Cross country identical twins start final year at Cheraw

CHERAW -- The Cheraw High School cross country team starts its 2011 season this week, hosting Chesterfield and McBee highs on Sept. 6 and then heading to Columbia four days later for the Coaches Classic.

For two brothers, this season marks the final year in what has been a unique and, at times, confusing couple of seasons for the cross county Braves.

Seth and Joel Keefe have been competing together as members of the Cheraw cross country team since they were sophomores. The brothers are identical twins.

A third Keefe, Zach, has the same birthday as his two brothers, but plays baseball for the school. That's fine with Cheraw cross country coach Jack Van Deman, who admits that he still has moments when itʼs tough to separate Seth from Joel.

"Sometimes I have to take a close look at them," Van Deman said.

Van Deman said he has been coaching Seth since the eighth grade. Joel joined his brother when the two were sophomores.

"Coach wanted me to try out for cross country, so...