Contest of contrasts
All ages swim lake
Linda Sappington
Swimmers of all ages prepare for the start of Saturday’s 14th annual Water Daze 1-mile swim across Polson Bay.
Linda Sappington
Swimmers start at Salish Point.
Linda Sappington
Andrea Schmidt of Missoula wins overall women’s class, 26:57.9.
Linda Sappington
A swimmer prepares goggles before the race.
Linda Sappington
Connie Plaissay watches from a kayak.
Linda Sappington
Ben Montgomery shares a laugh with race sponsorship coordinator Stacey Dunn after the swim.
Linda Sappington
Aja Simshaw finished third in the female 12-19-year old group with a time of 31:55.7.
Linda Sappington
The starting line and course as seen from Boettcher Park.
Linda Sappington
Kim Murchison finished second for the women's 50-59 age group with a swim of 39:53.0.
Linda Sappington
Matt Seeley heads in for the win.
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Swimmers listen to instruction prior to the start of Saturday's 1-mile Water Daze open-water swim.
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Linda Sappington
Matt Seeley and Landon Shipley catch their breath after finishing first and second respectively.
Linda Sappington
Dee Keese finished second in the women's 70-79 age group with a time of 44:53.1.
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Note Aug. 10, 2016: This story has been updated with additional information, plus overall and age-group results.
POLSON — Gregory Rempe, 22, didn’t finish first in Saturday’s 1-mile Water Daze swim event, but he did finish slightly before the first woman swimmer, and he swam faster than his twin sister and his grandmother. Rempe finished fourth overall with a time of 26:29.6.
“I haven’t swam for four years, so I am very happy,” Rempe said. The water in Flathead Lake “wasn’t too bad,” said twin sister Clara, a competitive collegiate swimmer. “It was a little wavy there at the end.”
The twin duo just graduated from college miles apart — Gregory in New York, with a major in history; Clara majored in creative writing in California. The family from New Mexico grew up spending summers with their grandmother on Flathead Lake, and have competed in Water Daze event many times, often winning their age group, according to Gregory.
Andrea Schmidt of Missoula, who competes with Northern Arizona University, finished first for the women. In her first open-water swim, Schmidt covered the mile in 26:57.9.
Local triathalon competitor Matt Seeley swam fastest overall with a time of 24:55.08, just six seconds ahead of Landon Shipley, 16, of Polson (25:01.7).
“They both did what they needed to do to get a chance to win,” said Lake Monsters Coach Randy Folker. “Landon hung with Matt as along as he possibly could before Matt stepped on the pedal.” Folker believes Landon will win next time. “One more year, young buck,” he said.
The entire Seeley family swam across the bay. At 10 years old and the youngest person to compete, Isabel Seeley refused to finish in last place. “There was a very interesting thing going on in the back of the pack,” Folker said. The oldest swimmer, 73-year-old Mark Gilbertson, and Isabel were eyeing each other. “He was behind her but strong; she wanted to stay in front. When they finished they both congratulated each other.”
Swimmer Joe Piedalue was bested by his own 14-year-old grandson, Dante Piedalue, for the second year in a row.
“I thought that I’d beat him,” Piedalue said with a grin. “I have a lot more experience at 66.”
Dante said he and Malia Seeley were having fun drafting off each other the whole way, staying neck and neck until the finish, but she pounced onto the dock to finish just ahead of Dante.
The 2016 open-water event attracted 90 swimmers to the clear water in Polson Bay.
Although certified lifeguards paddled alongside with fins and first aid on paddle boards, or pulled rescue boards behind jetskis, only a few people were pulled from the race due to leg cramps. The presence of the lifeguards wearing red t-shirts with the iconic cross symbol brought a feeling of safety, according to Folker. The Mission Valley Aquatic Center lifeguards spent hours in the pool and the lake training for the event, Folker added.
Originally, the event helped raise funding for the proposed Mission Valley Aquatic Center; now the 14th annual event raises dollars to pay off construction loans on the pool that opened in 2013. In addition to swim lessons, the aquatic center offers Master swimming, the Lake Monsters Swim Team, aqua fitness classes and classes in the warm water therapy pool.
