All in the Family

Meet the women in the Rapp family--Betsy, a junior at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is the women's swim team captain and has been nationally and internationally ranked in the 100- and 200-butterfly distances since she first rose to prominence in 1975. Jenny, a top-flight individual medleyist and backstroker, is Stanford-bound this fall; she is one of four woman swimmers who have accepted Stanford's offer of a full, four-year scholarship. And Susan, at 15, has recently rocketed to world fame in the 100- and 200-meter breast-strokes--finishing a close third place to Tracy Caulkins and Terri Baxter in both contests at last summer's AAU Nationals.

But wait--that's not all. Thirteen-year-old Krissie has sprinted to times that are faster than any of her older sisters at their comparable stages of swimming development, and Mama Rapp--not content to rest after her own successful swimming career--is now ranked as one of the finest, if not the finest, over-40 Masters runners in the country.

It is no surprise that the family's awesome talent and phenomenal successes have attracted hordes of journalists to their Alexandria, Va., home, in the hopes of discovering the root of the Rapp's athletic prowess, as well as some sensational tidbits about, say, sibling rivalry. Washington Post reporters even went to the lengths of asking to move in for a few days so that they could observe the family in depth.

All of this unwanted publicity has prompted the Rapps' father to set down certain guidelines about interviews in an effort to maintain normal family ties--"My father has asked us not to talk about the family," was the preface offered by all three girls, and Jenny elaborated, "My parents don't want us to get swelled heads."

Swelled heads are certainly one feature the Rapp family lacks, however. Former coach of their Starlit Aquatic Club team and present Stanford women's coach Holger Dietz says, "The Rapps are perfect role models for young swimmers. I can point them out as being people with the right approach and attitude towards swimming and never be afraid of being wrong.

"The family has stressed keeping swimming in perspective, and as a result all the Rapps have become the epitome of humility and modesty," Dietz adds.

Blessed with ideal swimming physiques--long, graceful limbs and large feet and hands--as well as a healthy dose of raw talent, the Rapps took rather naturally to the water at an early age and quickly met with successes.

"Jenny was the first one to start swimming at West Point when she was seven--she always could cream me," Betsy recalls. "I remember someone taught her butterfly in warm-up and then she won the race. She also broke the PVAAU age-group for 100-fly the first time she swam it."

From West Point, the Rapps moved to Virginia where they joined Starlit--a tedious 40-minute commute. Betsy began to train seriously with the A1 group at 11 while Jenny--hampered by her thinness--often had to sit out on deck shivering between sets, wrapped in three large towels.

Betsy was the first to take flight into stardom, making her first Nationals in 1975 in the 100 fly. By the next summer she had dropped enough time to take 8th place in the same event, and then she went on to cop fourth place in the 200-meter fly a month later at the Olympic Trials.

"I was stunned that I had done so well," Betsy remembers. "I was only 15 and everything was going so fast."

She continued to improve, garnering spots on United States squads to places like France, Argentina, and in 1978, to the World Games in Berlin--the same year that Jenny made her first Nationals.

Commenting on her own swimming ascension. Jenny says, "We always thought that there was something wrong with us if we didn't make Nationals because you'd see your sister make it, and then just automatically assume you would too."

At first excelling in the 100-fly, Jenny gradually branched out into the 200- and 400-IMs. and now she prefers backstroke to the other four strokes. "I guess I just change strokes whenever I hit a plateau," she laughs.

Alan Caldwell, Starlit's present head coach, and Dietz both single Jenny out as being the most intense sister, and the one who hates to lose the most. "Her dedication is incredible--of all the men and women on our senior team, Jenny ranks in the top four in attendance," Caldwell says.

"Let me give an example of how tough Jenny is," Dietz says. "Last summer when Susan made the Olympic team and Betsy went to Hawaii. Jenny swam well but didn't make any trips. As a result, she came back this winter, redoubled her efforts, and went the fastest she's ever gone in the IM's (2:04, 4:20) at the Longhorn meet in January."

Dietz of course, is elated that his prodigy will be joining other stellar incoming freshman like Marybeth Linzmeier and Stephanie Elkins at Stanford next year, and he hopes that this new blood will help propel the Cardinals past the Texas Longhorns next year in the AIAW Championships. Hurt by the mid-season retirement of backstroke queen Linda Jezek, and the physical ailments of Janet Buchan, the Stanford aquawomen just missed regaining their national title in Columbia. South Carolina last month.

"Although the family ties were strong and she wanted to join Betsy at Florida. Jenny finally decided that Stanford offers more support for her engineering ambitions," Dietz says.

As for Susan, incredible is the only word that can be used to describe her swimming performances. Betsy recalls being "blown away" when Susan made her first Nationals two years ago.

"Susan decided she wanted to make Nationals so she put the times she wanted to do by her bed so she could look at them before she went to sleep. We all just thought it was so cute, and we patted her on the head and said. 'That's nice, Susie,'" Betsy recalls.

But make it Susan did, much to she astonishment of her family and teammates. She has since gone to earn spots on the Holland/France. Hawaii and Utah trips, and her times of 1:12.93 and 2:35.08 in the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes at Irvine last summer rank her 20th and 12th in the world, respectively.

Dietz still gets excited when he remembers Susan's come-from-behind finish in the 200 at Irvine. "I think Susan probably had the fastest last 50 in the history of 200 breaststroke," Dietz says. "She was swimming so fast that she made the other girls look like they were standing still. If that race had been a foot longer. Susan would've won."

Dietz also thinks the Olympic boycott hurt an athlete like Susan the most: "Considering how much she came on last year, it's not inconceivable that she could've taken it all at Moscow," he speculates.

Despite her successes, Susan remains the most introverted and soft-spoken of the Rapps, as well as the most well-rounded away from the pool--she is an accomplished piccolo player and flautist. Susan, says one former teammate, is not obsessed with swimming the way some stars are.

"Susan works amazingly hard in workout, but when it's over she leaves swimming behind in the pool. She's not one to discuss splits, sets or times in the locker room," she adds.

It is this low-key, unpretentious approach to swimming, coupled with the all-important win or lose, parental support that has made the Rapps such standouts--both inside and out of the pool. Swimming is treated as just one facet of the family's life, and goal setting and goal achieving are viewed as two incidental lessons that will enrich later years.

"The nicest thing about the Rapps is that they have gotten as much out of swimming as they have put into it." Dietz concludes, adding, "It is their positive attitude and their continual giving that make them such fine examples of what a sport like swimming can ultimately produce."Tim MorseBETSY RAPP