Megan McCarroll flew from Seattle, Washington to Lake Memphremagog, Vermont to compete in the -0.83°C water at the annual Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival last week. The air dropped down to -15°C on Day One, but rose to -3.8°C on Day Two with large snowflakes falling on Day Three.

The 31-year-old McCarroll won the 25m butterfly in 16.44, faster than all the women and men at the Winter Festival. Second to McCarroll was 45-year-old Ildiko Szekely who went on to winning the 25m freestyle and 50m freestyle events.

It was the former time that Szekely had participated in an ice swimming competition. “The ice races were super fun. I didn’t know what to expect, so I only signed up for the sprint events. I really had a great time. It didn’t take me much to get warm at all; not like after a 3-minute ocean dip in the water. I had an hour between the 25m and 50m freestyle races and I was completely fine. I ust took off my suit and put on warm clothes. I didn’t get the shakes at all.”

Qing Li (USA, 34, IISA bio here) from Chicago, who completed the Ice Ironwoman within 29 days, was busy as usual, winning the 100m freestyle, finishing second both in the 25m freestyle and 50m freestyles, and fifth in the 25m butterfly.

Even visionary Phil White is a cheerleader, mentor, and organizer who inspired 30 volunteers to help him put the event for 11th consecutive year. He described the group, “There is no group more loving, hardworking, and just plain tough, than our corps of hearty, battle hardened Volunteers. Some 30 strong this year. Escorts walked swimmers to and from the pool. Strippers helped swimmers on and off with their clothing. Hookers walked the pool with Pool Hooks at the ready to pull a swimmer. Pimps held the Hooker by a rope in case they need a pull themselves. Pole Dancers helped place the flag poles the day before the festival. Others included the Gunners, Timers, Go-Go Girls, Skimmers, and Huggers.

The Bob Kraft Happy Hooker Award went to 85-year-old Walter Peck for his years of work as an Escort. He received a walking stick, hand carved by our beloved local elf, Bill Peck.”

25m Butterfly Female Results

1. Megan McCarroll (31) 16.44
2. Ildiko Szekely (45) 17.16
3. Jenny Brown (58) 17.41
4. Isabella Gerardi (20) 17.89
5. Qing Li (34) 18.04
6. Melanie Van Pypen (46) 19.25
7. Shea DeWald (30) 20.03
8. Vera Rivard (21) 20.10
9. Natalie Lang (47) 20.45
10. Susan Benoit (43) 20.75
11. Rebekah Peterman (29) 21.59
12. Kellie Latimer (39) 22.58
13. Margaret Rivard (17) 22.94
14. Andrea (Andie) Nelson (46) 23.02
15. Kathryn Wiseman (60) 23.33
16. Aimee Jones (42) 23.46
17. Josee Bourgeois (40) 24.53
18. Rebecca Thompson (45) 25.39
19. Alice Ma (52) 32.82
20. Diana Corbin (56) 34.11
21. Louise Hyder-Darlington (64) 36.40

25m Butterfly Male Results

1. Drew Nemetz (42) 17.03
2. Richard Born (62) 17.16
3. Brian Jaskot (46) 17.33
4. Christopher Spearing (59) 18.69
5. Miroslaw Gabrys (49) 18.85
6. Julian Flear (60) 19.50
7. Jonathan Gladstone (56) 20.54
8. Ethan Herschenfeld (55) 21.05
9. Derek Yach (68) 22.34

25m Freestyle Female Results

1. Ildiko Szekely (45) 16.89
2. Qing Li (34) 17.40
3. Vera Rivard (21) 17.57
4. Kellie Latimer (39) 18.18
5. Jenny Brown (58) 18.53
6. Martha Wood (61) 18.79
7. Denise Herman (48) 19.28
8. Margaret Rivard (17) 19.37
9. Isabella Gerardi (20) 19.76
10. Nicole Hopkins (50) 20.32
11. Josee Bourgeois (40) 20.47
12. Aimee Jones (42) 21.16
13. Amy Craigen (46) 21.83
14. Rebecca Thompson (45) 21.85
15. Brenda Perks (65) 22.37
16. Nadine Bennett (52) 22.74
17. Robbie Bailey (55) 22.86
18. Caitlin van de Walle (35) 24.78
19. Alice Ma (52) 25.26
20. LaVerne Miers-Bond (63) 26.78
21. Paula Kany (57) 26.96
22. Christina Gantcher (51) 27.48
23. Grace Pietsch (42) 29.99
24. Elaine Van Vleck (59) 30.89
25. Cathie Ghorbani (59) 31.06
26. Lisa Kokes (66) 31.80
27. Suzie Dods (64) 33.49
28. Heather McKeown 38.78

