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New Women's Swimming Trophy Named for Frank Keefe
Created: 4/2/2002 3:08:27 PM
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The Frank Keefe Trophy, scuplted by Timothy Maslyn, was conceived at the Women’s Ivy League Silver Anniversary celebration by Melanie Ginter ’78 (pictured at right with Mr. Keefe during the dedication ceremony) when she discovered there was no permanent Ivy championship swimming trophy. Melanie, a varsity swimming alumna long active in the Yale Swimming Association, led a group who chose to honor the person who embraced the women’s program at Yale, seamlessly folding it into the men’s program to create a single swimming program at Yale, to the advantage of both teams. Thus, Frank Keefe institutionalized for women at Yale the ethos of the men’s long and illustrious tradition.
Many women swimmers, team captains, and divers contributed to the establishment of The Frank Keefe Trophy. The group included many alumnae who, like Melanie, never swam for Frank but who value his commitment to the Yale swimming tradition.
They cited Frank’s drive for excellence and achievement, noting that it is balanced by his readiness to talk to his swimmers “not just about swimming, but about our lives,” as Captain Stephanie Mulazzi ’97 wrote. They described again and again his faith in them, citing this support as having made the difference in their personal growth. They recalled Frank’s tough workouts, his sense of humor, and his ability to foster teamwork as essential to helping them to define and achieve their goals, both in the water and out.
Under Keefe’s guidance, Yale has won the Ivy League championship five times in the last 10 years. Phil Moriarty, Head Coach of Yale Swimming from 1960 to 1976 and Assistant Coach under Yale great Robert J. H. Kiphuth, calls Keefe, “the Kiphuth of the new generation.”
Keefe has been involved with the U.S. program for the last 24 years, including the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. One of the most respected figures in American swimming, he was an assistant U.S. coach in 1984. He served as the head manager at the 1986 World Championships and the 1988 Olympics.
Keefe, a 1960 graduate of Villanova, is a member of the Villanova and state of Pennsylvania Halls of Fame, coached nine Olympic swimmers before coming to Yale. A native of East Haven, Conn., Keefe also was enshrined in its Hall of Fame. Keefe and his wife, Kathleen, have four children.
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Related Schools: Yale
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Related Sports: Swimming
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*This Article has been archived.*
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