Alex Kostich Wins 14th Title at St. Croix Coral Reef Swim

ST. CROIX, Virgin Islands, October 10. ALEX Kostich, former member of the U.S. National Team, won his 14th title at the 16th Annual St. Croix Coral Reef Swim in the five mile distance held on Sunday October 9th. The event, which also offers a two mile and a one mile distance, is renowned for its spectacular course in the clear 81 degree waters off the north east shore of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The race attracted 123 swimmers from 26 States. The conditions were spectacular with favorable currents, clear water, and abundant sea life. The various sightings throughout the East End Marine Park included spotted eagle rays, sea turtles, and beds of starfish.

Kostich, 41, who hails from Southern California, won the five mile race in a time of 1:41.18. The next finisher was 17 year-old local Bryson Mays, with a time of 1:48.22. The top female finisher was Mary Ruppe, age 42, of Houston, Texas finishing in 2:01.20

The two mile race was won by 27 year-old Kieran Locke from St. Croix in a time of 49 minutes and 13 seconds. For women, the two mile distance was dominated by Alina Perez-Smith, 41, from Cape Elizabeth, Maine in 56 minutes and 33 seconds. The male and female winners in the inaugural one mile distance were Aaron Shaver from Colorado and Kate Miller from St. Croix, respectively.

The race featured swimmers of all ages and abilities including first time open water swimmers such as 64 year-old Wendy Thaxter, several swimmers from the local St. Croix Dolphins Swim Team, and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Misty Hyman. Hyman, 32, swam the five mile distance in an exhibition category for the second year in a row. This was because she wore a monofin, a single blade flipper specifically designed for butterfly kick along with a front mount snorkel.

As they have done for several years, Hyman and Kostich teamed up to host a free mini-clinic for new open water swimmers the day before the race.

Swimmers as young as ten years old competed in the shorter distances. The oldest swimmer that competed was Ed Staats at the age 77 who has competed in some form of the race since its inception. The race is also a family affair with numerous families being represented by both a parent and a child in the competition. Many swimmers make the trip to the race an annual family vacation and come back again and again to enjoy the full weekend of activities and beautiful surroundings. Trinity University brought a group of their senior swimmers to compete as they have done for the last several years. The Yale swim team was also well-represented with four former swimmers including the two mile champ, Locke.

All proceeds of the race go directly to The Nature Conservancy to benefit the East End Marine Park. The swim race is one of many highly regarded athletic competitions hosted by St. Croix Sports. Other races held are triathlons in three distances including the Ironman 70.3, a half marathon, and the St. Croix Scenic 50 mile run. For more information visit www.stcroixsports.com.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x