By BRIAN CUNNIFF
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The Cape May Tech girls swimming team extended its season Thursday.
The Lady Hawks downed Oakcrest, 98-72, to advance in the South Jersey Public C Tournament. Cape May Tech, the fourth seed in the tournament, will swim at top-seeded Haddonfield Monday afternoon.
Wins by Kaitlyn Crouthamel (100 butterfly), Emie Frederick (100 freestyle), Ruby Redmond (500 freestyle) and the 200 freestyle relay team (Crouthamel, Frederick, Lindsay Robbins and Cameron Muir) in consecutive races broke open a close meet.
The 200 free relay team’s victory came in a school record 1 minute, 50.6 seconds.
Crouthamel also won the 200 individual medley and Robbins took first in the 200 freestyle for Tech (6-2).
Tech finished the meet with a win in the 400 free relay team behind the same group that won the 200 free relay.
“It’s one thing to win, but to win and swim our best is just great,” Tech coach Dawn Dudley said. “The girls blew away their previous times.
“There’s nothing better than winning a home state playoff meet. Their fans are all here, they know the pool and the excitement of it all is even better.”
Tech will face a daunting task in the next round against Haddonfield, one of the best small-school swimming programs in the state.
“We’re going after records,” Dudley said. “We’ll try to go in and swim our best and break some school records.”