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Hernando Today

Swimming To The Forefront

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Central High’s Elizabeth McGeehan, shown during the backstroke portion of the 200-yard medley relay at the Hernando County Family YMCA, was feted as the Hernando Today County Swimmer of the Year.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: August 17, 2008

Updated:

For the first time in five years, Rae-Lynn Sheffield is not the Hernando Today Girls Swimmer of the Year.

The Central High grad may have accomplished more in the pool than anyone in Hernando County ever has, but it wouldn't seem fair to hand her the award again now that she has graduated.

So with the superstar gone, who would step into the spotlight and carry the county torch? There was no need to look beyond the Central campus.

Senior Elizabeth McGeehan, a four-time All-County selection, four-time regional qualifier and two-time state qualifier quietly put together a fine prep career to compliment Sheffield on the Lady Bear roster.

But with Sheffield no longer around, McGeehan became the star. The 17-year-old daughter of Spring Hill's Connell and Elaine McGeehan held the county's top time in four individual events and was a part of all three of the county's best relays.

She made it to the Class 2A Florida High School Athletic Association Finals for a second straight season, finishing 22nd in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:05.93. She came in 24th (1:05.48) in 2006.

With no other female swimmer in the county reaching that point, McGeehan easily got the nod to replace Sheffield as Swimmer of the Year.

"It's an honor to be named it. It's cool," McGeehan said. "It (the season) was good. Going to states again, that was good. And I did good in regionals. I just wanted to make it to states.

"...We were going to be losing a big asset to the team (Sheffield). I knew it was not going to be easy making it to states. I knew we couldn't do it on the relay. I had to do it individually."

Impressive resume

As a freshman in 2004, McGeehan showed her previous club experience, setting a new school record of 5:52.73 in the 500-yard freestyle (Sheffield later broke it).

She also won a district championship in the 100-yard butterfly and reached regionals in that event plus the 50-yard freestyle, 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay.

How about 2005? The then-sophomore again made it to regionals in the same two individual events and the 200-yard freestyle relay, but failed to take it to the next level and move on to states.

Her validation came in 2006, in a stroke she never anticipated. Though she still competed in the 100-fly in the state series (against her younger sister Mary Alice), McGeehan switched to the backstroke.

She won the district in that event and came in sixth in regionals, good enough to finally advance to states. Along with her sister, Sheffield and Janelle Kollin, McGeehan also made it in the 200-medley relay.

As a senior she went to regionals in the 100-fly (12th, 1:07.61) and the 100-back (5th, 1:05.65), as well as the 200-medley relay with her sister, Kollin and Emily Withington (6th, 2:06.35) and with her sister, Kollin and Shelby Brown in the 200-freestyle relay (8th, 1:51.47).

She had the county's best times in the 200-yard freestyle (2:16.53), 100-yard freestyle (1:00.75), 500-free (5:58.07) and the 100-back (1:05.65).

"When I was a freshman I never thought I'd make it to states," McGeehan said. "I never thought I'd be a backstroker. I thought I'd make it in a relay my junior year when Mary Alice and Rae-Lynn were there.

"The reason I did backstroke more often was we needed a backstroke for the relay. I starting swimming backstroke the last two years. I never swam it when I was young. It used to be my worst stroke."

Still, as for most year-round swimmers, no stroke seemed too challenging. McGeehan started swimming at 8-years-old with the Pasco Suncoast Swim Team out of Hudson.

She bounced around various clubs over the years, and always had her sister to compete against.

Interestingly, the younger McGeehan consistently won out in the 100-fly, but neither sibling showed any animosity toward the other.

"We always swam against each other. We just pushed each other," McGeehan said of her sister who will be a junior this upcoming season. "I enjoyed having her there."

Future plans

Now that her high school days are behind her, McGeehan's swimming future is very much up in the air. At Central she also took part in cross country, and she'll compete in that sport at the University of South Florida.

But old habits die hard, and swimming has been a major part of her life for a long time.

"I think I'm going to do intramural swimming," McGeehan said. "I know I'm focusing on cross country. I've just done (swimming) forever."

BY THE NUMBERS: ELIZABETH MCGEEHAN

2004 Hernando County Athletic Conference champion: 50-yard freestyle (27.50)

2004 Hernando County Athletic Conference champion: 100-yard butterfly (1:06.41)

2004 Class 2A, District 5 champion: 100-yard butterfly (1:05.37)

2004 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 100-yard butterfly (8th place, 1:04.96)

2004 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 50-yard freestyle (9th place, 26.81)

2004 Hernando Today All-County selection

2005 Hernando County Athletic Conference champion: 50-yard freestyle (26.81)

2005 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 100-yard butterfly (6th place, 1:04.38)

2005 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 50-yard freestyle (7th place, 26.82)

2005 Hernando Today All-County selection

2006 Hernando County Athletic Conference champion: 100-yard freestyle (58.91)

2006 Hernando County Athletic Conference champion: 100-yard backstroke (1:07.91)

2006 Class 2A, District 5 champion: 100-yard backstroke (1:06.03)

2006 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 100-yard butterfly (10th place, 1:05.03)

2006 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 50-yard freestyle (6th place, 1:05.61)

2006 Class 2A state qualifier: 100-yard backstroke (24th place, 1:05.48)

2006 Hernando Today All-County selection

2007 Hernando County champion: 500-yard freestyle (6:01)

2007 Hernando County champion: 100-yard backstroke (1:09)

2007 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 100-yard butterfly (12th place, 1:07.61)

2007 Class 2A, Region II qualifier: 50-yard freestyle (5th place, 1:05.65)

2007 Class 2A state qualifier: 100-yard backstroke (22nd, 1:05.93)

2007 Hernando Today All-County selection

2007 Hernando Today Swimmer of the Year

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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