The Philomath High School boys and girls swim teams swept a five-school meet in their final home appearance Monday at Clemens Community Pool. The performance included several personal-best times as the athletes enter the pivotal final few weeks leading up to districts.
Freshman Lucas Brandt, senior Henry Katsikis and sophomores Cameron McLennan and Mason Stevens all won individual events for the boys. Along with first place in the 400-yard freestyle relay and several other high placings, the Warriors took the team title with 74 points to edge Cascade’s 68. Sisters (34) was a distant third with Blanchet Catholic (25) fourth and Kennedy fifth (1).
Brandt continued a remarkable run this season with only victories in his individual events. He took first in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:08.27, a win of more than a minute and a half over the runner-up. And he easily beat out the field in the 100 backstroke as well with a time of 59.63 seconds.
Coach Iliana Kaiser said they will determine over the next few weeks which events he will swim in the district meet, which is scheduled for Feb. 9-10 in Albany. Back in December, he mentioned the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke as possibilities.
“We’re narrowing it down,” Kaiser said. “I don’t want to make him decide right now.”
Elsewhere for the boys, Katsikis had an impressive meet by winning the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.67. In the 100 freestyle, he placed fourth among a tough field of competitors but his time of 59.47 served as one of the day’s highlights.
“He worked so hard to get that time,” Kaiser said. “He’s been trying to break a minute all season and when we got that time — his sister is my assistant coach — they were almost in tears.”
McLennan had a winning margin of 2.29 seconds in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.49.
“Depending on how everything lays out, I think he has a chance of moving on to state in his 100 fly for sure,” Kaiser said about McLennan. “He took more than a half-second off his 100 — that’s what he’s focusing on. His 50 and 100 free are potential Plan Bs but he’s putting all of his attention and effort on the fly right now.”
In the 200 individual medley, Stevens posted a win in a race that featured only Philomath entries. He finished the race in 2:41.19.
The 400 freestyle relay won a two-team race over Blanchet with the foursome of sophomore Evan Hernandez, senior Marshall Morrison, McLennan and Brandt. They turned in a time of 4:13.10.
Among the other results, the 200 medley relay of Brandt, Katsikis, McLennan and Stevens had a competitive race with Cascade but had to settle for second in 1:54.39.
Philomath’s girls also notched the team win and got it done by a fair margin over runner-up Cascade, 74-56, with Sisters third, Blanchet Catholic fourth and Kennedy fifth.
Junior Kyah Weeber posted a victory in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:14.02 in a race that featured a winning margin of nearly 13 seconds. Weeber was second in a competitive heat of the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:19.84.
The results were the latest example of the level of consistency seen this season in the pool for Weeber.
“She’s done everything this season,” Kaiser said. “I like that she’s giving herself options of seeing where she is with the different teams and how she could potentially move forward to state. She is one of the hardest workers I have on the team and it shows in her results.”
The 400 freestyle relay defeated two Blanchet foursomes for first in the meet’s final event. Junior Madyx Mooney, senior Ginny Lauzzana and sophomores Maggie and Lucy King finished in 5:22.73 for a victory of more than 6 seconds.
Sophomore Jessica McLennan placed second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:19.84. Freshman Kate Burriel was second in the 100 butterfly behind Weeber with a time of 1:26.97. Junior Hanna McDaniel had a second-place finish in the 200 IM (3:16.70). Lucy King was second in the 500 freestyle with an 8:22.84.
Both the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay had runner-up results. McLennan, junior Kateri Pindell, Weeber and senior Madison Juhl had a time of 2:16.61 in the 200 medley relay. The 200 freestyle relay came in with a 2:02.57 with freshman Emma Mecham, Juhl, Pindell and Weeber.
The program’s seniors were recognized during the event — Juhl, Katsikis and Morrison as well as foreign-exchange student Ginny Lauzzana.
The Warriors are scheduled to compete Friday at the Sweet Home Invitational.
