Emily Cameron shakes her head and just points toward the water.
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There's no doubt in the Warwick freshman's mind, she says without using any words, that swimming is her favorite sport.
That comes as no surprise. Cameron, who's been swimming since she was a child, is already a household name not only in Lancaster County, but throughout the country.
The times she's recorded are simply amazing, especially within the Lancaster-Lebanon Swimming League. She has rewritten most of the L-L dual-meet standards, with record times of 23.95 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, 51.27 in the 100 free, 2:04.64 in the 200 individual medley, 1:04.75 in the 100 breaststroke, 57.40 in the 100 butterfly and 4:57.01 in the 500 free.
In case you're counting, that's six records out of the eight individual events in a high school dual meet. She's only missing the 200 free and 100 backstroke marks.
"Emily just has a great feel for the water," said Lancaster Aquatic Club assistant coach Stevie Coble.
"She's a natural," said Hempfield High School and part-time LAC assistant coach Betty Lou Windstein, whose saw her daughter Jenn's 500 record surpassed by Cameron.
"She has the physical attributes and she has the intrinsic, from the neck up," said Warwick coach Mark Daum. "Arguably, people say the sport is 90 percent mental. Emily knows what she wants to do and how to get there.
"Those big USS (United States Swimming) meets and the high school competition doesn't faze her. She has that experience and probably, maturation-wise, she's well beyond the typical ninth-grader."
Cameron is definitely not your typical freshman, at least when it comes to what she's accomplished thus far. She's also not alone, as the L-L has at least three other high-impact freshmen females this season.
Joining Cameron among the league's best fresh faces are Cedar Crest's Maddie Hoch, Manheim Township's Katie Diller and Cocalico's Olivia Evans. While there certainly are others that might fit that description, these four have dominated as the top swimmers with the fastest times in the league this season. Interestingly, the four train at four different clubs, with Cameron at LAC, Diller at Five Star, Evans at the Reading YMCA (where her mom, Kim, is the head coach) and Hoch at the West Shore Y.
Through the end of January, Hoch had the top time in the 200 free (1:52.21) and 100 backstroke (1:04.75), was second behind Cameron in the 200 IM (2:08.17), fourth in the 50 free (25.08), third in the 100 fly (58.47) and second in both the 100 (53.20) and 500 free (5:04.49).
Diller was third in the 50 free (25.05) and 100 free (54.06), fourth in the 200 free (1:56.30), 100 fly (59.70) and 500 free (5:13.04) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:13.44).
Evans is third in the 100 backstroke in 60.01, her only current top-5 time in the league, but is just off the charts in several other events.
"What you have, with those four that we just talked about, are simply an amazing group of talented girls who, as a group, may be the best swimmers ever to come through the league," said one coach who was granted anonymity. "By the time those four graduate — but you can't really say they will keep on this kind of pace or keep up with these high-level performances — you should see several state championships for them."
That's every swimmer's goal, but the road to that potential pot of gold has plenty of hurdles.
While boys generally mature by strength and stature as they grow throughout high school, girls' bodies sometimes change dramatically from the time they're 14 or 15 as freshmen until they're seniors at 18 or 19.
"I don't know if anybody knows how to build the perfect swimmer," said Daum. "Wing span is critical, but females come in all shapes and sizes."
You look at Cameron, and the first impression you get is that she is all legs, which naturally helps in cross country. She finished second in the L-L League meet last fall, then was ninth in districts and 43rd at states.
It also helps in swimming, if you can get the upper body to work in concert with those legs. Cameron has already found that balance.
Still, it will be interesting to see how these four progress. Their first big test this year will come Thursday, when the L-L League girls championship meet will be held at 6 p.m. at the Lititz recCenter.
This quartet could steal the show, or there could be some great showdowns, depending where each swimmer is entered. Cameron will be competing in the 200 free and 100 breaststroke according to Coble.
She'll also be in a pair of relays for the Warriors, most likely in the anchor position. That fits her, said Daum.
"The best place she likes to swim is from behind, in the fourth spot, as the anchor," said Daum. "She's the proverbial Michael Jordan, the one that wants the ball for the last shot. She wants to be the 'guy'.
"That's a thread that runs through all four of those girls. They want to be the last one. You just give them a shot and they step up. They want to be the ones with the responsibility to pull the relay out. The just want to win — all the time."
It's something they've come to grips with, even at this young age. Perhaps it's something in the water.
"Katie Diller is doing so well because she has a good work ethic," said MT coach Dan Graybill. "She is very competitive and team-oriented."
Hoch is the same way. Crest coach Beth Yocum seems like she likes to challenge her young charge and often pairs Hoch against the opposition's better swimmers in that other swimmer's best event.
Cocalico coach Matt Woods likes Evans' feisty attitude. "When you see her behind the blocks, she puts her game face on," Woods said. "She doesn't get worked up when she's in a big race, she actually swims best against really good competition."
Daum though, has the one thing going for him that the others do not — Cameron.
"If you don't have Emily Cameron, then Katie's right there, Maddie's right there, Olivia's right there," he said.
"Emily is just Katie Hoffian," Daum continued, comparing his standout to the Olympian. "She has the willingness and affinity to swim all the events. Leading the IM, says it all — she can do everything."
"This girl is good," Hempfield coach Steve Beck said of Cameron. "She trains hard. She works hard. She got strong physically. I've always believed what I was once told, that swimming is 20 percent natural ability, 70 percent work ethic and 10 percent coaching."
Daum concurred.
"Some kids are blessed by God, and Emily's got God-given ability in the water. She's had talent from when she was 8, 9 years old. What sets her apart from some of the others, is that she's extremely competitive and very focused.
"She has the ability to set short- and long-term goals. A lot of kids don't have that or don't get that until later in their lives."
Cameron may be young chronologically, but like Hoch, Evans and Diller, shows a maturation beyond her years. It'll be a fun four years watching this quartet grow up even more in the pool.
