HIGH SCHOOL DIVING: OWEGO’S KATCHUK BREAKS RECORDS IN WIN AT WATKINS GLEN INVITATIONAL; YOUNG REACHES PODIUM (2023-09-24)

Tioga County Sports Report
WATKINS GLEN — Owego diver Kaelyn Katchuk captured first place at the Watkins Glen Diving Invitational in record-breaking fashion Saturday.

Twenty competitors from Section IV as well as divers from the Albany and Rochester areas took part in the 11-dive championship contest.

Katchuk, a junior, scored 558.8 points, breaking the meet record and Watkins Glen pool record of 546.45 that was established last year by Fairport diver Sophie Meuwissen. She also broke the Owego Free Academy school record of 523.3 set by Kailee Payne in 2018.

Katchuk’s 558.8 is the second-highest point total in Section IV history, being 7.75 points shy of the record of 566.55 set by Ithaca’s Ayla Bonniwell in 2014.

“Kaelyn was sharp today; she was locked in a back-and-forth battle with Corning standout Brooke Terwilliger who finished second at 547.5. These are the kind of meets that make you better,” stated Owego coach Roger Katchuk.

Owego 8th-grade diver Ayla Young also had a good day, making the podium in seventh place with a personal best of 389.65.

“Her dive mechanics are improving each week and she is really starting to find very clean entries,” coach Katchuk said.

Next up, both divers head to the Webster NY Aquatic Center Saturday, Sept. 29, to compete against Section V divers in the Annual “Lady Yeti Diving Invitational.”

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