25m Freestyle Male Results

1. Ford Currie (40) 14.20
2. Matt Weeks (48) 15.38
3. Drew Nemetz (42) 15.44
4. Joel Chiarello (52) 17.58
5. David Cunningham (51) 17.88
6. John Andrewohrn Jr (59) 17.89
7. Robert Bailey 18.94
8. Marcus Barton (55) 19.24
9. EriK Rieth (52) 19.43
10. Joseph Orlowski (20) 19.57
11. Jonathan Gladstone (56) 19.94
12. Josef Polcz (65) 20.04
13. Elliot Reed (44) 20.35
14. David Rines (73) 20.60
15. Steven Gross (67) 20.89
16. Chuck Flayhart (57) 23.93
17. John Kalka (50) 24.50
18. Damase Olsson (55) 25.74
19. Doug Smith (74) 29.36

50m Freestyle Female Results

1. Ildiko Szekely (45) 33.26
2. Qing Li (34) 36.75
3. Melanie Van Pypen (46) 38.04
4. Jenny Brown (58) 38.54
5. Trista Mennen (47) 38.88
6. Vera Rivard (21) 40.61
7. Jennifer Downing (46) 40.65
8. Martha Wood (61) 41.43
9. Isabella Gerardi (20) 41.46
10. Margaret Rivard (17) 41.71
11. Natalie Lang (47) 41.78
12. Emily Porter (39) 41.89
13. Kellie Latimer (39) 42.16
14. Katie Kalka (48) 43.43
15. Rebekah Peterman (29) 44.14
16. Kathy McCarty (62) 45.91
17. Amy Bush (49) 46.89
18. Aimee Jones (42) 47.19
19. Kathryn Wiseman (60) 47.21
20. Susan Benoit (43) 47.61
21. Nadine Bennett (52) 47.65
22. Amy Craigen (46) 47.94
23. Rebecca Thompson (45) 47.99
24. Madeline Collins (32) 49.62
25. Karen Nazor (62) 51.10
26. Jacqueline Broner (59) 51.41
27. Martha La Riviere (72) 54.45
28. Joanne Barker (60) 54.54
29. Paula Kany (57) 55.33
30. Irena Sumbera (62) 56.60
31. Renee Charpentier (48) 1.01.34
32. LaVerne Miers-Bond (63) 1.01.91
33. Lee Kaplan (48 ) 1.02.49
34. Amanda Jacobsen (48) 1.02.57
35. Diana Corbin (56) 1.03.84
36. Pia Hinckle (59) 1.03.86
37. Lucie Monroe (46) 1.04.87
38. Rebecca Steeves (51) 1.05.51
39. Sonia Dolan (46) 1.05.55
40. Grace Pietsch (42) 1.07.03
41. Ginny Peck (79) 1.07.12
42. Pauline Farmer-Koppenol (50) 1.12.03
43. Cathie Ghorbani (59) 1.18.82
44. Diane McManus (73) 1.34.80

50m Freestyle Male Results

1. Wyatt Rice (18) 30.20
2. Ford Curie (40) 30.50
3. Matt Weeks (48) 34.27
4. Drew Nemetz (42) 34.40
5. Larry Spollen (47) 35.16
6. JD Tremblay (37) 35.31
7. Jake Dolce (52) 36.54
8. Ted Hirsch (64) 38.24
9. Joel Chiarello (52) 41.03
10. Barton Rice (52) 41.28
11. Richard Born (62) 42.09
12. Julian Flear (60) 44.18
13. Ethan Herschenfeld (55) 44.26
14. Erik Rieth (52) 45.82
15. Samuel Samson (31) 46.15
16. David Cunningham (51) 46.18
17. Jonathan Gladstone (56) 46.34
18. Elliot Reed (44) 46.73
19. James Dieter (55) 47.25
20. Josef Polcz (65) 48.26
21. Sebastien Zappa (48) 50.92
22. Reynald Dupuis (56) 52.14
23. Matt Bush (52) 52.22
24. Nick Pavey (51) 53.00
25. Chuck Flayhart (57) 53.69
26. Tom Heyerdahl (62) 1.01.88
27. Damase Olsson (55) 1.08.73
28. Steven Gross (67) 1.14.36
29. Sean O’Connor (54) 1.19.24
30. Hugh Hyder-Darlington (68) 1.25.18

