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September 9, 2002 Swift, Reich win Pageant SwimBy SHAUN REILLY For The Press, (609) 272-7210, E-MailATLANTIC CITY - Although Tom Swift is a veteran on the southern New Jersey swimming scene, he's sort of a newcomer to the Atlantic City Pageant Ocean Swim. It hasn't mattered. Swift, 29 of Egg Harbor Township, has only competed three times in the 73-year-old event. However, he's won all three times, including Sunday. Swift finished the 11/4-mile race in 26 minutes, 45 seconds, more than one minute ahead of second-place finisher Mike Toy. Ron Marks of Beesley Point finished third. "This is a great race and a great tradition," Swift said. "You see a lot of your friends and a lot of the same old faces that go to all the old races so this is kind of our last get-together of the year." Swift also won in 1999 and 2001. Susan Reich, 44, of Ocean City was the first female finisher and won her first Pageant swim in a time of 30:52. She was the sixth overall finisher and beat Julia Mason of Linwood by 49 seconds. Kerry Choplin of Throfare took third. "I usually do well in these races but I didn't think that I was going to win," Reich said. "There are plenty of faster people out there, but they just weren't here today. " The race began at the at the States Avenue beach and headed out around the Steel Pier and finished approximately 11/4 miles downbeach on the Missouri Avenue side of Ocean One Mall. The race featured 119 swimmers who enjoyed warm water and calm surf. "It was a long one this year," Swift said. "Just because it was high tide it added a good hundred yards to the race. It was fun. We got a nice little push from the winds out of the northeast so that helped out. It's always nice to get a little push." Despite the favorable wind swimmers had to fight a changing tide. Almost all the swimmers were off of their pace from last year. Swift won the race in 20:02 last year. "It was about five minutes longer than last year because of the tide," Swift said. "It really made it an interesting race because I prefer the short ones." "I thought conditions were great, nice flat water," Reich said. "I'm a pool swimmer so I prefer a calm ocean. It's the same distance every year; it just seems longer. When you are out there swimming it doesn't seem like you'll get to the end. I do just about all the races all summer long. This was great way to end the season and it was a good day for it." RESULTS 1. Tom Swift, 26:45, 2. Mike Toy, 27:21, 3. Ron Marks, 28:56; 4. Zachary Schiavio, 29:34; 5. Raymond Schailey, 30:15; 6. Susan Reich, 30:52; 7. Julia Mason, 41:03; 8. Rob Christy, 31:43; 9. Ronald Kane, 31:50; 10. Craig Chapman, 31:54; 11. Tom Newman, 32:07; 12. Chris Bradley, 32:16; 13. Ed Brown, 32:21; 14. Alex Pabon, 33:04; 15. Patrick Kane 33:27; 16. Kerry Choplin, 33:35; 17. Cara Choplin 33:44, 18. Linda Hoke, 33:55; 19. Megan McCourt, 34:10; 20. Donald Asay, 34:27. AGE GROUP WINNERS 1-12 - (64) Justin Rau 26:45, (37) Laura Costello 37:58. 13-14- (4) Zachary Schiavo29:34; (16) Kerry Choplin 22:35. 15-16 - (14) Alex Pabon 22:04; (17) Cara Chplin 33:44. 17-19 - (18) Chester Hurley 35:51; (28) Liz Fielder 35:54. 20-29 - Patrick Kane 33:27, (54) Cathi Markle 40:45. 30-39 - (26) Steve Gazsi 35:44, (24) Teddy Ronace 34:51; 40-49 (5) Raymon Schailey 30:15; (18) Linda Hoke 33:49. 50-59 - (9) Ronald Kane 31:50, (34) Vicki Anders 37:43; 60-69 - (69) Jack Kirlin 43:29, (111) Janet Moeller 56:01. 70-99 - (8) Rob Christy 31:43, (113) Alisan Henderson 1:00:36.
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