East Boys, Girls Swimming Cruise in Quarterfinals

Cherry Hill East’s swim teams came out Thursday and proved why they’re the No. 1 seeds in the girls and boys South A brackets, crushing Sterling and Washington Township to open the playoffs.

The East boys opened a 20-point lead after two events against Sterling, before going on to win, 118-52.

The Cougars boys won seven events, including the the first three of the meet. David Rowe, who won the backstroke and contributed on two winning relays, and Mike Simunek, who won the individual medley and teamed with Rowe on those same winning relays, were the leaders for East.

The girls, meanwhile, dominated No. 8 Washington Township, 111-59. East took first in all but two events and were led by Colleen Finias, who won the breaststroke and individual medley and contributed on two winning relay teams, and Natalie Simunek, who won the 100 freestyle and led off the winning medley relay and 400 freestyle relays.

The boys move on to face No. 4 Egg Harbor Township, a 99-71 winner over Washington Township, in the semifinals, while the girls will take on either Clearview or Egg Harbor Township, pending the result of that meet Friday.

Cherry Hill West’s girls, the No. 2 seed in Central A, take to the pool Friday, where they face Lenape in the quarterfinals at Camden County Tech.

Cherry Hill East boys 118, Sterling 52

• 200 medley relay: East—Rowe, Simunek, Brookover, Andalora—1:45.25
• 200 freestyle: East, Aronson, 1:55.36
• 200 individual medley: East, Simunek, 2:12.34
• 50 freestyle: Sterling, Matola, 21.38
• 100 butterfly: East, Volm, 1:01.43
• 100 freestyle: Sterling, Matola, 50.38
• 500 freestyle: Sterling, De Remigi
• 200 freestyle relay: Sterling—T. Sheehan, D. Sheehan, Dieterle, Matola—1:36.67
• 100 Backstroke: East, Rowe, 56.83
• 100 Breaststroke: East, Bartel, 1:11.36
• 400 freestyle relay: East—Brookover, Simunek, Rowe, Aronson—3:34.49.

Cherry Hill East girls 111, Washington Township 59

• 200 medley relay: East—Natalie Simunek, Megan Miller, Colleen Finias, Stephanie Walton
• 200 freestyle: Washington Township, Olivia Dwyer, 2:01.69
• 200 individual medley: East, Finias, 2:28.25
• 50 freestyle: Washington Township, Brooke Liberto, 26.78
• 100 butterfly: East, Mackenzie Ropka, 1:04.70
• 100 freestyle: East, Simunek, 57.63
• 500 freestyle: East, Gabriella Timuscuk, 5:39.96
• 200 freestyle relay: East—Finias, Lydia Huber, Paula Zanotti, Stephanie Walton—1:50.15
• 100 Backstroke: East, Brookover, 1:04.97
• 100 breaststroke: East, Finias, 1:18.58
• 400 freestyle relay: East—Simunek, Ropka, Brookover, Shelly Faykes—4:06.10.

Editor's note: This article was updated with more information about both East meets.