Uszenski adds to swimming resume by winning Beach to Beach Power Swim
VI Daily News | By BILL KISER Daily News Sports Editor | St. Thomas’ Reagan Uszenski has spent the past several years putting her name in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ swimming record books with her exploits in the pool.
Now, the teen-aged Uszenski has added her name in another event, winning the overall long course unassisted title in the 23rd Joe Kessler’s Beach to Beach Power Swim on Sunday morning on St. John.
The 14-year-old Uszenski — who currently holds 33 USVI short- and long-course age-group and open swimming records — won the 3.5-mile open water swim from Maho Bay Beach to Hawksnest Beach in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 14 seconds.
That was nearly 9½ minutes ahead of Sabrina Csak, 21, of Old Greenwich, Conn., who earned runner-up honors by finishing in 1:23:34, beating out Luis Santiago, 59, of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, by nine seconds (1:23:43).
Rounding the top five in the unassisted long course division were Will Dowling, 30, of Washington, D.C. (1:24:09); and Nate Goldstein, 52, of Arlington, Va. (1:24:12).
Uszenski became just the second female swimmer to win the Beach to Beach Power Swim’s overall long course title, and is also the second-youngest winner. St. Croix’s Natalia Kuipers was 13 years old when she won the 2016 Power Swim’s unassisted long course title.
Other division winners in the 23rd Beach to Beach Power Swim were:
• St. Thomas’ Bradley Flowers, 44, won his fourth consecutive title in the long course assisted division, finishing the 3.5-mile course in 1:23:09. That was nearly 5½ minutes ahead of Gilles Alliaume, 53, of Washington, D.C. (1:28:31), with St. John’s Benjamin Campion, 34, coming in third in 1:28:48. St. Thomas’ Christine Sheehan, 53, was the top female finisher in 1:33:01, a minute ahead of St. John’s Alexandra Ewald, 62 (1:34:01); and nearly two minutes better than St. John’s Mindy Michtner, 56 (1:35:56).
• St. Thomas’ Sasha Poe, 17, won the intermediate course unassisted title, completing the 2¼-mile swim from Maho Beach to Trunk Bay Beach in 49:40, beating out Katie Papa, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y., by more than 1½ minutes (51:19). St. Thomas’ Quinnton Caines, 16, was the top male finisher, coming in third overall in 51:35.
• St. Thomas’ Reed Rhodes, 28, won the intermediate course assisted title, completing the 2¼-mile course in 50:36 and finishing just over five minutes ahead of St. Thomas’ Raymond Vittum, 30, who crossed the line in 55:42. St. John’s Kristen Maize, 43, was the top female finisher, coming in third overall in 59:43.
• David Rainer, 16, of Fairhope, Ala., won the short course unassisted title, completing the one-mile course from Maho Beach to Cinnamon Beach in 21:45, just over a minute ahead of John Flowers, 54, of Hingham, Mass. (22:59). St. Thomas’ Edward Uszenski, 11, finished third in 23:00. Suzanne Rainer, 19 — David Rainer’s sister — was the top female finisher in 24:00, edging out St. Thomas’ Milana Sayan, 11, by just seven seconds (24:07).
• St. John’s Robert Tullius, 31, won the short course assisted title, completing the one-mile swim in 22:53, just under a half-minute ahead of St. Thomas’ Kelly Uszenski, 45, the top female finisher in 23:20. St. Thomas’ Addison Barham, 10, was third overall in 25:37.
• Team “Family Affair” — composed of St. Thomas swimmers Marilyn, Liam and Tyler Brandt — won the relay unassisted division title, finishing the 3.5-mile course in 2:16:23.
• Team “Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative” — comprised of St. Thomas swimmers Helen Holt, Erika Roberts and Kelsey Worth — won the relay assisted division title, finishing the 3.5-mile course in 1:53:11. Coming in second was Team “Venerable Veterans” — made up of St. Thomas swimmers Craig Barshinger, Karen Cannell and Alfredo Del Olmo, all swimming their 23rd Power Swim — who finished in 1:57:39.
