ST. CHARLES – The St. Charles East girls swimming team won its meet against crosstown foe St. Charles North, 111-69, at Norris Pool on Thursday night because the Saints raced against more than just the North Stars, according to coach Joe Cabel.
Cabel attributed his team’s strong showing to his swimmers also competing against each other for slots in the Upstate Eight Conference Meet on Oct. 27 at Neuqua Valley.
“We were competing against North but we were also probably competing against ourselves to get a couple of hundredths faster,” Cabel said. “Our conference team was decided by some swims tonight. “
The Saints led throughout the meet.
“We swam great tonight,” Cabel said. “We were swimming smart.”
The Saints won eight of the 11 events. East swimmers also took the top three positions in three events: 200-yard freestyle, 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle.
The North Stars won the 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke and the 400 freestyle relay.
“We swam against a top team in the state,” North coach Rob Rooney said. “They got the caliber and the talent. We saw that today so our girls did the best we could. We have a lot of growing to do and are a very young team. I’m just happy with how they responded.”
Rooney said he tried to downplay the rivalry between the two schools.
“I didn’t want to make this meet a big one because it’s not for us,” Rooney said. “It’s an opportunity for us to race and that’s about it. It’s just another meet.”
Cabel said the difference in tactics also contributed to the Saints’ win.
“We swam our best people in our best events. I know he (Rooney) swam around a little bit so he’s giving his kids a break,” Cabel said. “I needed to swim tonight so it was a little lopsided because of the two different strategies.”
“It’s always your goal to swim faster,” said East’s Mary Snyder, who won two individual events for the Saints. “And it’s always fun to swim against your rivals.”
Snyder finished first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.73) and the 100 freestyle (53.07).
Teammate Nicole Chapko won the 200 IM (2:11.39) and was on the Saints’ winning relay teams in the 200 freestyle and 200 medley. Shea Hoyt was on both relays, won the 50 freestyle in 24.94 and edged Chapko in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.38).
East also won the 1-meter diving competition. The Saints’ Jacquelyn Blondin took top honors with a score of 184.75 points. North’s Katie Schutz came in second with a score of 160.55.
