SYRACUSE – Breaking news from the Wawasee swim program. A Robinson is aiming to set records and make the state tournament.

That line has been used before, and well, it’s still true. The third of the ‘Swim Family Robinson’ has begun to carve out his own niche in the swim world, and Brady Robinson is ready to put all the sister talk to rest.

“Yeah, kind of,” shrugged Brady in reference to being tired of the comparisons to his sisters Brittany and Bre, who closed their Wawasee careers as two of the most decorated swimmers in school history. Brittany was a state champion and former state record holder in the butterfly, and Bre cracked the top six in the state eight different times. “I’ve been asked by many people if I’m as good as my sisters. It’s tough to answer that when you go from boys swimming to girls swimming. They are amazing athletes and did incredible things in high school. So, I guess, in many ways I’m trying to just include my name among the Robinson name.”

Rather than just assuming the family tradition is going to automatically put Brady in the same dominant positions as his older sisters, Brady has taken the same approach but made it work for him.

Heading into his junior season, Robinson feels this season could be different and where he makes the jump to the elite class he has always envisioned himself. On the cusp of greatness as a sophomore, Robinson peppered the top two in both of his chosen events in the IM and backstroke. He hit the top of the podium at the Northern Lakes Conference meet in the IM, going 1:56.12 for a comfortable win and was second in backstroke. Making the state cut a couple weeks later at the sectional in the IM, Robinson went 1:54.94 at the sectional, only to fall to a 1:58.01 in state prelims and miss the second day in 26th.

“My technique has always been the biggest companion through this whole thing,” Robinson said. “My mom (Wawasee head coach Julie Robinson) has worked so much on my stroke technique and getting me to the point where I can sprint against the bigger and taller swimmers. It’s an advantage I’ve had to develop, but I’ve never been the biggest kid in the pool. You have to try to find little advantages like that.”

Robinson is narrowing into the 200 individual medley as his focus, but leaving the door open to what the second individual swim will be. The IM opens the door to any of the disciplines given the work for each stroke in the daily grind.

“I’ve always approached swimming where it was about the time,” Robinson said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the team scores on the deck, and the parents really love it, but swimming, it’s all about time. I know where I want to be in my future plans, and all of my practices are about getting me to those times. That’s what I want.”

Wawasee will open its boys swimming season Nov. 26 at home against Warsaw.