Crippen sisters to renew pool rivalry
Monday, October 4, 2010 | Men's Basketball, Women's Swimming & Diving, Scott Carter
When the Gators women's swim team hosts Virginia on Monday, it will be sort of a family reunion for UF junior Teresa Crippen.
Crippen's older sister, Claire, is a senior for the Cavaliers. UF associate head coach Martyn Wilby shared a funny story Monday about the Crippen sisters' trip to last year's NCAA meet.
As Wilby watched Claire win the first heat in one of her events, a parent standing nearby said: “That Crippen girl is really tough.''
Teresa then won her heat in similar fashion, prompting the same parent to quip: “That whole Crippen family is really tough.''
You could say the Crippens know a thing or two about swimming.
Teresa and Claire's older sister, Maddy, attended Villanova and was a 2000 Olympian, and their older brother, Fran, is a top open-water swimmer who also swam at Virginia.
“Teresa and Claire are about as close as sisters as I've ever seen,'' Wilby said. “And they swim the same events. It's really unique for the family. They are competitive with it but they have a lot of fun.''
