Chesapeake Bay Swim
This year's Chesapeake Bay Swim took place on a bright, sunny day with 70 degree water, although with changing currents, it seemed like patches of water were 60 and adjacent patches were 80! Of the 559 starters, 538 finished the race with 76-year-old Jean Ludtke of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts rounding out the finishers in 4:15:19.
Sean Brennan, 26, from Forked River, New Jersey was the winner in 1:26:42, eight minutes ahead of the runner-up, 1998 winner Matt Leimkuhler, 28, of Odenton, Maryland. Russell Kominiski (Fairfax Masters) was the first Potomac Valley finisher for the second year in a row, finishing fifth in 1:38:50.
The female winner, Susie Rabiah, 33, from Shaker Heights, Ohio finished in 1:40:43. The second place finisher, 16-year old Patty Murphy, Medford, New Jersey, led a tightly bunched group of five women to the finish in 1:41:22, just beating out Team Gold's Laura Borgelt, 28, who finished in 1:41:28.
DCRP's Paul Fetters, 46, was the fastest male master in 1:42.35. The first female master was Maureen Rohrs, 44, of Severna Park, Maryland in 1:57:08. DC Master Rose Rice, 26, was the non-wetsuit female winner, placing eleventh in 1:45:01.
One of the most arduous tales of the day came from Ancient Mariner Patricia Clifford in her first Bay Swim. While trying to fix her cap after coming out from under the bridge her goggles sling shotted away and her cap disappeared. She finished without losing her contacts, but at the finish stepped on a piece of wood which took a sharp turn inside her foot. After spending over an hour in the ambulance with the EMTs, she emerged with her foot wrapped and ready to go for next year.
Patriot Masters' Robbie Allen, 34, and DCAC's Rachel Frentsos, 29, in 22:24, won the 1-Mile Bay Challenge.
The time line schedule and procedures for the 2001 Bay Swim, which have changed, can be found at
http://www.bayswim.com/index.html. Pictures of this year's race also are on that site.
Click here for pictures taken DURING the swim by Cheryl Wagner. Next Picture.
4.4 Mile Top Finishers Potomac Valley Swimmers Only Top Three Women 3 Laura Borgelt 1:41:28 Top Masters Man
1
Paul Fetters 1:42:35Men 20-24 3 Philippe Kozub 1:55:52 Women 20-24 3 Allison Thomson 1:54:41 Men 25-29 1 Russell Kominski 1:38:50 4 Martin Fayer 1:39:42 5 Matthew Huggler 1:40:07 Women 25-29 2 Rose Rice 1:45:01 4 Cinco Calfe 1:52:05 Men 30-34 1 Stephan Rodiger 1:39:33 Women 30-34 2 Jane West 1:44:22 5 Kirsten Fehrenkamp 1:52:00 Men 35-39 1 Stephen Bauman 1:39:47 2 Bill Young 1:39:59 Women 35-39 3 Penny Bates 1:49:58 4 Maureen Craigin 1:50:14 Men 40-44 1 Bob Astheimer 1:44:10 4 Peter Engelstad 1:56:25 Women 45-49 3 Susan Megaw 2:18:46 4 Cheryl Wagner 2:22:03 Men 50-54 1 Robert Lazzaro 2:02:35 Women 50-54 1 Ann Lyttle 2:10:57 4 Myriam Pero 2:36:18 Men 55-59 1 Willis Braswell 1:51:38 5 Kenneth Weinberg 2:23:37 Women 55-59 1 Karen Hannam 3:59:58 Men 60-64 1 Terry Smith 2:24:57 2 Gordon Gerson 2:32:31 3 Harold Simmons 2:39:57 Men 65-69 4 Robert Benson 2:42:27 1-Mile Top Finishers Potomac Valley Swimmers Only Top Man 1 Robbie Allen 19:47 Top Woman 1 Rachel Frentsos 22:24 Men 30 39 2 Matthew Fetters 22:54 Women 40-49 4 Cathy Lauenstein 32:33 Women 50-59 2 Ellyn Vail 35:12 Women 60-64
2 Marge Stahl 49:22
More pictures: Meredith Gardner Susan Chamberlin and Mary Ellen Mess
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