Leaving the Trees Pool complex for the final time after the 2024-2025 WPIAL swimming championships was a bittersweet moment for senior Owen Howell. The pool had been the site of his postseason battles all four years of high school, and he had qualified in all 14 events for the past two years. While those were exciting moments, Owen isn’t done yet. He is determined to create more lasting memories at the PIAA championships on March 15-16 at Bucknell University.
This year at WPIALs, Owen successfully defended his gold medal in the 200 yard individual medley (1:51.40), breaking his own school record. He also secured a bronze medal in the 100 yard breaststroke (55.98). Additionally, he qualified with three of his teammates in the 200 yard and 400 yard freestyle relays.
“WPIALs is always an awesome environment, but by now it’s an environment I’m very familiar with, so I wasn’t really too nervous for this meet,” Owen says. “I just wanted to treat it like any other meet, cheer for my team, and have fun.”
Yet, this was far from just another meet. Owen faced some of the toughest competition of his high school career. Now, he is laser focused on the PIAA championships, where the stakes will be even higher. A cerebral athlete who puts meticulous thought into overcoming obstacles, Owen has already mapped out his plan for the upcoming competition.
Owen’s primary goal is to achieve a personal best time in the 200 IM, aiming for a 1:50 finish. During a fall club meet, Owen clocked a 1:51.50 and believes, based upon his strategy, has already mapped out a plan based upon what he did at WPIALs.
“On the first 100, I tried to keep it smooth and keep pace with everyone because I know I have a good back half,” says Owen, who qualified for states all four years of high school. “When I went into the breaststroke with everyone else, I was confident. Then on freestyle, I was fighting for my life, but I knew all I had to do was hold on and not let anyone pass me.”
After winning gold again, Owen’s first thought was simple: “I did what I came here to do, and I’m proud of that.”
Now, he’s hungry to experience that feeling once again.
100 Breaststroke Was Personal
In addition to the 200 IM, Owen will represent the Foxes at states in the 100 breaststroke, an event that carried personal meaning. Swimming alongside his longtime teammate and friend, and last year’s gold medalist senior Christian Dantey, it was a scenario that the two had dreamed about for some time.
Swimming pretty much stroke for stroke, the race ended with Christian claiming silver – and missing the top of the podium by a miniscule one-hundredth of a second – while Owen touched the wall in third place.
Owen’s time was a mere three hundredths of a second behind Christian’s.
Growth Through Changes, Challenges
Owen acknowledges that every season brings with it good and bad days, but he embraces the journey, knowing that hard work has paid off for him. With only a short amount of time before heading to Bucknell, he is fine-tuning the details.
“I’ve been working with our wonderful strength program coach and been lifting and doing some power work on my own after regularly scheduled practices,” says Owen. “I’ve worked tirelessly on my underwaters and sprinting, so I think that has helped a lot. And I’m going to fine-tune my turns, and relay starts to make sure I am extra explosive.
“I’m content with the person I am, but I still always want to improve myself because I know I’m not at my full potential. The desire to win keeps me motivated because there is nothing better than winning in a good, old-fashioned honest competition in a sport that favors hard work and leaves nothing up to luck.”
Looking Back, Moving Forward
For Owen, this season has been about both reflection and progress, while preparing for the next chapter.
“This was my best year of swimming ever, not only because of my times, but because of the team I am with,” he says. “I concluded that it’s not about the times, places, scores, or records, because in 50 years those will all be gone and forgotten. What’s important are the lessons about competition, teamwork, perseverance, success, and failure that come with the journey.”
Next season, he will take those lessons to the collegiate level at Emory University, where he also plans to attend law school.
“What set Emory apart from the rest of my choices was that the swim team seemed like a group of people I really wanted to be a part of and a program that I felt I could make serious improvements in,” he says. “I have no idea of what I’ll be swimming at Emory, but I will be happy to swim in whatever events the coach put me in to best help the team.”
With his high school career nearing its final moments, Owen is ready to make the most of every last race, push his limits, and savor the opportunity to leave a lasting mark before heading to the next level.