2015 Trans-Tahoe Relay Recap!
A little over a week ago, on Saturday, July 18, 2015, three teams representing the TPC Masters Program plunged into the chilly blue waters of Lake Tahoe for the 2015 Trans-Tahoe Relay. The Trans-Tahoe Relay is a unique relay race across Lake Tahoe from Sand Harbor to Skylandia Beach, a 10 mile course. Each team consists of six people, each team member swims 30 minutes, then 15 minutes, and then 10 minutes in their rotation until the team finishes the 10 mile course. We had two teams in the Men's 240+ division; Los Tiburones Locos I and Los Tiburones Locos II. And the third team was The Sharks with Laser Beams swimming in the Mixed 240+.
The conditions were windy and choppy in the morning, making the first few legs of the relay difficult for even the most experienced open water swimmers. As the day went on the sun came out, the wind died down and the conditions became close to perfection for the rest of the race.
The two teams representing TPC in the Men's 240+ division were every evenly matched, Locos II would take an early lead on Locos I, the teams would go back and forth leading the battle between the Locos! Four hours into the race the two Locos teams were side by side, neck and neck in what is being called "The Sierra Slug Fest." The Locos I team would then take the lead for the final time as it came down to the very end. Both teams watched as the Locos II hunted down Locos I, in the end just seconds would separate the two Locos teams.
Locos I competitors were Colin Murray, Brian Matthews, John Donovan, John Hoffman, Rudy Kardos and Rick Johnston. They finished 7th in their division and 57th overall with a time of 4:21:10.
Locos II competitors were Trip Zedlitz, Ritch Viola, Rick Sichel, Greg Dorn, Jack Zedlitz, and Matt Hart. They finished 8th in their division and 59th overall with a time of 4:21:46.
The Sharks with Laser Beams represented TPC in the Mixed 240+, the mixed teams have 3 men and 3 women and the 240+ comes from the ages of all the swimmers added together. The mixed team was three couples; David and Phoebe Holscher, Ben and Elizabeth Kilgore, David and Camille Jampolsky. Swimming a solid race and having a lot of fun, the Sharks with Laser Beams finished 16th in their division and 177th overall with a time of 5:21:59.
Incredible swimming by all the swimmers that participated in this year's Trans-Tahoe Relay. The camaraderie and support of all three teams was something to behold. Some healthy competition, teamwork and hard work, in and out of the water, created an amazing opportunity for the success of these teams. We all should be very proud of these men and women for their accomplishment.
Huge congratulations to the teams! And a big thanks to all the support from family and friends to make this race such a wonderful experience.
See you all around the pool!
Kirsten Frazer and