WATER DAZE 2016
OVERALL FINISH ORDER
Place Bib# Swimmer Time Age
1. 18 Matt Seeley 24:55.8 45
2. 28 Landon Shipley 25:01.7 16
3. 40 Jacob Copley 25:04.3 36
4. 58 Greg Rempe 26:29.6 22
5. 57 Andrea Schmidt 26:57.9 19
6. 27 Dale Wiseley 27:08.6 63
7. 42 Dan Novinski 28:33.7 19
8. 71 Lucca Scariano 29:01.8 23
9. 45 Philip Rhodes 29:16.5 16
10. 70 Frank Scariano 29:52.0 54
11. 85 Jenni Brown 30:07.5 38
12. 77 Kate Sheridan 30:13.0 31
13. 59 Clara Rempe 30:21.3 22
14. 54 Sean Murphree 30:31.7 11
15. 24 Isaac Stene 30:41.0 14
16. 38 Elliot Bassett 30:51.7 33
17. 83 Keegan Brackey 31:21.8 14
18. 20 George YellowRobe 31:29.3 46
19. 43 Bailey Rhodes 31:35.6 15
20. 53 Jen Pettea 31:36.0 15
21. 46 Kylie Williams 31:45.5 33
22. 75 Brad Cederberg 31:50.0 33
23. 67 Maureen Porter 31:53.4 32
24. 37 Jim Hogan 31:53.8 66
25. 7 Aja Simshaw 31:55.7 13
26. 78 Chad Bishop 32:12.5 40
27. 29 Kathryn Kirby 32:17.9 14
28. 36 Kate Deetomme 32:33.0 32
29. 23 Stacey Dunn 32:44.6 35
30. 32 Nayeli Windauer 32:52.4 14
31. 2 Molly Sitter 33:28.6 14
32. 22 Patrick Lake 33:36.7 52
33. 41 Carole Novinski 33:44.7 47
34. 8 Ben Montgomery 33:45.6 36
35. 69 Ellissa Christ 33:47.8 15
36. 84 Troy Brackey 33:48.3 47
37. 52 Pam Estill 34:17.2 45
38. 25 Selah Pesanti 34:27.6 22
39. 47 Caroline Rempe 34:28.6 28
40. 15 Patti Waterman 34:38.1 65
41. 82 Mason Sloan 34:43.9 13
42. 44 Grace Rhodes 34:45.3 12
43. 60 Ryan Payne 34:50.9 32
44. 68 Tiana Christ 35:21.1 13
45. 61 James Fields 35:35.7 36
46. 30 Anne Whitworth 36:17.8 52
47. 86 Caroline Rempe 36:28.6 28
48. 3 Michael Sitter 36:33.1 44
49. 64 Henry Sulzbadur 36:48.5 29
50. 80 Amanda Taylor 36:56.2 30
51. 33 Aimee Greg 37:06.3 23
52. 89 Chris Alfiero 37:11.0 25
53. 81 Laura Miskimins 37:11.7 30
54. 49 Anika Bjerknes 37:17.3 13
55. 63 Tim Olson 37:30.5 56
56. 6 Malia Seeley 37:41.7 16
57. 73 Dane Piedalue 37:42.6 14
58. 35 Danielle Autonetti 37:48.9 35
59. 31 Greg Chamsea 38:00.6 43
60. 5 Hannah Simpson 39:39.8 10
61. 88 Lauren Frey 39:42.4 28
62. 17 Gwen Seeley 39:45.2 14
63. 4 George Simpson 39:47.4 36
64. 10 Kim Murchison 39:53.0 52
65. 16 Wanda Walker 40:02.3 63
66. 62 Matt Gibson 40:07.8 49
67. 72 Joel Piedalue 40:37.8 60
68. 19 Susanne Browning 40:56.6 53
69. 79 Karen Olson 40:58.0 55
70. 55 Mark Murphree 42:02.0 52
71. 74 Kelly Gangemi 42:24.6 45
72. 87 Wes Armstrong 43:34.4 30
73. 48 Cheryl Ward 44:46.1 72
74. 21 Dee Keese 44:53.1 70
75. 26 Jeanne Ensign 45:06.3 69
76. 56 Bonnie Doefler 45:58.4 61
77. 90 Josh Pallister 46:27.7 42
78. 34 Laurie Gregory 47:25.0 63
79. 14 Uli Rodrigues 47:44.5 44
80. 76 Erin Heninger 48:22.4 39
81. 9 Alison Montgomery 48:32.3 35
82. 50 Finn Bjerkres 51:09.0 16
83. 51 Vanessa Cooper 51:19.5 65
84. 13 Isabel Seeley 56:26.5 10
85. 12 Tana Seeley 56:32.7 42
86. 39 Mark Gilbertson 1:03:02.0 73
WATER DAZE 2016
AGE GROUP FINISH ORDER (TOP 3)
MALE OVERALL
1. Matt Seeley24:55.8
2. Landon Shipley 25:01.7
3. Jacob Copley 25:04.3
FEMALE OVERALL
1. Andrea Schmidt 26:57.9
2. Jenni Brown 30:07.5
3. Kate Sheridan 30:13.0
MALE 11&UNDER
1. Sean Murphree 30:31.7
FEMALE 11&UNDER
1. Hannah Simpson 39:39.8
2. Isabel Seeley 56:26.5
MALE 12-19
1. Dan Novinski 28:33.7
2. Philip Rhodes 29:16.5
3. Isaac Stene 30:41.0
FEMALE 12-19
1. Bailey Rhodes 31:35.6
2. Jen Pettea 31:36.0
3. Aja Simshaw 31:55.7
MALE 20-29
1. Greg Rempe 26:29.6
2. Lucca Scariano 29:01.8
3. Henry Sulzbadur 36:48.5
FEMALE 20-29
1. Clara Rempe 30:21.3
2. Caroline Rempe 36:28.6
3. Aimee Greg 37:06.3
MALE 30-39
1. Elliot Basset 30:51.7
2. Brad Cederberg 31:50.0
3. Ben Montgomery 33:45.7
FEMALE 30-39
1. Kylie Williams 31:45.5
2. Maureen Porter 31:53.4
3. Kate Deetomme 32:33.0
MALE 40-49
1. George YellowRobe 31:29.3
2. Chad Bishop 32:12.5
3. Troy Brackey 33:48.3
FEMALE 40-49
1. Carole Novinski 33:44.7
2. Kelly Gangemi 42:24.6
3. Uli Rodrigues 47:44.5
MALE 50-59
1. Frank Scariano 29:52.0
2. Pat Lake 33:36.7
3. Mark Murphree 42:02.o
FEMALE 50-59
1. Anne Whitworth 36:17.8
2. Kim Murchison 39:53.0
3. Susanne Browning 40:56.6
MALE 60-69
1. Dale Wisely 27:08.6
2. Jim Hogan 31:53.8
3. Joel Piedalue 40:37.8
FEMALE 60-69
1. Wanda Walker 40:02.3
2. Jeanne Ensign 45:06.3
3. Bonnie Doefler 45:58.4
MALE 70-79
1. Mark Gilbertson 1:03:02.0
FEMALE 70-79
1. Cheryl Ward 44:46.1
2. Dee Keese 44:53.1
