2019 Reef & Run Series In Santa Barbara

Courtesy of Reef & Run, Santa Barbara, California.

The 2019 Reef & Run season began last week and will continue Thursday nights for another 10 weeks until August 29th when the ocean swim season culminates in the Boat to Beach race.

“It is a great bargain at US$15 per night and the Thursday night schedule allows swimmers to participate in other summer season races throughout the summer weekends,” says Steven Munatones.

It was a clean sweep for the Bish family on the opening race of the 2019 Reef & Run series.  14-year-old John Bish won the 1-miler with a 10-second victory over 35-year-old Steven Hunt.  Bish’s sister, 16-year-old Andrea Bish won the 1 km race in a 5-second victory over 21-year-old Ben Brewer in the 59.4°F water.

The proceeds from the 2018 season enabled the Reef and Run series to donate more than US$22,000 to the local Junior Lifeguard program and the Nick Johnson Scholarship Fund.

Nick Johnson was a University of California Santa Barbara athlete and local water polo standout athlete who passed away while swimming in a pool.  The Fund is administered by the Santa Barbara High School Aquatics Booster Club.  Funds donated in memory of Johnson is used for education related to water safety as well as capital improvements to the Santa Barbara High School Aquatics Facility.

June 6th 1-mile Top 10 Results:

1. John Bish (14) 21:06
2. Steven Hunt (35) 21:16
3. Sean Harrington (30) 21:20
4. Stewart Reid (46) 21:23
5. Jason Smith (40) 21:41
6. Jonathan Waltman (28) 22:35
7. Bella Siering (20) 23:20 [first female]
8. Rick Franc (21) 23:24
9. Jim Avrea (58) 23:31
10. Taylor Steffan (20) 23:47

June 6th 1 km Top 10 Results:

1. Andrea Bish (16) 15:06 [first female]
2. Ben Brewer (21) 15:11
3. Bronson Blix (15) 15:22
4. Mark Stori (53) 15:33
5. Garrett Gerstenberger (30) 16:51
6. Jim West (64) 17:07
7. Matt Vaughan (63) 17:32
8. Cindy Braden (55) 17:50
9. Jonathan Gottlieb (36) 18:01
10. Mathew Trost (51) 18:23

June 6th 500m Top 10 Results:

1. Caitlyn Robinson (16) 7:07  [first female]
2. Curtis Lin (28) 7:18
3. Todd Menzel (46) 7:28
4. Mesa Diehl (16) 7:37
5. Neil Wood (50) 7:52
6. Madison McCarley (12) 8:12 [second female]
7. John Abrami (59) 8:20
8. Margaret Watson (11) 8:22 [third female]
9. Rob Hoadley (48( 8:34
10. Charlotte Gutierrez (66) 8:52 [fourth female]

For more information and to register for Thursday night’s Reef & Run series, visit reefandrun.org.

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