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![\"Gallery:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/121025-swm-storch-50-free_9366-scaled.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\nA collection of photos from the Philomath High School boys and girls swim team\u2019s appearance in a home meet on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Brandt hopes to keep adding his name to the big board.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say all the freestyle ones that I haven\u2019t already broken \u2014 the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free,\u201d Brandt said Wednesday when asked which records he has his eye on. \u201cMaybe 100 fly next year \u2014 I\u2019ve got to improve that stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not an unreachable goal for the Philomath junior \u2014 especially with two seasons remaining.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ve kind of always known that I was the top swimmer but that hasn\u2019t gone to my head,\u201d Brandt said. \u201cI know I\u2019m not better than anybody \u2026 a lot of them are better than me in some aspects because they probably cheer more than me and have more team spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/121025-swm-brandt-500-free_9605.jpg\")
PHS junior Lucas Brandt catches his breath after finishing the 500-yard freestyle. (Photo by Brad Fuqua\/Philomath News)<\/p>\n
Despite those comments, Brandt realizes that he fits the moniker of role model. And the squad needs student leadership with 19 swimmers on the boys\u2019 roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been giving them technique stuff, you know, to make their strokes better when they ask me,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m definitely more about leading by example.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Wednesday\u2019s tri-meet against Cascade and Kennedy, Brandt was untouchable in his two individual events. He took first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:08.50, a 47.19-second margin of victory over the runner-up. And in the 500 freestyle, he won in 5:21.40, which was 1:36.70 faster than his nearest competitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a midseason meet, you know, I\u2019m just getting the feel of it,\u201d Brandt said when asked if he had anything he wanted to accomplish at the tri-meet. \u201cI definitely could\u2019ve been better, I\u2019ll say that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brandt also swam legs on two winning relays \u2014 although the boys were unchallenged in one of the races. With so few teams, meet officials combined the boys and girls 200 medley relay into a single heat and the Philomath foursome of senior Ike Avery, Brandt, senior Cameron McLennan and junior Wyatt Coen won in 1:58.13.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/121025-swm-mclennan-100-fly_9452.jpg\")
Warriors senior Cameron McLennan swims to first place in the 100-yard butterfly. (Photo by Brad Fuqua\/Philomath News)<\/p>\n
The Warriors later beat out six other teams to win the 200 freestyle relay with Avery, senior Blake Hauck, McLennan and Brandt in 1:44.55. Cascade challenged Philomath in the race but Brandt finished strong as the Warriors won by 1.58 seconds.<\/p>\n
Brandt said he has no issues with balancing his individual events and the two relays.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn club, I swim so many events and relays that I\u2019ve just kind of gotten used to swimming everything at the same time,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I can go for goals in multiple (individual) events and can still be better for the relays.\u201d<\/p>\n
Philomath\u2019s boys won the tri-meet with 95.5 points to Cascade\u2019s 70.5 and Kennedy\u2019s 27. In addition to Brandt\u2019s individual wins and the two relay wins, Philomath also had a pair of first-place performances by McLennan in the 100 butterfly (59.75) and 100 backstroke (1:10.44). Avery touched first in the 100 breaststroke (1:24.38).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/121025-swm-kowalewski-100-back_9734.jpg\")
PHS freshman Adelina Kowalewski took first place in the 100-yard backstroke. (Photo by Brad Fuqua\/Philomath News)<\/p>\n
The girls were second with 56.5 points behind Cascade\u2019s 73 and ahead of Kennedy\u2019s 15.5. The Warriors won two events with junior Kate Burriel in the 500 freestyle and freshman Adelina Kowalewski in the 100 backstroke.<\/p>\n
Burriel swam only against a teammate in the 500 free and turned in a time of 7:05.28. In the 100 backstroke, Kowalewski easily won with her time of 1:12.09, which was a little more than 20 seconds faster than the runner-up.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to the rest of this season, Brandt said he\u2019s keeping his options open for what events he\u2019ll end up competing in at districts and state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely keep them open,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people that are at the highest levels at state meets I know from club, so I might go off of what they do \u2014 maybe some sabotage and do events that they do. But yeah, I don\u2019t know this early in the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/121025-swm-weeber-100-breast_9772.jpg\")
PHS sophomore Alyssa Weeber swims to second place in the 100-yard breaststroke. (Photo by Brad Fuqua\/Philomath News)<\/p>\n
Brandt won a state title last season in the breaststroke, so it might seem reasonable that he would go for a repeat performance in the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve improved my stroke quite a bit from last year so I\u2019d hope for a better time if I were to do that at state,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll continue to work with technique through the season \u2014 I know that\u2019s definitely been a problem with me but it\u2019s been improving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brandt hopes to keep his competitive swimming career going after high school. \u201cI 100% want to compete at the college level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Philomath\u2019s next competition is scheduled for Dec. 17 at the Cascade Invitational, which will take place at Stayton Family Memorial Pool.<\/p>\n
Philomath Tri-Meet
Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Clemens Community Pool<\/p>\n
BOYS
Team scoring \u2014 1, Philomath 95.5; 2, Cascade 70.5; 3, Kennedy 27.
