STAQ HOSTING PANEL FEATURING FIVE ACCOMPLISHED SWIMMERS (2025-06-16)

Southern Tier Sports Report
A College Recruitment panel discussion is being presented by Southern Tier Aquatics featuring a number of the area’s top swimmers.

The panel will be held at 6:30 p.m. on June 20 at the Corning Painted Post High School Auditorium.

The panel is entitled what it means to be a student athlete.

A panel of five accomplished swimmers will share their journey of growth, commitment and self-discovery, answering questions about the recruitment process, timing, best practices, and what they wish they had known as they entered the final years of their high school careers.

The event is open to all local athletes and their families.

The panel includes Angie McKane (U.S. Military Academy at West Point); Shoonfon Li of George Washington; Ryan McNutt of Penn State; Aiden Spoors of Clarkson University and Collin Cole of Binghamton University.

Cullin Cole is a sprint freestyler specializing in the 50 and 100 freestyle. He swam for Horseheads High School from 2018–2023. During his senior year, he won the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and Federation titles in the 50 freestyle, finishing with the fastest time in New York State that season (20.51). He became the first Horseheads swimmer to win a state title since 1986 and was named an All-American. Cullin was a seven-time Section IV Champion, received the 18 Sports Winter Male MVP, and was honored by Chemung County during Gold Medal Athlete Week.  In the classroom, he maintained a strong GPA and was a Scholastic All-American.

Cullin is now entering his junior year of college while swimming at Binghamton University, where he is majoring in Finance. In his freshman season, he scored at the America East Championships, placing 9th in the 100 free and 12th in both the 50 and 200 free, while helping the Bearcats to multiple relay wins. As a sophomore, he continued to play a key role on relays, including a pool-record 400 free relay (3:00.35). He has earned America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll recognition for his academic performance.

Angie McKane has been swimming competitively since the age of 8, with her swimming success taking an unprecedented launch after she joined Corning Hawks Swimming & Diving varsity team in 2019.  In her first year on the high school varsity team, the 8-grader “rookie of the year” qualified for the NYSPHSAA Championship, placing 14th in 100Y butterfly in the finals.  Over the course of three years, Angie became a five-times NYSPHSAA and Federation Champion in the 50Y freestyle and 100Y butterfly.  Angie was voted at the 2023 NYSPHSAA meet as the Outstanding Competitor and received the Scholar Athlete Award.  Angie is 3 times All American in the 100Y butterfly and 2 times All American in the 50Y freestyle.  Her name appears in many high school pools across Twin Tiers as the pool record holder in a variety of different events – 100Y butterfly, 100Y freestyle, 50Y freestyle, 200Y IM, 100Y breaststroke and 100Y backstroke.  In the classroom, she maintained a 4.0 GPA.

During her freshman year at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Angie was part of the Army’s historic win over U.S. Navy in the STAR meet, which was the Army’s first victory since 1988!  Angie set two program records (200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly), three Crandall Pool records (200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly, 100 Back), and 1 plebe record (100 fly).  For her swimming performance during 2024-2025, Angie earned the 2025 First All-Patriot League Team distinction.  In the classroom, Angie maintains a strong GPA which placed her on the 2024 Falls Dean’s List.  As she enters her sophomore year, Angie will major in Systems Engineering. This field aligns with her interests in technology and problem-solving.

Ryan McNutt is a sprint freestyler specializing in the 100 and 200 freestyle. He swam for Corning Painted-Post High School from 2017-2022. In his five years swimming for the Hawks, he was a member of the All-American team that broke the 200 Free Relay N.Y. State Public High School record and were named the Section IV champions in 2020. He was the N.Y. State Champion for the 100 free in 2022 and podiumed in the state meet a total of six times across his high school career. Ryan was also a seven-time Section IV Champion and holds eight team records. In the classroom, McNutt held a 4.0 GPA all four years and was a scholastic All-American.

Ryan is now entering his senior year of college while swimming at Penn State University and majoring in civil engineering. While swimming for the Nittany Lions, he has trained and competed against some of the best swimmers in the world. Ryan has received Academic All Big 10 awards, and the Jerome Weinstein Award, which is presented to the PSU swim team member who not only works the hardest, but also always gives 100% to their teammates emotionally and physically, through the joyous times and the struggles.

Aiden Spoors is a freestyle swimmer specializing in the 200 and 500 freestyle. He competed for Corning-Painted Post High School, where he maintained a demanding schedule filled with academics, athletics, and extracurricular involvement. In addition to eight years of competitive swimming, Aiden earned the rank of Eagle Scout, participated in business programs, and was actively involved in multiple leadership trainings and groups, consistently pushing himself to grow as a leader and team member.

Now entering his sophomore year at Clarkson University, Aiden swims for the Golden Knights, competing in the 200, 500, and 1650 freestyle events. His contributions in and out of the pool have been recognized with honors such as Knight of the Week, awarded to individuals who demonstrate exceptional effort, dedication, and hard work, and the Golden Knight Award, which celebrates team members who exhibit outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and a strong work ethic.

At Clarkson, Aiden thrives in a program built around growth, development, and meaningful friendships, while staying grounded in a highly competitive athletic environment. He remains dedicated to pushing his limits, supporting his teammates, and continuing to develop as both a student-athlete and a leader.

Shoonfon Li is a Breaststroke/IM swimmer at George Washington University. For 6 years, he swam for Horseheads High School on the Varsity team. He was the 200 IM champion and a state qualifier for 4 consecutive years while also earning numerous awards. In Club, he swam the 400 IM, 200 BK and 200 BR.

At college, Shoon swam mainly the 400 IM, 200 BR, and 100 BR. George Washington competes with many power schools, including University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and Princeton. Shoon placed 3rd in the 200 BR against Pittsburgh and West Virginia. He scored in the A-10 conference with a 8th place finish in the 400 IM. He is a Biomedical Engineering Major on the Pre-Med Track. During his first two semesters, he took many science classes including Physics, Organic Chemistry, and Biology. He finished with a 3.80 weighted GPA.



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