Poway’s Sibling Revelry : Swimming: It seems as if everybody’s brother--or sister--gets with the program.

Two years ago, a confused referee approached Poway High swimmer Inga Keithly with an interesting accusation.

Swimmers were allowed to compete in three events and he became confused when he saw that “Keithly” had won five events.

“He told me that he had seen the Keithly name a lot and wondered if I was trying to swim more events than I was allowed,” Inga said. “He thought I was swimming six events.”

No, she told the referee. That was only Inga and her twin Ericka, doing what they had done since they became club swimmers at 6, surpassing the competition.

It’s not unusual for brothers and sisters to be on the same team, but for Poway, which has seven sets of siblings, it is almost a tradition.

This year’s roll call:

* The Keithly twins, who are seniors;

* The Stevens, senior Ted and sophomore Tim;

* The Giulianottis, senior Marc and sophomore twins James and John;

* The Brennans, junior Robyn and freshman Casey;

* The Hoovers, senior Denise and sophomore Wendy, who is on the junior varsity;

* The Burrows, junior Tracy and freshman Charlie, a JV member;

* The Roberts, junior Chris and freshman Brian, both JV team members.

There usually are between 120 and 140 swimmers, many siblings of former Titans, trying out for Poway’s team. The boys’ team is the two-time defending San Diego Section champion, and the girls’ team has won the title three of the last four years.

“If one brother or sister is successful, it draws in other brothers and sisters,” Poway Coach Dennis Moore said. “It keeps feeding the program.”

Inga and Ericka Keithly succeed brother Roger, 23, a swimmer, and sister, Kirsten, 22, a diver. Ted and Tim Stevens have sister Amy, a seventh-grader, who eventually will swim for the Titans.

A sibling on the same team acts as a second conscience, a motivator, a competitor.

“A lot of how kids handle competition depends on their family and upbringing,” Moore said. “If one handles pressure and competition well, the other will also.”

There have been times when one of the Keithlys, who have been swimming for 11 years, has wanted a change.

Four years ago as a member of the Upper swim team, Ericka wanted to quit. She was tired of the routine.

But Inga convinced Ericka that maybe a change in teams would help. At Inga’s suggestion they joined Blufins, another club team in Poway, and have been members since.

“She really supports me when I feel like I don’t want to swim,” Ericka said. “It works vice versa. The days you don’t want to swim or aren’t motivated she’ll say encouraging words to make you swim. We usually we motivate each other.”

Inga says there are times when both sisters aren’t in the mood to practice.

“It’s a disadvantage if both of you don’t want to go,” Inga said. “(A sister) is either bringing you up or pulling you down.”

Competing against each other causes problems for some, but it encourages others. The Keithlys shy away from direct competition, yet the Stevens thrive on it. And the Giulianottis are unaffected by it.

“We don’t like to compete because it causes tension between us,” Inga said. “It’s easier to swim different strokes. When people hear that we both swim, they ask, ‘Which one of you is better?’ We can say we swim different strokes and that we’re both good. And after we swim can both congratulate each other.”

Two weeks ago, however, they did compete in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Spectators probably rubbed their eyes and thought they were seeing double because although Ericka and Inga were two lanes from apart, their strokes were identical.

“It was quite a race,” Moore said. “It was so odd, they were exactly in sync all the way until the end of the race, when Ericka out-touched Inga.”

Inga, whose specialties are breaststroke and freestyle, wasn’t pleased with her sister’s victory.

“Inga was so mad,” Ericka said. “She got out of the pool and said to me, ‘Stick to backstroke’ ”.

Added Inga: “After she won, she was jumping around cheering herself on. I don’t really care if Ericka won. I still had my mom say ‘Inga’s better.’ ”

If they’re not competing in the 200 and 500 freestyle, Ted and Tim Stevens push each other in practice. They train solely with one another.

“They’re two of the hardest workers in practice, “ Moore said. “They’re always competing against each other in practice,” Moore said. “They’re both excellent distance freestylers.

Ted is usually the faster of the two, but a few months ago he was going through a slump and Tim was claiming the victories. However, Tim didn’t gloat, instead, he felt bad.

“I don’t think about being his brother in a meet,” Tim said. “I try to make it like that as much as I can. But I felt bad when I beat him. I didn’t want to talk to him.”

The Giulianotti twins, sophomores John and James, aren’t as competitive as their mother, Chris, wishes they were. When they were younger, the twins and older brother Marc were much more competitive, but that has fizzled.

“I wish they were (competitive),” Chris said. “The worst thing is in a meet when they’re all in a lane side by side and they don’t try to beat each other.”

The twins say they do make occasional wagers.

“Before (high school), we used to be more competitive,” James said. “Mom used to give us stuff if we beat each other.”

Now the three are more competitive in the classroom than in the pool.

“Marc always says to the twins, ‘You may beat me in swimming, but you’ll never beat me in school,’ ” Chris said.

Swimming for the same college team could prove financially beneficial for the Keithlys. Ericka and Inga’s father, Roger, says college coaches are offering more in scholarship aid if both sisters attend the same school.

“It’s like a two-for-one special,” Inga said.

Ted Stevens will swim for Princeton. Princeton doesn’t offer full scholarships, but Stevens will receive some financial aid.

Tim already is concerned about next season, when he no longer will have his older brother to push him. He looks to Ted as a role model, “someone to look up to and beat and to rise up to his abilities,” he said.

“They help each other,” said their father, Ted Sr. “Tim kind of knows that since he’s younger, he should be slower. One time Ted wasn’t swimming so well and Ted swam faster. Tim felt bad about it. The younger one knows his place.”

By the time Tim is a senior, Amy will be making her way into the Poway ranks. And the although they won’t race in meets, don’t be surprised to see one Stevens pushing another in practice.