PHS results \u2014 200 medley relay, 1, Philomath (Avery, Brandt, McLennan, Coen), 1:58.13. 200 freestyle, 3, Wyatt Coen, 2:31.75. 200 individual medley, 1, Lucas Brandt, 2:08.50; 2, Evan Hernandez, 2:55.69; 3, Ike Avery, 3:00.69. 50 freestyle, 2, Blake Hauck, 27.56; T-3, Nico Mayo Carrasco, 28.22; 8, Gage Mosbrucker, 29.22; 12, Cedric Gaskey, 30.69; 13, Milo Morrison, 30.91; 15, Charlie Avery, 32.25; 16, Deaglan Pindell, 32.85; 23, Mika Laukkanen Raskauskas, 36.37; 24, Quinn Wood, 37.26; 25, Samuel Holroyd, 40.22; 27, Michael Melara, 49.69. 100 butterfly, 1, Cameron McLennan, 59.75. 100 freestyle, 4, Blake Hauck, 1:04.78; 7, Cedric Gaskey, 1:07.00; 8, Evan Hernandez, 1:09.75; 9, Milo Morrison, 1:10.28; 14, Evan Bennett, 1:18.37; 18, Charlie Avery, 1:22.10; 19, Deaglan Pindell, 1:22.16; 22, Quinn Wood, 1:29.53; 24, Michael Melara, 1:54.57. 500 freestyle, 1, Lucas Brandt, 5:21.40; 3, Wyatt Coen, 6:58.15; 4, Kayden Boynton, 7:35.65. 200 freestyle relay, 1, Philomath A (Avery, Hauck, McLennan, Brandt), 1:44.55; 5, Philomath B (Mayo Carrasco, Boynton, Coen, Hernandez), 2:03.47; 6, Philomath C (Bennett, Pindell, Morrison, Gaskey), 2:07.44. 100 backstroke, 1, Cameron McLennan, 1:10.44; 3, Mika Laukkanen Raskauskas, 1:28.59; 4, Evan Bennett, 1:44.93. 100 breaststroke, 1, Ike Avery, 1:24.38; 2, Kayden Boynton, 1:24.65.<\/p>\n
GIRLS
Team scoring \u2014 1, Cascade 73; 2, Philomath 56.5; 3, Kennedy 15.5.
PHS results \u2014 200 medley relay, 2, Philomath (Kowalewski, Weeber, Burriel, Cook), 2:21.25. 50 freestyle, T-4, Charlotte Storch, 32.87; 10, Emmylou Cook, 34.62; 11, Megan Ward, 34.84; 12, Hailey Smith, 35.47; 14, Hollie Barton, 37.78; 18, Syd Clark, 41.91. 100 freestyle, 3, Charlotte Storch, 1:18.59; 4, Hailey Smith, 1:18.87. 500 freestyle, 1, Kate Burriel, 7:05.28; 2, Alyssa Weeber, 7:37.65. 200 freestyle relay, 2, Philomath A (Cook, Burriel, Weeber, Kowalewski), 2:07.97; 4, Philomath B (Storch, Barton, Ward, Smith), 2:19.15. 100 backstroke, 1, Adelina Kowalewski, 1:12.09. 100 breaststroke, 2, Alyssa Weeber, 1:30.03; 4, Emmylou Cook, 1:34.16; 5, Kate Burriel, 1:34.94.<\/p>\n