As she pursued her passion for swimming, Claire Crippen's last name could have been a burden; her older brother, Fran Crippen, had already established himself as a world-class athlete in the pool -- a tough act to follow.
Claire Crippen was not deterred: Only halfway through her first year on the Virginia swimming and diving team she is already recognized as one of the Cavaliers' top female competitors.
"All the way through high school I followed in my brother and sisters' footsteps," Crippen said. "I knew what to expect coming here -- living up to the expectations of the name -- but at the same time Fran has been such a role model for me my whole entire life. I feel lucky to be here, and I'm enjoying it."
Before donning the Cavalier uniform, Crippen was a 12-time All-American and a member of both the 2004-2005 national championship team and the 2007 U.S. spring championship team.
At Virginia, Crippen has continued to receive accolades. The Atlantic Coast Conference recognized her last December by naming her the ACC Co-Performer of the Week after she posted a trio of NCAA "B" cut times and one NCAA "A" time at the Georgia Invitational. Her NCAA "A" time of 4:11.87 in the 400 individual medley was the fastest mark in the ACC this season and the third fastest all-time.
"Coming in, I decided it didn't really matter how well I was doing personally as long as I was having an impact on the team," Crippen said. "And so far I think I have accomplished that. I am a little surprised, because I wasn't expecting to go the times I have been going this early in the season, but it has been exciting."
Indeed, Crippen's success has helped transform what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Virginia women into a winning season. Last weekend, the Cavaliers knocked off the defending conference champions, No. 10 University of North Carolina, on their home turf.
"She has certainly lived up to our hopes and our expectations," Virginia coach Mark Bernardino said. "We knew when we were fortunate enough to receive Claire's commitment to come to U.Va. that we had a special athlete, but more importantly we knew we had a special person."
Crippen not only sets an example with her attitude toward racing but also toward practice and school. According to Bernardino, her positive outlook has been a real boon for the team -- she keeps the coaches happy, practices lighthearted and her teammates loose.
"She's one of the most positive, determined, hardworking people you could ever imagine and every single day she is probably the happiest person on the pool deck," Bernardino said. "For her, there is a real sense of enjoyment in her daily physical endeavors in the pool -- it's really refreshing."
Fran Crippen was a team captain, and his sister is likely to follow suit. Combining determination with a cheerful disposition, Claire has already been pegged as an integral part of the Cavaliers' future leadership.
"I think there are tremendous similarities between the two siblings," Bernardino said. "There is no question in my mind that Fran has been a positive influence on Claire and on Claire's career and the approach she takes to the sport"
Read More
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | 23 hours agoJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | YesterdayThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
Men’s soccer, totally discombobulated, capitulates early to No. 5 Pittsburgh
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayPittsburgh set a program record for the quickest cluster of three goals.
