Kingdom Swim Draws a Crowd to Lake Memphremagog
Contributed by Charlotte Brynn, NELMSC Open Water Chair
Results
NEWPORT, VT — The 11th Annual Kingdom Swim was held on Saturday, July 27th under sunny skies at Lake Memphremagog in Newport, Vermont. In 73-75F waters, swimmers raced the 1 mile, 5 km, 10 km, 10 mile, or 25 km Border Buster event to Canada and back. U.S. Masters Swimming clubs from around the nation were well-represented, with 120 swimmers coming from California, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, and more. Many New England LMSC athletes posted top finishes.
Shipp, Davis, and McMahon after the men’s Border Buster
Onos, Brynn, and Andrews after the women’s Border Buster
NELMSC Vice-Chair Guy Davis (GBM), 60, won the men’s 25 km Border Buster race in 7:28:16, taking home a beautifully hand-carved Vermont walking stick. Bill Shipp (UMAC), 66, was runner up and third place went to Martin McMahon (CONN), 56. Twenty-two-year-old Melissa Andrews of Franconia, NH won her own Vermont walking stick by finishing first in the women’s Border Buster in 7:33:44. Runner up was 53-year-old Charlotte Brynn (NEM-STOW) and third place went to Abigail Onos, 24, of Arlington, VA.
Men’s 10-mile podium finishers Borgatti, Breital, and Spiegal
In the 10-mile race, 52-year-old Robert Breital of Philadelphia, PA finished first overall in 4:43:27, followed by Christopher Borgatti, 42, of Byfield, MA. Steven Spiegel, 58, of Amherst, MA took third place in the men’s division. On the women’s side, 40-year-old Puranjot Khalsa (MESC) placed first, besting Britt Hulbert, 50, of Bar Harbor, ME and Ruth Gilgenbach, 35, of Lawrence Township, NJ.
In the 10 km race, Mark Loftis (PSM-MIR), 59, stormed away from the field to emerge first in a time of 2:48:36. The women’s 10k came down to the finish with Jocelyn Stephen, 43, of Toronto, ON besting 39-year-old Hilary Sullivan (NEM-SIMM) by only 21 seconds to take first in a time of 3:17:35.
Sheldon Katz, 60, of South Burlington, VT finished first in the 5 km event, with second place going to Dane Krampitz, 62, of Groton, MA. In the women’s field Teresa Holland (NEM-YNS), 50, finished first in 1:31:58 and Cara Hancy (NEM-JSC), 40, was second. Katz also won the men’s 1-mile event in 23:35 while 58-year-old Karen Harrison (PCAT) won the women’s event in 25:14.
Next year’s Kingdom Swim will be held on July 25th, 2020. The 10-mile Kingdom Swim race will be the 2020 USMS Ultramarathon-Distance Open Water Championship. Other Kingdom Swim courses include the 25km Border Buster, the 10km Kingdom Swim, the 5km Kingdom Swim, and the 1-mile Kingdom Swim. Mark your calendar & set a goal to compete and enjoy the beauty and friendliness of open-water competition in the scenic Northeast Kingdom of Vermont!