Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
The RCP Tiburon Milers won the Trans Tahoe Relay in 3 hours and 18 minutes over 159 teams of competitively and recreationally-minded masters swimmers. Swimming at high altitude in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the 11.5-mile course took the teams across Lake Tahoe in its cool, blue waters from the shores of Nevada to the shoreline in California.
J.K. Koehler (23) led the RCP Tiburon Milers from the start and finished the last leg. Evgeny Bezruchenko (32), Randy Eickhoff (44), Joshua Charnin-Aker (20), Sarah Andrews (19) and Bob Placak (51) each followed up with strong 30-minute legs.
As usual, the race was abuzz with positive vibes. “It’s Lake Tahoe. It’s a beautiful place,” said Clark Bird of Merced, California. “Plus, it’s fun. It’s a great way to stay in shape. If you don’t have a goal in mind, it’s hard to stay in shape. It gives everyone a reason to get into shape.”
Bob Placak, coach, swimmer and sponsor of the RCP Tiburon Milers, was participating in his 25th annual relay and thought the conditions were about the best they can be. “Of all the 25 years I have been doing this swim, the smooth conditions were ideal, definitely in the top 3.”
“We were in third place when I did my leg. I had a great leg and we were 200 yards behind when I got in and had a 15-yard lead when I got out. I felt great and it was good to be around so many accomplished (young) swimmers. I felt the best I have for 25 years, 18 of which I have been on the winning team. This was the most satisfying team victory in all my years here in Lake Tahoe. It was a great combined effort from our team assembled from around the world..”
Young and young-at-heart felt much as Bob did with everyone enjoying the deep blue waters, calm conditions and fabulously scenery of Lake Tahoe in the 34th annual running of the Trans Tahoe Relay.
The top 10 overall teams were as follows:
1. RCP Tiburon Milers (Open Division), 3:18:52
2. Tahoe 11 Milers (Open Division), 3:21:12
3. Blue Seventy (Men 180+), 3:22:27
4. Half Baked Clams (Men 180+) 3:23:16
5. 2 Gils and 4 Fish (Mixed 240+), 3:30:54
6. OC B-Team (Men 180+), 3:38:16
7. BAC Jurassic Park (Men 180+), 3:39:08
8. The Clipper Ship (Mixed 180+), 3:40:16
9. Los Chulos (Men 180+) 3:41:39
10. TOC Arris (Men 240+), 3:44:01
The rest of the 163 teams had some great performances and colofully creative names: Cal Tex AZ Mixed, Arden Hills, No Stern in Sight, Poohstrong II, Stanford Masters Sea-Men, Sea Serpents, Team Anxiety, Team Meat, Swimmers 6, RockBottom, Los Gatos Swim & Racquet, Cya at the beach, TVM Bare Bottoms, Team Waddlebird, Ship of Fools, LAMBDA LAMBDA LAMBDA, Team Radical, Cold Momentum, The Big Cheese, CINCO-SINKO (PCAM), Arden Hills “A” Team, TOC Lally, TAM’s Old Faithfuls, Team Galine, North Bay Aquatics, SNM Wiley Coyotes, Beer Bellies, Fallen Leaf Fast Girls, Numb & Nuts, Faster Than Driftwood, Olympic Club “B” for Babes, Tits of Steel, Keep Tahoe Blue and Gold, Ted Mulvaney, BAM Squad, TVM misfits, B Team, Milk Was A Bad Choice, Six Sexy Sphinx, Capo Z Team, Morris BAYMEN, Solo, Swiss Ho’, & Polo Bros, Flying Guillitines, Cocked Again XIV, Team Delta Beaver, Alligator Gar, Sue Nommi Flow, Fun With Dick, Dick, Dick, Dick, Dick & Jane, The Guadalupians, Happy Daisy, TAHOE TESSIE TEMPTRESSES (PCAM), SFSU Sinkers,Coach Charlie, Slippery When Wet, Team 6.5, Glory Days, Hypothermic Heat, Skip and Go Naked, The Jersey Shore, PACIFIC DUGONI ULTRASONICS, AUSTERMONSTERS, Jolly Old Seaman, Mustache Mariners, Coprolalics, Team Howsky, ACC Alums, Shovel Ready, The Olympic Club El Presidente, OC Tahoelicous, Team Terroir, we swim to eat, Hydropower Masters, MVM Old Guys, Swim You Slugs, California Raisins, TEAM ZOLA (PCAM), North Forks, Gone with the Tide, Cap’n, De, & Wits, LoweBoat, Foggy Flyers, Shook The Band, Family Affair, OC Flying Fish, Team Chocolate Pudding, USNA 90, Keep Tahoe Blue, Mountain Recreation – Grass Valley, Aqua Nuts, Aged To Perfection, USNA Club, SCAM, Swim Art, 2nd Leg Naked, The Sturgeon Generals, Leewardigan, Showboat, Olympic Club Time Machine, 12,000 strokes, The Substitutes, Au Au, BCP THRASHERS, Blonde Ambition, Bay Six, Land Park Lions, Aquaholics, Sublime Subprime, Mixed Bag PCAM, Shimmick, Chunky Dunkers, Speedo Cialis Project, Pig Busters, Oakwood Team 3, Team Clif bar, IRISH LADS AND LASSIES (PCAM), Trance Tahoe 2, Love D’em Handles, Still Dry, Water Logged, Lake Turtles, Land Sharks, Bob on the Boat, A M HOTTIES (PCAM), Frostits, The Captain, Waterlogged, Motherlode Maniacs, Third Times the Charm, MISFITS (PCAM), The Fireboaters, La Manche, Jack & Coke, Marine Layer, Wicked Wahines, Las Cucarachas, OC FAST Women, Olympic Club Men 240, Rocky Point Racers, Oakwood 2, Olympic Club Slow Boat to Sunnyside, Eastbound & Drowned, Las Sirenas, Mighty Mermaids, MIXED BAG (PCAM), Frisco Six, Sturgeon Generals, TAM Good Time, Team Cliff Bar, SLO Crawlers, Fog Heads, Team Oakwood Lane 5, Hydrophilic Deities and DUMSHARKS
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