‘A real student of the sport’: Buddies keep in mind star swimmer from Cape Elizabeth

Leanne Pedro remembers when Keegan McKenney stumbled into the pool for his first observe along with her. He was 7 years previous, tripping over issues and forgetting his goggles.

“It was hard to imagine how much of an impact he’d have,” stated Pedro, McKenney’s first swim coach. 

McKenney grew as much as be a star swimmer in Cape Elizabeth, named Varsity Maine’s Boys’ Swimmer of the Year, earlier than attending Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina, the place he was a member of the swim staff, specializing within the particular person medley and butterfly. 

The 22-year-old died in a automobile crash in Charlotte early Sunday morning, simply hours after he graduated from Queens University. 

He was a passenger in a automobile that ran off the highway and collided with a tree, in response to a Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department information launch. There had been two different individuals within the automobile; all had been sporting seat belts. The police division remains to be investigating whether or not impairment or pace had been components within the crash. The Charlotte Observer cited a police report that stated alcohol could have been an element.  

The college’s swim staff on social media referred to as McKenney “a cherished teammate, friend, and member of the Queens family whose impact will never be forgotten.”

McKenney was some of the proficient swimmers to ever compete for Cape Elizabeth High School, in response to coach Ben Raymond. 

Pedro recalled McKenney calling her from the pool deck of his final collegiate meet earlier this 12 months. He began crying. So did she, each reminiscing about his swim profession. 

“It was so emotional,” she stated. “I knew how much swimming was a huge part of his life.”

When he was younger, McKenney was fascinated by the older swimmers and realized by watching them, Pedro stated. 

“He was a real student of the sport,” she stated. “And then he became the one that the younger kids wanted to look up to.” 

McKenney shared his love of swimming together with his youthful brother Cormac, a sophomore and swimmer at Florida Southern University. 

“They had such a special bond,” Pedro stated. Everyone was excited to see the 2 of them at meets, and former teammates stated they had been inseparable. 

“They absolutely coined the ‘surfer dude’ appearance and personality,” stated Alicia Lawrence, a former teammate. 

Cookie Mahoney, a buddy of McKenney, thought of him an enormous brother. They began swimming on the identical time, when she was 5 and he was 7. In highschool, she was the one lady coaching with the boys.

“He was the first person to be excited for me,” she stated, recalling that he’d give her a fist bump after each race. 

In the summer season, she spent many days with him, first at 5 a.m. practices, the place she stated he made the time enjoyable, after which working as a lifeguard at Prouts Neck. 

McKenney additionally labored as a lifeguard on the Cape Elizabeth pool for a few years.

“He was the sort of kid you want your kids to grow up to be like,” stated Andrew Kemp, his supervisor and former swim coach.

McKenney cherished cracking jokes, Mahoney stated. In the pool within the 15-second break between repetitions. On the lifeguard stand, after they had been passing time.

Mahoney, a sophomore at Davidson College, a 30-minute drive from Charlotte, stated McKenney helped her navigate the recruiting course of and transferring removed from residence. Whenever she noticed him on the annual swim meet in opposition to Queens, he at all times gave her an enormous hug. 

McKenney was a pure chief with an infectious character, Pedro stated. He solid friendships with swimmers on different groups throughout journey meets. Pedro stated that since information of McKenney’s dying, she has obtained many calls from coaches throughout the nation whose swimmers had been devastated to listen to the information. 

“He was like a magnet,” she stated. 

When the membership practiced open air at Crescent Lake in the summertime, it was McKenney’s enthusiasm that made it enjoyable for them. He was at all times a tough employee, wanting to push via frustration and study new strategies. 

“He was often the last one out of the water,” Pedro stated. “And he was the first one in.” 

Owen McLaughlin, one among his greatest pals, began swimming with McKenney when he was 13 or 14. 

“He was a bit of an anomaly,” McLaughlin stated. McKenney appeared to get pleasure from each grueling coaching. “And they were painful,” McLaughlin stated. 

The two had comparable ability units, ambitions and work ethics. 

“If you don’t have someone to chase, it’s a lot easier to ground out,” McLaughlin stated. “You need someone to push you.” 

The two saved pushing one another even after they moved away for faculty. The pair tracked one another’s stats, texting encouragement and good-natured trash discuss after races. 

McKenney cherished any alternative to get within the water. He cherished to surf, regardless of the season. 

In the times following McKenney’s dying, his father referred to as Pedro. “He said he doesn’t want his son to be forgotten,” she stated. 

“How could anyone forget Keegan?”