Phil Anastasia: Bishop Eustace swimmer shows her versatility

Before last night, Elise Blaschke couldn't remember the last time she swam the individual medley.

Well, other than 5 o'clock yesterday morning.

That was during the Jersey Wahoos' practice. Blaschke was working on individual medley sets before the sun rose on the day her Bishop Eustace team would win the South Non-Public B sectional championship.

"I probably haven't done that event for us since maybe the first or second meet of the year," Blaschke said. "But I was just working on that this morning, so it wasn't a big deal."

It was a happy coincidence for Blaschke. But that kind of thing happens to athletes who awaken at 4 a.m. three times a week to practice for their club team and still summon the energy and enthusiasm to lead their school team, both in the pool and on the deck.

"Elise is such a positive leader for this team," Bishop Eustace coach Mike Parker said after the Crusaders' 94-76 victory over Wildwood Catholic. "She will swim whatever you ask her to swim, without question."

Blaschke's versatility and verve were on full display at Camden County Tech.

The senior from Washington Township gave Bishop Eustace the lead for good in the third event of the meet, winning the 200-yard IM in 2 minutes, 12.40 seconds as freshman teammate Annie McCotter took second. Blaschke also took second in the 100 freestyle and swam a leg on the victorious 400 freestyle relay.

Blaschke also led the Crusaders when she was out of the water. She helped set the tone for a team that needed lots of contributions from its outside-lane swimmers to overcome Wildwood Catholic's center-lane power.

"Elise is always getting us pumped up about our races," said Bishop Eustace junior Maureen McCotter, who won the 100 freestyle. "She's always making sure we stay positive."

Blaschke said that talking up her teammates comes naturally to her.

"I'm very outgoing; I'll talk to anybody," Blaschke said. "I hate to see anybody in a bad mood, especially my teammates. I'll always try to cheer them up."

Blaschke is one of South Jersey's best swimmers. She won the 200 IM and was second in the 100 breaststroke in the B division at the South Jersey Invitational. She won the 100 freestyle and was second in the 100 breaststroke in the South Jersey League championships.

Parker said that Blaschke's versatility is a major weapon for the Crusaders in dual meets. Her willingness to swim just about any event, without complaint, might be even more important.

When top club swimmers take that approach, it ripples through the high school program. It opens up options for the coach, and it creates a positive vibration that can carry a team to a championship.

"She can swim anything and she will swim anything," Parker said. "She will never waver no matter what we ask her to do."

Blaschke said she likes the challenge of mastering different strokes. Plus, she enjoys the suspense.

"I love swimming anything," said Blaschke, who plans to swim for Maryland-Baltimore County next year and major in special education or pre-law. "I'm not one to give anybody a hard time. I'll just wait until Mr. Parker tells me what he wants me to swim, and I'll jump in and do it."

That's what happened in yesterday's sectional championship meet. About 10 hours after she emerged from the pool at Jersey Wahoos practice - and after a full day of school - Blaschke arrived at Camden County Tech. That's the first time she heard she was swimming the individual medley.

She took first, and the Crusaders' dominance in the event turned a 17-13 deficit into a 25-21 lead. They never looked back.

"When I heard I was swimming it, I was excited," Blaschke said. "No way I was going to back down. I was ready."