Steve Sheffield arrived at Caltech with a strong background in competitive swimming, but no experience in water polo. By the end of the water polo season his freshman year, he was contributing to the team as the first substitute. In the next seasons, he became a starter and was selected as Second Team All-SCIAC during his sophomore and junior years. In his senior year, Steve was a unanimous selection for First Team All-SCIAC and NAIA D3 honors.
Steve scored 133 goals over his career, during the era prior to the introduction of the ball possession clock. He produced 80 goals in his final season, accounting for 70% of the team's total goals. During his senior year, he was awarded the Coaches Cup as Caltech's Most Valuable Water Polo Player, named Caltech's Most Outstanding Athlete in 1972, and nominated for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
In his freshman year on the swim team, Steve competed in the 500- and 1000-yard freestyles, as well as the 200-yard butterfly in each of the dual meets. He set school records in each of these events and also in the 100-yard butterfly. Additionally, he swam on three record-setting relays: the 400-yard medley relay, and the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays. All but one of these records from 1969 remained unbroken through the 1970’s, with one relay record holding up for over 30 years.
After graduating from Caltech, Steve continued with graduate school, first at Harvard and then earning his PhD at Caltech. He continued to play water polo on club teams in Cambridge and Pasadena during his years in graduate school.
