Change Your Latitude – 57° North Open Water Challenge
2014 Results
Men’s 10K – Patrick Williams 2:26.53, Ryan Robertson 2:46.54, Scott Watts 2:49:00, Daryl Johnson 3:36:45
Women’s 10K – Hannah Williams 2:53:46, Cynthia Werhane 2:58:46, Trehpina Galloway 3:41:55
Men’s 6K– Chris Calvin 1:36:36, David Moore 1:56:40, Dean Orbison 1:59:44, Peter Weiland 2:07:26
Women’s 6K – Lauren Langford 1:52:53, Ruth Carter 2:04:55, Sondra Winters 2:12:51, Arianne Morrison 2:58:03
Men’s 3K– Kevin Solarte 50:30, Grant Turner 51:04, Kevin Knox 53:48, Reid Brewer 1:01:39, Robert Foley 1:03:32, Owen Wagenhals 1:05:44, Paul DeAngelis, 1:07:44, Brian Hulsey 1:23:33
Women’s 3K– McLane Ritzel 54:03, Allison Sartori 1:16:16, Patricia Shaler 1:39:05
Under 18 – Men’s 1K– Makai Saline 9:14, Jack Weaver 9:48, Kobi Weiland 11:05, Matthew Rice 18:35
Under 18 – Women’s 1K – Skylar Moore 8:13,
18 and over Men’s 1K – Jose Guzman 9:58
18 and over Women’s 1K – Megan Wiedel 11:07, Nancy Knapp 13:33, Lauren Wild 14:55, Kim Rice 18:35
The 2014 Change Your Latitude – 57° North Open Water Challenge celebrated its 5th year with a record 36 swimmers participating this past weekend. With swimmers ranging in age from 9 to 64 and hometowns of Portland, Seattle, Bellingham, Atlanta, Scottsdale, Larkspur, Sisters, Anchorage, Juneau, Delta Junction, San Francisco, Craig, and Sitka.
This year’s course featured four distances including 1k, 3k, 6k and 10k races with entries in every race distance there was plenty excitement for both swimmers and spectators alike. Patrick Williams of Sitka was the top finisher in the 10k distance with his sister Hannah Williams of Talladega, Alabama first in the women’s 10k. Hannah was originally only going to swim the 3k, it only being her 2nd time swimming in the open ocean, but sibling pressure got the best of her in the end and she made the change to the 10k at the last minute.
The 6k and 3k distances were new to the course this year. In the 6k race Kris Calvin topped the field with the men’s most senior participant, Dave Moore of Sitka in 2nd. Lauren Langford of Anchorage finished 1st in the women’s 6k.
The men’s 3k category was the race’s most populous entry with 8 swimmers rounding the course. Kevin Solarte of Seattle completed the course in 50 minutes 30 seconds with Grant Turner of Sitka chasing him less than a minute behind. The women’s race was won by Coloradan McLane Ritzel, an intern with the Sitka Local Foods Network. The 3k race also included the oldest woman participant, Patricia Shaler of Scottsdale who said she loved her time in Sitka Sound and is bringing friends back next year. There was one lone “naked” swimmer competing this year without a wetsuit. Paul DeAngelis of San Francisco completed the swim remarking that the temp here sometimes felt warmer than his home swims in the Bay Area.
The 1k race, one of the most exciting and inspirational, included several youth from the Baranof Barracuda Swim Club including Matthew Rice, the youngest swimmer at 9 years old, to ever swim the Change Your Latitude course. Skylar Moore shattered the course record for the 1k swim by over 4 minutes with a time of 8 minutes 13 seconds. Makai Saline placed 1st just 1 minute behind Skylar with Kobi Weiland in 2nd for the men’s 18 and under.
The 1k 18 and over group navigated the course with first time racer Megan Wiedel finishing in 11 minutes and Jose Guzman of Seattle finished in 9 minutes 58 seconds.
