Haddonfield, Cherry Hill West swinmmers in showdown

The girls' title for the Caribbean Division in the South Jersey Swim League will be on the line when Haddonfield meets Cherry Hill West at 5:10 p.m. today at Camden County Tech. (The boys' swim teams from both schools also face each other).

Both girls' teams are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the five-team division. Each has suffered its only loss to Cherry Hill East, ranked No. 1 in today's Inquirer Super Six poll. No. 2 Haddonfield lost to East by 15 points and No. 4 West suffered a four-point setback.

Haddonfield has the edge in diving, which could be a key to the meet.

During a dual meet, a coach is able to use a swimmer in two relays and two individual races or all three relays and one individual race. Look for there to be some juggling by coaches Scott Sweeten of Cherry Hill West and Haddonfield's Bob Querubin in what figures to be a tight meet.

Cutoff time
The cutoff date for teams to qualify for the state playoffs is Wednesday. Teams are seeded on a power-point system based on swimming times of the two best meets, whether they are wins or losses. In theory, a team could be under .500 and still earn a playoff spot.

Among public schools, eight teams for both boys' and girls' will qualify for the tournament in each of the four divisions - North I, North II, Central and South.

In the Non-Public, eight boys' teams and eight girls' teams will qualify in each of the four divisions - North A and B and South A and B.

The first round of the team state tournament begins Feb. 13.

Record for Moorestown
Inquirer swimming expert Bob Cabnet reports that Moorestown's Kevin Steel set a school record and became the first South Jersey male swimmer to go under a minute in the 100-yard breaststroke this season.

Steel's time was 59.35 seconds in a 98-72 win Saturday against rival Rancocas Valley that just about locked up the Burlington County Liberty Division title for the Quakers.

Update on Stacey Rahter
A Rowan University sophomore from Mainland, Stacey Rahter has twice been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference swimmer of the week.

The most recent award came last week after a dual meet loss to Stevens Institute of Technology.

Rahter won first place in both the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.68) and the 200 breaststroke (2:32.95). She also anchored Rowan's 400 freestyle relay team, which took second place.

Rahter has Rowan's best time in four individual events this season: the 100 breaststroke (1:09.06), the 200 breaststroke (2:32.24), the 100 butterfly (1:00.94), and the 200 individual medley (2:14.97).

- Marc Narducci


Source: philly.com