By TIM KRAUSE
Gannett New Jersey
ATLANTIC CITY

With another dominating performance, the St. Augustine Prep boys' swim team turned the Cape-Atlantic League Individual Championships into the Hermit Invitational.

St. Augustine swimmers captured eight of the meet's 11 events. And in some races, the Hermits were only challenged by their teammates. Prep swimmers swept the 200 freestyle, finished first and second in the 100 free, and first and third in the 500 free. The Hermits also easily won all three relays and set three meet records.

Despite these extraordinary results, St. Augustine downplayed its performance.

"We really wanted to come out and do good times," said freshman Blake Trabuchi-Downey, who won the 100 butterfly. "That was really our whole focus."

Christian Sprang led the charge, winning the 200 and 500 freestyle events and swimming a leg on the victorious 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Sprang established meet records in both individual events - lowering the standard in the 500 by more than 12 seconds - and helping the Hermits set the record in the 400 free relay.

"At this point in the season, with the training I'm doing, I am happy with my times," Sprang said.

St. Augustine junior Tom Newnam edged teammate Owen Black in the 100 free, winning by one-hundredth of a second. Mike Joyce also won the 200 individual medley for the Hermits.

Egg Harbor Township's Craig Schindewolf joined Sprang as a double-winner, taking home the 100 breaststroke and 50 free.

On the girls' side, Vineland made waves despite not having any individual winners. Victoria Bonifield, Stevi Anderson, Sabrina Warren and Tiffany Malatesta set a National Interscholastic Coaches Association record in the 200 free relay. The Fighting Clan's time of 1:49.82 lowered the national standard by more than one second.

Mainland set the previous mark of 1:50.95 on Feb. 6, 2002.

"I was really surprised. We weren't really shooting for the national record," Malatesta said. "It was really exciting just to swim with my three teammates. We didn't have anything else to think about, no individual (events) to worry about."

The same foursome combined to set a meet record and win the 200 medley relay. Nina Montero, Anderson, Warren and Malatesta also took home the 400 free relay.

Vineland coach John Casadia limited his swimmers to three events in preparation for the upcoming state team playoffs. Malatesta, Warren and Anderson elected to forgo their individual events and concentrate on the relays.

Millville senior Cara Smaniotto captured the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke.

"It hurt really bad; I was really dead," Smaniotto said of the IM. "I was happy I did that time with how I felt."

Despite the heroics of the Vineland girls and Smaniotto, Mainland freshman phenom Johanna Thomas was the swimmer of the meet. Thomas won the 500 free, shattering the meet record by 23 seconds. She also captured the 200 free and lowered the meet record by four seconds.

Egg Harbor Township's Sara Czar also won two events, finishing in a first-place tie in the 50 free and winning the 100 free in a meet-record time of 58.33 seconds.