Who's that Laker shouting, clapping and yelling louder than anyone else at the Skaneateles swim meets?

It's Elizabeth Canne. And she's not a Laker. She's a Mustang - not that anyone could tell a difference.

“She'd be in the end of the lane cheering our teammates on,” Lakers coach Jill King said. “You wouldn't even know (she's from Marcellus). She's screaming her head off.”

That's because, for the most part, Canne is a Laker. Her address might say Marcellus, but her uniform definitely says Skaneateles. The sophomore at Marcellus High School - which doesn't have a swimming program - competes independently as far as Section III is concerned, but in the Skaneateles pool, she's just another Laker. That goes for outside the pool, too.

Canne joins the Lakers for all the team dinners, apple picking adventures and movie nights.

She even went to the homecoming bonfire with the team at Skaneateles.

“All the girls were so nice to me; they accept me as part of their team,” said Canne, who is in her second year swimming with the Lakers. “They make me feel part of the team. It's kind of hard swimming as an independent. I would love to swim for Skaneateles and gain points for them.”

Canne got her start swimming by taking lessons when she was just a little girl.

She got competitive in sixth grade, swimming for the Skaneateles Splash, a community program. Just like a Laker.

While that eased any tensions she might have had walking onto an opponents' squad, there was still the issue of transforming the plan into reality.

Canne took the swimming proposal to the athletic director at Marcellus and the matter was taken to the school board, which in turn asked the Skaneateles school board for approval.

The concept was nothing new for the Lakers, so they happily embraced the idea.

Mike Slater, a 2003 graduate of Skaneateles, swam independently with Nottingham before going on to swim at Yale for four years.

So when King saw the chance to return the favor, she and athletic director Rick Pound didn't hesitate to show their support.

“When the opportunity came up, it was a no-brainer for me,” King said. “We're hoping it will open the door for a few other kids to swim independently. We want to share the wealth and help other kids be able to swim. She is just an example of how well it works.”

And it sure has been working well. Not just for Canne, but for the Lakers, too.

Canne's times and points don't count for Skaneateles when it comes to meets - technically, she is swimming for Marcellus - but where she really makes it count is in practice.

“She's good for my girls,” King said. “They have to work really hard to compete with her.

“She's always first in the lane she's in. Whoever's first, everyone else is trying to keep up with. That's really healthy in swim practice.”

Now, Canne is hoping to be first somewhere else: sectionals. She made the trip to the postseason last year but had to compete against Class A schools - as per Section III regulations.

This year she will be allowed to compete in Class B. Just like a Laker.

“I hope to be on the podium this year,” Canne said. “I'm just going to keep pushing myself in practice and keep trying hard.”

It's worked so far.

Her coach said she's already qualified for just about every event she swims, including her favorite event, the 200 individual medley.

“It has all the different strokes in it, and I think it's fun to swim. It's a challenge,” Canne said.

Canne hopes to swim with Skaneateles for the next two years, and wants to continue the sport in college, though she's not sure where that will be yet.

One thing's for sure, though. The Lakers want her back for the next two years, too.

“Every day I'm happy I did it,” King said. “She works so hard and I can tell she loves swimming. It's like she's been given an opportunity to do something and she's taking it to the highest level.

“In the pool you would never think she wasn't a Laker. She's one of us. We love her like she's one of ours.”

Maybe she is a Laker, after all.