By Graham Strouse - Intelligencer Staff Writer

Quality rather than quantity got the job done to the tune of an undefeated season.   But at Sunday's Philadelphia Catholic League Girls Swimming Championship, the Archbishop Wood girls swim team needed the quantity.   Instead, it was Cardinal O'Hara that came to the pool at La Salle University with the boatload of swimmers and left with title.   Wood fell as far back as third before a late rally brought it within 24 points, 633-609, for a second consecutive second-place finish.   The Vikings' Carol Crothamel and Shannon Sheckinger were both double winners.   Mary Skonicki and Jillian Fitzgerald each took a first and a second, but close losses in the first two relays and a lack of depth doomed the Vikings to another second-place showing at the PCL's last big dance of the swim season.   "We came in and thought we had a good shot at it," said Crouthamel, who finished her high school career with PCL titles in the 500-yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke.   Wood swimmers took first in seven of 11 events. O'Hara won one—the meet's first event, the 200-yard medley relay.   Wood was unbeaten in their dual meet season, beating O'Hara when the competition ran six lanes deep.   But the PCL races the top 18 qualifiers in each event.   And O'Hara fields a larger team.   "O'Hara just had too much depth," Wood coach Charlie Stillwell said.   "The odds are against us the way the scoring goes."   Reactions varied amongst the Vikings swimmers.   Crouthamel and Sheckinger took the loss in stride.   "We really swam well.   We swam the best we could," said Sheckinger, who touched first in the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke.   "I didn't swim as well as last weekend, but I was still happy with my time."   Crouthamel wore an easy smile even as the point differential became insurmountable, even when midway through the meet, Archbishop Ryan briefly overtook Wood, dropping the Vikings to third.   "We never let ourselves get down for anything," she said.   "We never lose sight of the having-fun part."   Others might disagree.   Skonicki sat thoughtfully in the bleachers, head in hand and staring out across the water.   It was a bittersweet finale to her career, she admitted.   "I put in my best ever (time in the 200 freestyle)," she said.   "It was good we won a lot of events, but we just couldn't get enough points to win.   We just didn't have enough depth."   As the final scores were posted and swimmers began filtering out through the stairwell, Fitzgerald was perched in the cheap seats, crying.   "Because I'm a senior," said Fitzgerald, when asked she was crying.   She managed a moral victory of sorts when she helped close out the meet's final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, with a first-place finish.   "It was nice to win," Fitzgerald said.   "I was a little nervous for a while.   I missed my first turn.   I wanted to get a lead for everyone else."   She worried over her loss in the 50 freestyle.   "I missed my turn," she said.   Stillwell, for one, wasn't about to pass out blame.   "I think we swam as well as we could," he said, his bright green   spiked hair glowing under the lights.   "It's all part of the sport.   It brings everyone closer together.   "Now all I have to go is figure out how to get 50 swimmers like   Ryan and O'Hara."