Article about Jacquelyn and Morganne in the Times Herald Record

By Ken Mcmillan Posted: August 06, 2009 - 2:00 AM POUGHKEEPSIE — Jackie Klein and her sister Morganne have shared a lot over the years, and it's no wonder they have developed similar work ethics and swimming styles. Though four years apart in age, the Kleins, of Campbell Hall, have competed for the same high school and club teams over the course of their careers, and even in the same medley relay events, Jackie diving in for the butterfly portion just as Morganne touches the wall on her breaststroke leg. It's been a rewarding experience for both, but time marches on and all good things must come to an end. Jackie is headed into her final season at Rutgers, and she doesn't expect to be competing much beyond the end of her senior year. Morganne will be a senior at Washingtonville High School and is looking forward to her shot at the college life, perhaps at MIT or RPI. So this weekend's USA Swimming Eastern Section championships in Buffalo will be one of the final times the sisters will be able to compete together as members of the Marist Swim Club. The bond as teammates is strong, but the bond as family is forever. "I know her better and I know her swimming better and I know what she reacts to better than a lot of my friends,'' Jackie said. "We have that different level of communication. She can tell me certain things and I get it, where other people might not understand.'' There was never a sense of rivalry because Jackie was always older and bigger and Morganne excelled in events different from her sister. "She can beat me in the breaststroke now,'' Jackie said with little resignation. "That's OK, since that's my worst stroke.'' Having lived and trained together for so many years, it's no wonder the Kleins are near replicas. "They are formed out of the same mold, almost identical, although they don't look alike,'' said club coach Larry Van Wagner. "Their approaches to training and competition are extremely identical.'' Van Wagner said the sisters aren't physically blessed with long, lean bodies, but they make up for any shortcomings with a determination and tenacity second to none. "We motivate each other,'' Morganne said. "We work really hard at what we do. Since we swam on the same club teams growing up, we developed the same habits. Plus, I want to work hard to be just as good as her.'' In a sense, Jackie has always been Morganne's touchstone. "There have been some practices where I didn't want to go, except she was swimming in the lane next to me, so if she's in the pool I have to keep on going,'' Morganne said. "When she won states, that instantly became my goal.'' Both have their goals established for the following year. Jackie wants to attain the Rutgers record in the 200 butterfly and score points at the Big East championships. Morganne wants to lead her Washingtonville team to a Section 9 title and medal in the 100 breaststroke at states. The future is exciting for the sisters, but age will play a role soon enough. Jackie finds retirement hard to face, and Morganne said it probably won't hit her until next summer when her sister is not around. "It's hard to talk about, my last year of swimming after doing it for so many years,'' Jackie said. "I know she's going to miss me in the pool and I am going to miss swimming with her a lot. Going into this last year, I want to be able to enjoy it, have a good time, set a good example for her to follow the next four years.'' kmcmillan@th-record.com