Ex-Patriot Macguire ‘Showtime’ McDuff having success with Gators
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- From its origins with the Parkersburg South swim program, the individual known as “Showtime” is alive and kicking among the elite in his sport at the collegiate level.
Macguire McDuff, who competed for Parkersburg South High School during his freshman, sophomore and majority of his junior season, and has his name littered among the Patriot record books, recently completed his second season at the University of Florida as a three-time All-American at the NCAA Swimming and Division Championships in Minneapolis.
McDuff anchored two winning relays (200 free relay and 400 medley relay) which broke NCAA records. His third All-American honor occurred on Day 1 of the meet when he brought home the 800 free relay to a fifth-place finish.
"It was unbelievable to do all that stuff," McDuff said through a Zoom meeting last week. "The atmosphere is next level. That's the biggest stage I've been a part of for swimming. It's one of the biggest meets you can go to. It gets really, really loud. It's so cool.
"The guys on our 200 free relay really wanted the NCAA record just because it's an historic record."
As current South coach Ryan Radcliff can attest, McDuff remains as humble and personable as the day he first walked into the pool facility at the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg. During McDuff's high school career, South assistant coach Don Bailey bestowed upon him the “Showtime” moniker because of his ability to turn his jets onto another level when the lights turned on.
Despite the great distance between West Virginia and Florida, “Showtime” remains intact among his college teammates.
"The training here is so different," said McDuff, who moved to Florida for his senior year of high school. His father lost his job due to COVID and wanted to remain in the Mid-Ohio Valley, but when no employment could be found the family made the move for the Sunshine State.
"From my junior year to my senior year, in practice I was pretty terrible. Pretty awful," McDuff said. "Everybody would make fun of me. But at meets, I would really show out, so that's where 'Showtime' just kind of stuck."
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McDuff's swimming achievements, both in the Southeastern Conference and on the national scene, may not have ever materialized if not for several heart-to-heart discussions with his head coach during his freshman year at South. Radcliff remembers McDuff saying he felt burnt out.
"That's totally true," McDuff said. "There were a lot of factors in that. Yes, I did swim a lot as a kid and I was fairly successful, but I didn't think it could continue to college. I pride myself on working hard on my academics. I thought I was wasting my time with swimming.
"I figure I could stay in shape and lift weights, but I don't need to swim. I don't need to compete. I just kept losing. I was done and there was no point in continuing."
That same season, McDuff qualified for the 'A' Finals at the West Virginia High School State Meet. Through the encouragement of Radcliff, McDuff stayed in the pool and turned in two first-place finishes in his individual events as a sophomore. He had turned the corner and the rest is history.
"Ryan knows so much about the sport and I didn't have someone like that except him," McDuff said. "He was always telling me about the plan and getting me to this level. He always knew where I could go and where I could end up. He would reassure me and share that plan.
"He has always been super supportive. I have so much love for him, and it's all worked out in the end."
McDuff's family lives in Jacksonville, Fla., but if anyone asks where he is the reply is always an affirmative “Parkersburg, West Virginia." He has never forgotten his roots.
Last summer, he made a guest appearance during South camp and interacted with current members of the South swim team. Memories of McDuff as a high school swimmer resonates with Radcliff and his kids. The legacy McDuff left can be linked to what the team has accomplished as of late -- two straight boys state titles.
"During his time with us, Macguire had a massive impact --to this day, I give a lot of credit to him for our success we have now," Radcliff said. "Basically, Macguire has his name all over our record board. All the kids still kind of know him and look up to him. He has shown that a kid from Parkersburg, West Virginia can do this, and our kids have grasped onto that.
"It doesn't surprise me what he is doing now. All along we knew that his talent level is extremely high. We had to have several conversations. We told him he could be really good, that this was his thing. He loved it when he started winning. From freshman to sophomore year is when he really turned to that next level."
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McDuff planned on graduating from Parkersburg South. Even when he hit a snag with his eligibility for the state meet during his junior year, he remained enrolled at the school.
That same season, the South program felt they followed correct protocol when McDuff wanted to compete in an event in Pittsburgh. The WVSSAC was informed and South was given the green light. McDuff's eligibility would not be compromised.
As the postseason arrived, McDuff's eligibility was taken away. He would not be able to compete at regionals and the state meet. An appeal was filed and McDuff competed in the regional meet.
Prior to the state meet, the appeal was denied.
"I obviously wanted to stay in Parkersburg, keep training with Ryan, stay at South and graduate," McDuff said. "With COVID, my dad had to find a new job. It just all happened to work out the way it did.
"I consider myself a West Virginia swimmer. It brings me a lot of pride to be from Parkersburg, and to be at this level with all these other elite athletes."
Those who know McDuff say he has the same demeanor even though several years have passed. One publication described him as 'naturally funny and warm-hearted." Excluded from the article was his major growth sport. He now stands 6-foot-6, maybe 6-foot-7 - depending on who you talk to.
"I was pretty short my freshman year in high school," McDuff said. "My sophomore year, I grew a lot to about 6-3. I wasn't very heavy, maybe 170 pounds. I thought I was done. I was happy with 6-3.
"My senior year in high school I grew another three inches and put on a lot of weight. I was like, 'Whoa! I can do something with this.'"
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McDuff stays in constant contact with people in the Mid-Ohio Valley. After he returned from Minneapolis, he took a week away from the sport and gave himself time to chill and catch up on academics. He majors in computer science and is impressed by the help and support provided by tutors and advisors on campus.
"If I wasn't doing well, it's on me," McDuff said.
Once his week away from competitive swimming was over, he returned to his training both in the pool and with the weights. His goal this summer is to qualify for a United States National Team. He also slipped in the fact that U.S. Olympic Time Trials are a year away.
Where Macguire McDuff sits at this moment of his swimming career may have seemed like a pipe dream if that certain someone had not stepped in and made it look real.
"Freshman year crosses my mind, absolutely," McDuff said. "If Ryan hadn't done that, I don't know where I would be in life. It's so crazy to think such little decisions have such huge impacts."
Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com