As the pool deck cleared Monday night at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology, two girls cooled down in the deep end.

Washington Township High School sophomore Cassie Cregar and Lenape junior Jenell Walsh-Thomas swam side-by-side for several minutes in the pool they had just dominated, each winning two individual events at the South Jersey Swim League Championships.

"I was so pumped up to swim today," Walsh-Thomas said. "I just wanted to swim well so badly."

Cregar and Walsh-Thomas were the only double-winners in the entire meet.

Cregar won the girls' 200-yard freestyle as well as the 500 free. Walsh-Thomas, who normally favors the distance events as well, switched it up Monday night, swimming the 200 individual medley and the 100 free.

Though she was seeded first in neither event, she won both.

"I think that's the fastest I've ever gone in the 100 free," she said. "I don't know why I decided to switch. I thought it might be fun and it was."

Fun was the main goal for the Eastern girls' team as well, but the Vikings got more than they bargained for, taking home the first overall SJSL title in the short history of the girls-only program.

Eastern's total of 305 points bested second-place Washington Township's 298.5 and third-place Cherry Hill West's 292.

"Based on our seedings coming in, we knew we could win, but that doesn't mean anything," Eastern coach Bull Fulton said. "It was important that we won, but I told them to just go out there and have fun."

Eastern set the tone in the meet's first event, taking the 200 medley relay. Though the Vikings didn't take another first, their depth was enough to deliver the trophy.

Cherry Hill West took the boys' title, beating archrival Cherry Hill East 302 points to 290. Shawnee was third with 224.

"We've been thinking about this meet for two years," West coach Dan Rogers said. "We took some gambles that didn't pay off, but some of our other swimmers stepped up."

Junior Mark Neiman won the 200 free for West, and junior Matt Mattingly took the 100 butterfly. The Lions also were able to take the last event of the meet, the 400 free relay, despite holding a little something back.

"I told them to hold their starts," Rogers said. "We knew were we were in the standings and we just didn't want to get disqualified."

Though the double-winners were in scarce supply, there were a couple of family doubles and triples.

Cregar, who anchored Washington Township to victory in the girls' 200 free relay, also watched her twin brother, Billy, win the 200 IM. Billy took charge of the race on the breaststroke leg and never looked back.

"I was trying to go out as fast as I could, and then just bring it home," said Cregar, who has emerged as the area's top sophomore.

The Hala brothers from Haddon Township also combined for a few wins. Junior Chris edged senior brother J.D. in the 50 free, and the two switched positions in the 100 free, though it looked - for 75 yards - like Chris might pull the double.

"I tried to be perfect on that last turn but I couldn't hold on," Chris said.

According to J.D., there were never any worries in the 100.

"He always goes out fast and I'm a little stronger at the finish," he said.

The brothers also bookended the Hawks' victorious 200 free relay, Chris leading off and J.D. swimming the anchor leg. J.D. and Neiman from Cherry Hill West entered the water for that anchor leg virtually tied, but Hala had a body length by the turn and held on to win.

"I felt good about our chances in that spot," Hala said. "I feel like, as the anchor, it's my job to win those races, and I can usually do my job."