Keegan McKenney, a 22-year-old former star swimmer at Cape Elizabeth High School, died in a car crash in Charlotte, North Carolina, early Sunday morning.

McKenney was a passenger in a BMW that ran off the road and collided with a tree, according to a news release by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The other passengers were transported to the hospital. 

The police are looking into whether impairment or speed were factors in the case.

McKenney was a senior at Queens University in Charlotte and a member of the swim team, specializing in the individual medley and butterfly.

He was a “cherished teammate, friend and member of the Queens family whose impact will never be forgotten” his teammates said in a Facebook post.

McKenney was one of the most talented swimmers to ever compete for Cape Elizabeth High School, according to coach Ben Raymond. 

He held school records in the 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and in relays. At his senior year state meet in 2022, he was named Performer of the Meet, breaking a meet record, helping Cape Elizabeth win the state title for the first time since 2015 and beating a school record that had been held since 1983.

He was named the Varsity Maine Male Swimmer of the Year in 2022, and was also on the USA Swimming Scholastic All-America Team. 

“He inspired those around him through consistent effort, commitment and dedication but allowed himself to enjoy time in the pool and on deck with his friends and teammates,” Raymond said.

McKenney convinced many friends and classmates to join the Cape swim team, and he was a role model for younger swimmers, like his brother Cormac. 

He was very charismatic, according to Todd Larlee, McKenney’s club swimming coach for a couple of years. McKenney swam with Coastal Maine Aquatics, now Bluefish Swim Club, for a few years. One of his teammates commented on an Instagram post that he was “a true leader and even better teammate.”

“We didn’t have a captain on the club team, but he had a captain-like role,” Larlee said. 

McKenney led by example, and was quick to motivate his teammates with a joke. “People loved being around him at the pool,” Larlee said. 

McKenney loved any opportunity to get in the water. He loved to surf, no matter the season. 

He also had a strong work ethic. When McKenney was home during the summer and competing for his club team, he’d hit the pool at 5:30 a.m. to get a 90-minute swim in before going to work as a lifeguard in Prouts Neck, Larlee said.