Seniors again make splash in the pool
Former Bethel Park coach Georgia Eberhart McDaniel, third from left, who helped start the Pitt women’s swim team in 1965, poses for a picture with a group of her former swimmers who came to cheer her on at the 2023 National Senior Games at Trees Pool in Oakland. Eberhart McDaniel, 77, won five gold medals and one silver at the event. She also set a national record in 100 IM.
Georgia Eberhart-McDaniel, Janice Fischer Currie, Christina (Tina) Hasselberg-Keisling, Lynn Ahern-Riggs and Barb Harker Floyd were among the contingent representing Bethel Park High School during the swimming competition at the National Senior Games held recently in Pittsburgh.
Bethel Park captured WPIAL swimming championships in 1974-75.
{p class=”p1”}Georgia Eberhart-McDaniel smoothly coasts through the water.{/p}
As teenagers, Georgia Eberhart-McDaniel, Christina (Tina) Hasselberg-Keisling and Lynn Ahern-Riggs blazed trails never traversed. Today, as senior citizens, they still chart new courses.
Eberthart-McDaniel starred during the National Senior Games held recently in Pittsburgh. The 77-year-old grandmother dominated the aquatics activities held in the pool where she swam collegiately. Eberhart-McDaniel won five gold medals, added a silver decoration and set a senior national record in the 100-yard individual medley during racing held July 17-18 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.
“It was pretty exciting,” she said. “It was great to be in that pool again. A lot of memories,” she added.
As a sophomore at Pitt, Eberhart-McDaniel did a most memorable thing. She convinced university officials to start a women’s swim team at the school following the opening of the aquatics center on Jan. 5, 1963. Within three years, she was captain of the Panthers.
“This was before Title IX,” Eberthart-McDaniel explained. “Pitt had a beautiful men’s team and I thought ‘why can’t women swim?’ So I asked and the administrators said that they didn’t see why we can’t. They were very supportive and found a coach for us.”
While she couldn’t remember what events she swam at Pitt, Eberhart-McDaniel recalled what it was like competing for the Panthers as she raced across the pool during the Senior Games. She even recollected jumping off the 10-meter diving platform.
“It was nice taking a lap down memory lane,” she said. “The pool looks as beautiful as it did back then. They have taken very good care of it. For me, it was a great weekend full of wonderful memories.”
With her degree in physical education, Eberhart-McDaniel accepted a teaching position at Bethel Park High School. She started coaching the girls swim team and four years later added track and cross country to her resume.
In 1974 and 1975, Eberhart-McDaniel guided the Lady Hawks to back-to-back WPIAL swimming championships. Hasselberg-Keisling and Ahern-Riggs were among her star performers.
And, 48 years later, here they all were competing again in the same pool.
“It was great reconnecting with the girls,” Eberthart-McDaniel said. “Seeing them swim all those memories came back of them getting out of the pool.”
Hasselberg-Keisling was a two-time WPIAL champion in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events and a consistent top three finisher in the IM as well as relay races. She also placed in the top six during the PIAA championships. She swam two years for the University of South Carolina.
After earning her degree in physical education and health, she married her high school sweetheart, Jeff. She taught and coached at North Penn High School before retiring to become a full-time mom to three sons, Joshua, Jared and Michael.
At age 53, she restarted her career, swimming as a Masters. “For fun and to stay in shape,” she said. “It was an empty-nest thing.”
At here first nationals in 2021 in Greensboro, she placed first. “I was ecstatic,” she said.
Hasselberg-Keisling was even more thrilled to learn through Facebook that Eberhart-McDaniel was at the same meet. “It was crazy. We didn’t recognize each other.”
By then, Eberthart-McDaniel was a household name in the United States Masters Swimming circles. She is a multi-champion with some 40 records, and she ranks on the all-Top 10 team.
“Plug in her name and it will tell you she has the top times in the country,” Hasselberg-Keisling said in awe.
A few years later, Hasselberg-Keisling was reunited with Ahern-Riggs. They swam together in a senior meet in Fort Lauderdale. After 47 years, they swam against each other in another national qualifying meet along with Eberthart-McDaniel.
