By Phil Anastasia
Posted on January 24, 2010
By Phil Anastasia
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
It was Cherry Hill West's middle-lane strength against Haddonfield's depth.
But the saying on the back of the Lions' T-shirts' told the tale: Flip the Script.
Cherry Hill West won nine of 11 events, but the Lions also secured enough third- and fourth-place finishes to edge Haddonfield, 87-83, Wednesday night in a battle of two of South Jersey's best girls' swimming teams.
"Haddonfield has such incredible depth they can '2-3-4' you to death," Cherry Hill West coach Scott Sweeten said. "We were able to get some touches here and there, get a third instead of a fourth or a fourth instead of the fifth."
Allyson Mitidieri (200 IM, 100 breaskstroke), Courtney Patterson (100 butterfly, 500 freestyle) and Amy Stelmaszyk (100 and 200 freestyle) each won two events for the Lions. They also each swam on two victorious relays.
But Cherry Hill West (9-0-1), the SJISL Mediterranean Division champion, also got lifts from Kathleen McGlinn (second in 50 freestyle), Kira Singhaus (second in 100 backstroke) and Katelyn Muscat (third in 100 breaststroke), among several others.
Hadodnfield (9-1), the SJISL's Caribbean Division champion, was led by Julie Sheehan (first in 50 freestyle) and Katie Kurtz (first in 100 backstroke).
Haddonfield coach Bob Querubin thought the Bulldogs needed to win a relay to capture the meet. His team was right there, especially in the medley relay and 200 freestyle relay, but Cherry Hill West was able to win those events.
The last relay was the clincher. Cherry Hill West was ahead, 79-77, entering the final event, the 400 freestyle relay. The Lions got a strong performance from Patterson on the third leg and won the event, and the meet.
"Cherry Hill West got up for this one," Querubin said. "Give them credit. Their girls really stepped up.
"But I was telling our girls, 'They won 9 of 11 events and we were still right there going into the last event.'
"We're not going anywhere. There are lessons to be learned from this and hopefully, this will make us a better team."
Cherry Hill West 87, Haddonfield 83
200 medley relay: CHW (Kira Singhaus, Allyson Mitidieri, Amy Stelmaszyk, Courtney Patterson), 1:54.40; 200 freestyle: Stelmaszyk, CHW, 2:01.07; 200 IM: Mitidieri, CHW, 2:11.36; 50 freestyle: Julie Sheehan, H, 26.45; 100 butterfly: Patterson, CHW, 1:00.15; 100 freestyle: Stelmaszyk, CHW, 56.23; 500 freestyle: Patterson, CHW, 5:21.52; 200 freestyle relay: CHW (Gabbi Emore, Katelyn Muscat, Kathleen McGlinn, Stelmaszyk), 1:45.42; 100 backstroke: Katie Kurtz, H, 1:01.69; 100 breaststroke: Mitidieri, CHW, 1:07.05; 400 freestyle relay: CHW (Emore, Singhaus, Patterson, Mitidieri), 3:48.03.
Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223 or panastasia@phillynews.com