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Sisters push Mitchell and a little brother

Caitlin and Meghan McCaffrey are good, but say Devin, 12, has the big swimming future.

By STEVE LEE
Published September 10, 2006

TRINITY - The McCaffrey sisters, Meghan and Caitlin, have fueled the Mitchell girls' school record-setting 18-meet win streak that has extended to three seasons.

That ranks them among the best swimmers on the team, but not in the family. That unofficial title is reserved for 12-year-old Devin, a four-time Junior Olympian.

"He's by far the best swimmer," said Brian McCaffrey, the family's patriarch. "It's not even close."

Jealous? Not Devin's older siblings.

"I want him to go to the Olympics so I can go," said Meghan, a Mitchell senior co-captain. "He's my ticket."

Added Caitlin, a junior: "He's actually gifted at it and he likes it. I really do think he'll be our ticket to the Olympics."

Devin said he took up swimming at the Lansbrook Aquatics Club, where Brian formerly served as president, to follow in his sisters' wake.

"I'm swimming because they were," he said during Tuesday's dual meet against River Ridge at the Trinity YMCA pool. "It's really cool. They've actually helped me with my strokes."

As much as swimming is part of the McCaffreys' daily activities, it is second fiddle to another sport none of them play.

"It's behind football," Brian said.

Meghan got more specific: "Ohio State football. My father, he has raised us to love football. Other than that, it's swimming."

Brian, a 1981 Ohio State graduate, said Devin likely would go further in swimming than his daughters. Meghan does not plan on swimming in college, but Caitlin does.

"I've always wanted to attend a big school," said Meghan, currently ranked fourth in her class with a 4.36 weighted grade point average. "I want to be a Gator, because it's the closest thing in Florida to Ohio State; just the big school, the tradition."

Caitlin is realistic about her prospects, saying she probably will have to settle for a scholarship offer from a Division II or Division III school.

"I'd rather swim than go to a big university," Caitlin said.

Mitchell, coming off back-to-back Sunshine Athletic Conference titles, is favored to win another. The Mustangs fended off a challenge from a strong River Ridge squad with Wednesday's 106-68 win.

"I'm very proud of our team," said Meghan, who as a freshman was part of the Mustangs' first winning team. "Each year we lose seniors and get new swimmers so to continue the streak, it means a lot."

Meghan has five individual school records and has been part of two of the Mustangs' record-setting relay teams. In a season-opening win over Pasco, she topped her sister's former school mark in the 500-yard freestyle by finishing in five minutes, 59.58 seconds.

"For her to break her sister's record, that's a little ironic," said Mitchell assistant Regina Drum, who also coached the McCaffreys when they swam for the Pasco Aqautics Club in New Port Richey.

Caitlin does not have as many school records as her sister, but she does have three.

"That's the really nice thing about them" Drum said. "You can kind of put them anywhere and they'll get a first place or second."

What they have yet to get, however, is a state berth. Both have competed in conference, district and regional meets.

Whether or not the McCaffreys make it to state will not be for lack of trying. For now, they'll strive to lower their times and help teammates.

"Their work ethic's unbelievable," Mitchell boys coach Wayne Lampe said. "They're the first ones at the pool and the first to help anybody with a stroke."

Steve Lee can be reached at lee@sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 10, 2006, 09:00:31]