 3:51.86. Atanasoff led off the relay with a split of 54.65 seconds — the fastest 100 free recorded at the meet.
Atanasoff followed with a win in the 50-yard freestyle in a state-qualifying time of 24.49 seconds, besting the state set time of 24.84 seconds.
Seventh-grader Arielle Allison was 11th in the 50 free in a time of 28.74 seconds, and 7th-grader Makenna Twedt was 16th in a lifetime-best time of 30.24 seconds.
Kellogg won the 100-yard freestyle in a lifetime-best time of 54.97 seconds. Sophomore Ayla Wheeler was sixth in 1:02.72, and Allison was eighth in a lifetime-best time of 1:04.14.
Brynna Twedt won the 100-yard backstroke in a lifetime-best time of 1:04.76. Wheeler was sixth in a time of 1:12.85, and Makenna Twedt was 12th in a lifetime-best of 1:20.08.
Izzy Miner finished ninth in the 500-yard freestyle in a lifetime-best time of 6:55.13.
Harper Varano finished 10th in the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 2:34.84, and Madalyn Draper was 16th in a lifetime-best of 3:05.57.
There were several other lifetime-bests by Waverly swimmers Saturday. They are:
• Olive Sharpsteen — 3:25.7 in the 200 free, and 1:33.29 in the 100 free;
• Olivia McFee — 31.26 seconds in the 50 free, and 1:30.88 in the 100 breaststroke;
• Emma Paul — 1:22.3 in the 100 free, and 1:32.66 in the 100 backstroke;
• Varano — 1:10.92 in the 100 free;
• Draper — 1:25.22 in the 100 free;
• Jolie Fravel — 1:32.84 in the 100 breaststroke.
Waverly returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Windsor.
————————
IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Meg Atanasoff. .... PHOTOS PROVIDED.
