Kananowicz conquers Long Bridge again
—Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER A swimmer makes their way out of the water just ahead of a pair of swimmers approaching Dog Beach at the north end of the Long Bridge Swim course across Lake Pend Oreille. More than 700 people competed in the Saturday swim in Sandpoint.
—Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER Swimmers take off from the south side of Lake Pend Oreille as the Long Bridge Swim gets under way in Sagle. About 722 swimmers took part in the 22nd annual 1.76-mile swim across the lake.
SANDPOINT — While Hayden’s Bryce Kananowicz won Saturday’s Long Bridge Swim, he really had hoped to be in Rio swimming for Canada’s Olympic team instead.
Kananowicz just missed out on making the team and decided to once again set his targets on winning the Long Bridge Swim. The University of South Carolina sophomore, who won the event as a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old, returned to claim top honors again. While hoping for a course record, Kananowicz finished at just over 34 minutes, 50 seconds — about a minute and a half off the record.
The record is held by John Weston of Florence, Mont., who finished the 1.76-mile swim in 33 minutes, 19 seconds. Weston, like Kananowicz also competed in the Olympic trials “way back in the day,” and swam for the University of Washington swim team, race founder Eric Ridgway said.
The oldest swimmer competing in the 22nd annual Long Bridge Swim was Sister Madonna Buder, who at 86, is the oldest female to ever do the swim. The youngest swimmer was about 7 or 8 years old, Ridgway said.
Ridgway, along with Sandpoint High School teacher Wendy Auld, are the two remaining swimmers to have participated in every swim.
“There was 10 of us to start but we’ve dwindled, so now Wendy and I are the only ones who’ve swum it every year and she hangs in there. It’s been really fun.”
A total of 722 swimmers took part in the 2016 Long Bridge Swim, some who have competed for years and more than 100 first-time swimmers.
“I want to thank all the first-time swimmers who came out and also for all the people who weren’t sure you could make it but you came out to try anyway,” Ridgway said.
“I want swim to be encouraging for more beginning swimmers, first-time swimmers, not just the elite athletes. I’m thrilled to have the elite athletes but I’m even more thrilled to have the beginning swimmers.”
What makes the swim special are the average people for whom this is their Mount Everest, Ridgway said.
“I want swim to be encouraging for more beginning swimmers, first-time swimmers, not just the elite athletes,” he said. “I’m thrilled to have the elite athletes but I’m even more thrilled to have the beginning swimmers.”
1. Bryce Kananowicz, Hayden, 34:50.3; 2. Courtney Monsees, Coeur d’Alene, 37:12.3; 3. Ryan Driscoll, 37:36.6; 4. Trent Shino, Spokane, 38:02.4; 5. Emma Schanz, Colville, Wash., 38:32.9; 6. Bob Schlemmer, Seattle, 38:59.3; 7. Christopher Hartman, Rathdrum, 39:28.7; 8. Anna Vinnedge, Seattle, 39:37.4; 9. Marcus Gentry, Central Point, Ore., 39:49.0; 10. Tom Hickcox, Coeur d’Alene, 39:58.3; 11. Mathew Wintzer, Coeur d’Alene, 40:01.9; 12. Larry Krauser, Spokane, 40:02.7; 13. Rob Davis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 40:14.0; 14. Sakaiya McCoy, Medical Lake, Wash., 40:35.3; 15. Mikayla Davis, Spokane, 40:54.9; 16. Dylan Schanz, Colville, 41:05.6; 17. Kelly Sterling, Mercer Island, Wash., 41:23.5; 18. Ben Palmer, Avila Beach, Calif., 41:57.2; 19. Peter Neirinckx, Coeur d’Alene, 42:07.5; 20. Tim Burnham, Cashmere, Wash., 42:19.2.