Phil Anastasia: Schneider stars as Cherry Hill East beat Haddonfield

Swimming is tough enough.

Swimming and thinking - that's a combination that can drag a guy down.

Adam Schneider is a smart kid. But he does his best work in the pool when his arms are churning, his legs are kicking, and his mind is as clear as the water.

"You just go as fast as you can," Schneider said of the secret of his success in the sprints. "There's no strategy involved."

Schneider was the fastest swimmer in the water last night. He won the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle, and also swam legs on two winning relay teams as Cherry Hill East beat Haddonfield, 103-83.

It was the second Wednesday night in a row at Camden County Tech that Cherry Hill East had ruled the pool.

On Jan. 7, the Cougars won both sides of a double dual with Cherry Hill West in the annual "Hoagie Meet." No lunch meat was involved last night, but Cherry Hill East won bragging rights over rival Haddonfield.

The Cherry Hill East girls got big performances from Jess Simunek (two individual firsts, legs on two winning relay teams), Sam Sides (ditto) and Lauren Faykes (one first, legs on two winning relay teams), and beat top-ranked Haddonfield, 105-85, in a battle of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in The Inquirer Super Six.

The Cherry Hill East boys got great work from Jeff Rowe (two individual firsts, legs on two winning relay teams) and diver Jesse Lyman (a score of 196.05, on several impressive dives), among others.

The key event from a team standpoint was the 100 freestyle, in which Schneider led a 1-2-3 finish for the Cougars. Mike Krohn was second and Mike Smith was third.

"He's a blue-chip swimmer," Cherry Hill East coach Marilyn Brahms said of Schneider. "He's always in the water. He has a passion for it. That's something you can't teach."

Schneider used to be more of a butterfly and breaststroke specialist but has developed into a sprinter over the last two years.

The 50 and 100 freestyle are swimming's version of the 100 and 200 dashes in track. It's all about bursting out of the blocks (or off the block, in swimming's case), and going full speed the entire race.

There's not a ton of strategy involved, although the 100 in swimming, like the 200 in track, often turns on the racer's ability to find and maintain the perfect pace.

"I just like to go all out," said Schneider, who swims for the South Jersey Aquatic Club. "I like the idea of just turning it loose and going as fast as I can."

Cherry Hill East got off to a slow start this season, losing to Shawnee in a meet in which both teams were missing swimmers because of club commitments, and also to St. Augustine, the No. 1 team in The Inquirer Super Six.

The Cougars have been gaining strength as their club swimmers have returned and Brahms has been able to develop chemistry and good combinations on the relays. Cherry Hill East will compete in Central A in the state tournament this year, and the Cougars know the water is deep in that end of the pool.

"We know we have to improve," Schneider said. "But I think we're getting better and better. We power-pointed pretty good against West and we swam another good meet tonight.

"I think we're going to continue to improve."

In other words, the Cougars and their senior sprinter are determined to give opponents something to think about.

Boys

Cherry Hill East 103, Haddonfield 83

200 Medley relay: CHE (Adam Schneider, Jason Ho, Jeff Rowe, Mike Smith), 1:41.50; 200 freestyle: Bob Bendzyn, CHE, 1:51.73; 200 IM: Will Mannion, H, 2:00.56; 500 freestyle: Schneider, CHE, 22.36; Diving: Jesse Lyman, CHE, 196.05; 100 butterfly: Rowe, CHE, 54.66; 100 freestyle: Schneider, CHE, 48.87; 500 freestyle: Tommy Glenn, H, 4:54.54; 200 freestyle relay: CHE (W. Ho, Smith, Geoff Richter, Rowe); 100 backstroke: Mannion, H, 54.60; 100 breaststroke: Rowe, CHE, 1:05.74; 400 freestyle relay: CHE (Mike Krohn, Richter, J. Ho, Schneider)

Girls

Cherry Hill East 105, Haddonfield 85

200 medley relay: CHE (Hailey Shore, Jess Simunek, Sam Sides, Lauren Faykes), 1:52.97; 200 freestyle: Emily Creran, H, 1:56.69; 200 IM: Simunek, CHE, 2:13.97; 500 freestyle: Sides, CHE, 25.00; Diving: Caitin Fechter, H, 184.25; 100 butterfly: Sides, CHE, 1:02.25; 100 freestyle: Creran, H, 54.36; 500 freestyle: Marlee Ehrlich, CHE, 5:18.12; 200 freestyle relay: H (Allison Walker, Taylor Moore, Catherine Kolaski, Creran), 1:42.18; 100 backstroke: Faykes, CHE; 100 breaststroke: Simunek, CHE, 1:08.21; 400 freestyle relay: CHE (Ehrlich, Sides, Faykes, Simunek), 3:43.01.