Janet McDonough was hoping to make a splash during her first National Senior Games appearance. Instead, she managed to cause a tidal wave.

The Cranberry Township resident competed in six swimming events from July 20-22 in Cleveland, earning gold in four races.

Her titles came in the 100-yard individual medley (one minute, 9.02 seconds), the 200 IM (2:31.06), 50 backstroke (32.25) and 100 backstroke (1:08.45). She now owns the NSG record for her age division (women’s 55-59) in all four events.

“It was nice being recognized on the podium,” said McDonough, who is 54, but competed in the 55-59 age division because her birthday falls between now and the end of the year. “I’m not used to swimming in front of so many people. When we came out just before the events and during the medal ceremony, there was this huge roar from the crowd. How many people my age get that?

“Cleveland was a great host.”

An indication of the caliber of competition came in the fact that McDonough actually bettered the previous record in two other events — 50 freestyle (27.8) and 200 backstroke (2:31.74), but settled for second.

“It’s very competitive at these games,” she said. “You know going in that you are going up against a bigger pool of very competitive swimmers.”

McDonough has swam for the Cranberry Wave Master Swim Team for the last five years. She and two of her teammates — Mary Anne Savage and Dale Wagner — all qualified for this summer’s senior games by finishing in the top three in the state in their respective events last summer in Hershey. Her times from that event had McDonough seeded first in five of her six events in Cleveland.

Wagner, 57, of Harmony, also brought home a pair of gold medals in the 50 and 100 freestyles with times of 24.97 and 55.52, respectively.

His participation was in doubt until shortly before the senior games started.

“On May 13, I was involved in an accident while riding my bicycle,” he said. “I broke three ribs, tore some muscles in my chest and sprained my wrist. I missed a month of working out. I started training again in mid-June, but was thinking about not going to the games. My wife, Lynn, said, ‘Just go up there and swim.’

“My expectations were a question mark,” he added, “but I think I did pretty well.”

In preparation for this summer’s event, McDonough practiced at either the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA or North Boundary Park for 75 minutes at a time, four days every week. She was often in the pool by 5:45 a.m., getting her laps in before going to work. She also lifted weights and increased her endurance on a stationary bike. Savage was almost always training by her side and Wagner often joined in as well.

For McDonough, all the work was worthwhile.

“When you are in the water, it doesn’t matter how old you are,” she said. “There’s somebody in the water who you are chasing and somebody who’s chasing you. A lot of the people involved with the Wave helped me train.”

McDonough believes she was in the right place at the right time in regards to her swimming career.

“Title IX came along just as I was entering high school,” she said. “I swam at Gateway High School and graduated in 1976, earned a scholarship and swam the backstroke and IM events for four years at West Virginia University.

“I still have the drive to do my best and to win.”

McDonough has made a lot of friends through her association with the Wave. It has been a rewarding experience from both a physical fitness and emotional standpoint.

“Swimming is a sport for life,” said McDonough. “Once you learn, it’s like riding a bike, you never forget.

“I don’t know how long I will actually be competing, but I can’t see a time when I’m not at all involved in swimming.”