“We knew we would be okay because we had all been swimming,” Hasselberg-Keisling said. “It’s not like the Olympics where only the top two from the U.S. go or get ridiculously fast times. We qualified.”
Hasselberg-Keisling won the 400-yard individual medley at the National Senior Games. She added a sixth place in the 500 free.
Of the four-day meet, Hasselberg-Keisling said it was more about being reunited with old friends than medals. “It was incredible. So many teammates showed up in matching T-shirts and all the pop-up memories were the best. Someone would start a story and then someone else would finish it. It’s funny the relationships you make, the people you meet and the little things that you remember.”
For example, Hasselberg-Keisling recalled singing with Barb Hollinshead at Eberthart-McDaniel’s wedding. Their coach heard them singing in the shower after practice and asked if they would save the date. While Hasselberg-Keisling was a guitarist, Hollinshead was the vocal talent. She went on to become an opera singer and currently performs in the Washington D.C. area.
“We were pretty good,” admitted Hasselberg-Keisling.
Ahern-Riggs has been pretty good throughout all stages of her aquatics career.
At age 7, she was asked to join the recreation swim team by then coaches Jim Sprandle and Pat Campbell. During her freshman year at Bethel Park High School, the 100-yard butterfly was added to women’s racing and Ahern-Riggs won the first WPIAL championship in the event. She finished third in the PIAA championships. Every year until her graduation in 1976, she submitted Top 6 showings in the fly as well as the backstroke during the district and state finals.
Ahern-Riggs followed Hasselberg-Keisling to the University of South Carolina. She swam for the Gamecocks for a year before transferring to Penn State. In order to obtain her degree in speech communications and radio and television broadcasting, Ahern-Riggs worked summers at the South Park Wave Pool. In fact, she was the first female permitted to guard the deep end of the facility.
After graduation, Ahern-Riggs embarked on a full-time coaching career, enjoying stints at Chartiers Valley and Upper St. Clair, before moving to North Carolina to take a job working for the United States Postal Service and to raise here four children, Colton, 35, Jacob (deceased), Erik, 28 and Tori, 24.
Ahern-Riggs returned to competitive swimming at age 59. Despite shoulder surgery, she succeeded on the senior circuit, racing in state meets in Raleigh. At the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, Ahern-Riggs collected two silver medals in the 50 and 100 backstroke events and added two bronze medals in the 200 freestyle and back. She also finished fifth in the 500 free and sixth in the 50 fly.
“I achieved all the goals I set for myself,” she said.
Of aging up into the 64-69 division, Ahern-Riggs added, “I never thought I’d be this excited to be 65.”
Ahern-Riggs was equally thrilled to watch her mentor, Eberthart-McDaniel, set the standard with her 1:35.04 time in the 100 IM. The mark shattered the previous senior national record (1:38.05) by more than three seconds.
“Georgia is a wonderful person and a super swimmer. Tremendous,” Ahern-Riggs said. “If she keeps swimming, she is going to outlast every one. She is such an inspiration. She helped me a lot. I love her.”
One has to admire Eberthart-McDaniel’s spirit and passion. Not only does she swim, she has run the Boston Marathon in 2012 and completed several triathlons, including a few half-ironman competitions.
“As an adult, running was a very popular thing at the time and I wanted to run a marathon,” she said. “So when my time was close enough, I ran it again and (Boston) worked out. I like to workout and running doesn’t require any particular equipment. You just go out the front door and run.
“I like to try new things. If I try it, then I want to do well at it.”
Nearly 12,000 senior athletes competed in 20 medal sports during the National Senior Games, held at a variety of venues throughout the Pittsburgh area. The event concluded with a ceremonial parade of athletes prior to a Pirates game at PNC Park. Athletes were organized by states.
“It was so inspiring to see so many athletes. The oldest swimmer at the meet was 94 and the oldest was a 102-year-old golfer,” noted Hasselberg-Keisling. “By the time you get to be our age, people are telling you that you can’t do anything but I think we are pretty tough. We can’t give in to the aging.”
Ahern-Riggs added, “As long as my body holds out, I’ll continue to do this. If it doesn’t, I’ll get it fixed. The biggest dream for me and my family is to stay healthy. Doing this and staying athletic helps. I recommend this to anyone. It’s a wonderful experience.”