100m Freestyle Female Results

1. Qing Li (34) 1.22.10
2. Megan McCarroll (31) 1.23.92
3. Jennifer Downing (46) 1.24.56
4. Melanie Van Pypen (46) 1.25.33
5. Jenny Brown (58) 1.27.73
6. Shea DeWald (30) 1.28.10
7. Katie Kalka (48) 1.29.04
8. Andrea (Andie) Nelson (46) 1.29.46
9. Vera Rivard (21) .30.11
10. Kathy McCarty (62) 1.30.55
11. Natalie Lang (47) 1.30.95
12. Martha Wood (61) 1.30.96
13. Trista Mennen (47) 1.31.66
14. Rebekah Peterman (29) 1.32.60
15. Margaret Rivard (17) 1.34.57
16. Emily Porter (39) 1.36.10
17. Kathryn Wiseman (60) 1.45.19
18. Rebecca Thompson (45) 1.46.18
19. Susan Benoit (43) 1.47.11
20. Julie Zeitlinger 1.47.15
21. Amy Bush (49) 1.47.54
22. Madeline Collins (32) 1.49.17
23. Irena Sumbera (62) 1.50.96
24. Karen Nazor (62) 2.01.70
25. Alice Ma (52) 2.02.42
26. Jacqueline Broner (59) 2.02.62
27. Lee Kaplan (48) 2.12.01
28. Paula Kany (57) 2.25.80
29. Sonia Dolan (46) 2.25.84
30. Renee Charpentier (48) 2.26.38
31. Amanda Jacobsen (48) 2.29.39
32. LaVerne Miers-Bond (63) 2.30.23
33. Pauline Farmer-Koppenol (50) 2.56.61

100m Freestyle Male Results

1. Mike Wilmot (47) 1.15.85
2. Brian Jaskot (46) 1.18.16
3. Drew Nemetz (42) 1.18.36
4. Larry Spollen (47) 1.20.46
5. Ted Hirsch (64) 1.22.56
6. Jake Dolce (52) 1.22.87
7. Miroslaw Gabrys (49) 1.23.02
8. Julian Flear (60) 1.24.18
9. Joel Lanz (52) 1.26.81
10. Matt Prince (46) 1.27.30
11. Christopher Spearing (59) 1.39.25 27
12. James Dieter (55) 1.46.09
13. David Rines (73) 1.47.15
14. Jonathan Gladstone (56) 1.49.70
15. Sebastien Zappa (48) 1.51.76
16. Tom Heyerdahl (62) 2.15.98
17. Chuck Flayhart (57) 2.21.51
18. Nick Pavey (51) 2.36.71
19. Sean O’Connor (54) 3.36.44
20. Steven Gross (67) 3.51.98

200m Freestyle Female Results

1. Jennifer Downing (46) 3.00.74
2. Vera Rivard (21) 3.06.08
3. Jenny Brown (58) 3.07.10
4. Shea DeWald (30) 3.13.16
5. Katie Kalka (48) 3.13.84
6. Melanie Van Pypen (46) 3.22.81
7. Margaret Rivard (17) 3.23.86
8. Trista Mennen (47) 3.27.29
9. Natalie Lang (47) 3.28.81
10. Aimee Jones (42) 3.42.17
11. Rebecca Thompson (45) 3.47.76
12. Irena Sumbera (62) 3.58.47
13. Amy Bush (49) 4.01.85
14. Karen Nazor (62) 4.18.50
15. Lee Kaplan (48) 4.20.02
16. Jacqueline Broner (59) 4.20.29
17. Alice Ma (52) 4.25.20
18. Cindy Seltzer (56) 5.12.90
19. Grace Pietsch (42) 5.33.88
20. Susan Benoit (43) DNF
21. Andie Nelson (46) DNF

200m Freestyle Male Results

1. Frédérik Masson (40) 2.43.98
2. Larry Spollen 2.54.90
3. Brian Jaskot (46) 2.56.68
4. Mike Wilmot (47) 3.03.50
5. Julian Flear (60) 3.06.09
6. Ted Hirsch (64) 3.07.32
7. Joel Lanz (52) 3.13.46
8. Richard Born (62) 3.18.40
9. Derek Yach (68) 3.39.30
10. Ethan Herschenfeld (55) 3.41.55
11. Matt Prince 3.42.80
12. James Dieter (55) 3.57.20
13. Reynald Dupuis (56) 4.23.53
14. Jonathan Gladstone (56) 4.38.68
15. Tom Heyerdahl (62) 4.54.08
16. Nick Pavey (51) 5.42.99

Photos courtesy of Robbie Bailey, Robert Bailey, Nick Pavey, Kathleene Marcil, and Phil White.

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