77 swimmers cross Polson Bay during 11th Annual Water Daze event
Berl Tiskus
Swimmers churn up the water as the 11th annual Water Daze race begins. A breeze from the north made the water choppy, and that chop slowed down times.
Berl Tiskus
Three racers test the waters a few minutes befor the one-mile Water Daze swim begins.
Berl Tiskus
Water Daze
Berl Tiskus
Water Daze
Berl Tiskus
Water Daze
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POLSON — With Flathead Lake water temperature in the lower 70s, many Water Daze swimmers opted for a wetsuit, but not Kathy Guinn.
Guinn, from Idaho, swims without a wetsuit and enjoys the cool water. She grew up in northern California, used to colder water, but her cut-off temperature is 60 degrees. If it’s colder than that, she doesn’t swim.
Guinn’s not against wetsuits, though.
“Whatever it takes to make it safe and comfortable out there,” she explained, adding that wetsuits do give a swimmer buoyancy.
Polson area resident Mike Windauer wasn’t worrying about buoyancy. He just hoped he could keep up with his three boys, also swimming the one-mile race from Salish Point to Boettcher Park on Aug. 3.
His sons are training for the Polson Triathalon, Windauer said.
A breeze from the north made the water choppy. Windauer explained that swimmers get a rhythm going and when they come up for air, if they catch a wave in the face, it destroys their rhythm.
Swimmer and Mission Valley Aquatic Project Director Tana Seeley said, “There were a lot of waves and a lot of chop.”
If the race had started about an hour earlier, Seeley said the water was calmer then. The choppy water resulted in slower times, she said, adding that most of the swimmers were swallowing some water from waves in their face.
A bright spot, according to Ali Bronsdon, MVA Aquatic Director, was participation in the kids’ race, probably because of the MVA swim team program. Nine older children participated in the 100-yard swim, and eight younger children swam in the 50-yard swim.
Results for the 11th Annual Water Daze race were:
Overall male, David Novinski, 26.16
Overall female, Ali Bronsdon, 29.47
Women 12 to 19
Audrey Fero, 36.13
Abigail Lake, 41.30
Jamie Young, 46.10
Men 12 to 19
Jacob Butler, 27.30
Ryan Windauer, 33.18
Nick Windauer, 35.41
Jake Windauer, 40.36
Josh Lake, 42.41
Landon Shipley, 54.40
Women 20 to 29
Kyle Watson, 30.35
Kate Sheridan, 37.32
Erika Olson, 50.50
Britta Shirtliff, 1:31:40
Men 20-29
Jack Lee, 1:22.50
Women 30 to 39
Emily Von Jentzen, 31.25
Tana Seeley, 34.29
Deanna McElwee, 34.54
Jenni Braon, 36.16
Annie Barber, 38.38
Cooke Thompson, 45.31
Dani Pallister, 52.16
Men 30-39
Luke Johnson, 26.33
Tim Radle, 27.02
Elliot Bassett, 31.17
Chad Fero, 36.12
Chad Bishop, 38.53
Shep Carlson, 40.03
Ben Kohls-Chase, 45.41
Women 40-49
Michelle Botner, 29.59
Carole Novinski, 35.27
Debbie Pleegar, 39.14
Anna Marie Leafty, 41.33
Marcella Sandry, 46.15
Kelly Gangemi, 46.38
Jenn Shipley, 55.24
Men 40-49
Matt Seeley, 26.31
Simone Muses, 30.35
Jandy Cox 31.30
Brian Goins, 34.52
Jay Sampson, 37.02
Mike Windauer, 37.37
Mark Sandry, 37.58
Mitch Young, 41.02
Pat Lake, 42.14
Mike Sherman, 52.01
Daniel Bidegaray, 1:06.23
Women 50-59
Kathy Guinn, 31.33
Deborah Mallams, 34.40
Bea Hopp, 36.48
Bonnie Doorfler, 56.18
Viktra Bumgarner, 57.56
Ellen Parchen, 1:05.52
Sue Meng, 1:38.05
Men 50-59
Mark Johnston, 28.27
Steve Pleasants, 31.03
Ken Griffith, 36.55
Tom Ernst, 41.16
Jose de Soaza, 41.31
Tim Olson, 46.41
Allen Legreid, 50.
Bill Starkey 52.53
Women 60+
Patti Waterman, 36.22
Linda Morgan, 46.30
Cheryl Ward, 48.21
Wanda Walker,54.23
Lori Gregory, 59.43
Men 60+
Dale Wisley, 30.10
Gayle Phillips, 36.58
Nick Russin, 59.03
Vince Meng, 1:09:31
