The 400 individual medley is not Logan Borrelli’s comfort zone. It’s a longer distance than normal and requires all of the strokes—not just his specialty: backstroke.
That’s why, at the 2026 Hawk Invite, held March 27–28, swim and dive head coach Jason Craighead put him in the IM. Thought to be built for the 100- and 200-yard races, Craighead expanded Borrelli’s horizons. That set identity started to rupture when Craighead pushed him into the individual medley, then butterfly.
Two years ago, Borrelli came into the Las Positas swim and dive program certain of one thing: he was a backstroker. But what started as experimentation became an awakening. He was excelling in the sport’s most demanding races, expanding on what was thought to be a backstroke blueprint.
“His butterfly is even more spectacular than his backstroke,” Craighead said. “He went to state two years ago with us. Originally wanted to be 100, 200 back. He’s looking to be even better [at] butterfly or 400 IM.”
At the 2026 Hawk Invite, Borrelli took first place in the 400 IM and second in the 200.
Now, the swimmer who once fit neatly into a single lane has become the clearest example of the program’s philosophy: start as a specialist, embrace the uncomfortable, and discover that your highest ceiling might be somewhere you never planned to look.
At the 2026 Hawk Invite, Las Positas swimmers stepped outside their comfort zones. Craighead challenged the common mindset that each swimmer is limited to the stroke they are best at, putting his athletes in events they weren’t used to.
“Our overall goal is the conference championship,” Craighead said. “So we’re trying new events to see what people are capable of, or trying things that we haven’t tried since the beginning of the season.”
This worked to his advantage for multiple athletes. A top five point-scorer on the team, Borrelli, the usual backstroker, placed higher in events such as butterfly and IM—events that are not easy to adjust to. As well as the leading point holder, sophomore Samantha Fehr, the highly decorated breaststroker, placed second in the 50-yard fly. Earlier this year, Craighead also challenged freshman Filuka Houborg, the team’s third-leading scorer, who now ranks highly in all events.
Craighead used the Hawk Invite as a gauge for the Coast Conference Championships in April, where the more brutal events matter, such as the 400 individual medley. He says it’s no longer something to avoid in this program, as he encourages the team to step into harder events.
The meet was not about personal bests. Craighead used it for tactics rather than times—the long game. The message: today’s chaos sets up tomorrow’s breakthrough.
The team trying out new events matters beyond it becoming someone’s “new stroke”; it strengthens individuals’ weaknesses, which can become advantageous in championships. Stepping into discomfort will become dominance for the Hawks’ future this season.
“One, when people tend to hone in on one aspect and think that’s the only thing they’re good at, they don’t realize… their true potential,” Craighead said. “So we try to broaden the horizon a little bit, try new things, try different strokes, distances, and races.”
ACE SWIMMER Samantha Fehr emerges victorious at the Hawk Invite at the LPC Aquatic Center on Mar. 28, 2026. Fehr delivered a standout performance, winning the women’s 50m and 200m breaststroke event leading the Hawks in points scored. (Photo by Eric Liang/The Express)
The most vital example of his method is Borrelli. The sophomore competed against Las Positas two years ago, when they won state in the 400 IM. Since then, Borelli has seen it as a challenge for himself, as has Craighead. The two have been focusing on expanding horizons ever since.
“He’s great. He’s very knowledgeable,” Borrelli said. “He took a sabbatical semester to go learn with great IM coaches. And he’s come in with a great plan for me, and it’s starting to work. I’m happy with it.”
Not only did Borrelli perform well in individual medleys, but he also did well in the butterfly and freestyle relays, where he placed second.
Borrelli was not the only swimmer to display the results of Craighead’s methods. Freshman Filuka Houborg, one of the team’s point leaders, left the meet early due to a trip to the Netherlands. Houborg was able to stay for two events that took place on the first day, bright and early. She came in first in the 400 IM and 200-yard medley relay, as usual for her. Earlier in the season, Craighead credited her versatility, noting that she is a star across all events.
Sophomore Samantha Fehr also came in clutch for the team. As the Hawks’ overall leading point scorer and a known breaststroker, she placed second in the 50-yard butterfly, 100 IM, and the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays.
“It’s always been breaststroke for me since I was like 14 years old,” Fehr said. “He has some crazy ideas, but it always ends up working out in the end. And I think it’s fun. It’s good to mix things up. It helps with the mental load of swimming, just to swim some other fun events.”
Craighead knows he has a good lineup going into championships. Leading point holders Houborg, Fehr, Borrelli, and freshman Nathanael Ridosko are on track to do well, but those little reps will matter when the competition gets steeper.
The team’s overall ranking at the meet mattered less than individual results. The women ranked fifth out of 20 schools. The men sat a bit farther back at eighth. To Craighead, it was about the road ahead.
“Most people steer away from it,” Craighead said. “We like to encourage people to try harder things, do more difficult things, even if they aren’t successful.”
But at the end of the day, he sees farther into the future. He is building stamina for the more intense competition down the line.
“At the end of the season, when we’re rested, and we’re swimming fewer races, instead of dying with seven or eight yards to go, we’re able to finish all the way through,” Craighead said. “It’s learning the strategy and understanding the process, which was most important at this meet.”
For Craighead, the meet was a success on his terms. His athletes proved that progress and patience make perfect. But he is not focused too far ahead.
“And then, of course, championships — not worried about state at all, that’ll take care of itself,” Craighead said. “We’re focused on championships, really; it’s kind of our main goal. We just have spring break, American River, kind of [to] help get us there, set the tone, and then rest will take care of itself.”
Eventually, the results will really matter. And the Hawks, if Craighead is correct, will be ready.
TOP PHOTO: Filuka Houborg makes a splash at the Hawk Invite at the LPC Aquatics Center on Mar. 27, 2026. Houborg pulls ahead of the competition, securing first place in the women’s 400m Individual Medley. (Photo by Eric Liang/The Express)
Annie Moore is the Sports Editor of The Express. Follow her on X @SanJosAnnie.
