By Delayna Earley
The Island News
BEAUFORT – Skylar Bruner, of Hilton Head Island, won her fifth consecutive Beaufort River Swim on Saturday. Bruner came in first among females and second overall, and Dominic Edl, of Bluffton, came in first overall and for the men.
The 17th annual Beaufort River Swim was held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Downtown Beaufort and proceeds from the event go to benefit the Lowcountry YMCA.
The event is the primary fundraiser for the Lowcountry YMCA’s Learn to swim program, which helps to teach children how to swim.
Bruner finished with a time of 50:00.00 and Edl finished just before her with a time of 49:08.17.
“It feels so great to compete and get another bobble head,” Bruner said about the event.
Edl, who just finished his first year of college at Barton College, where he is on the swim team, said that he came back to participate in the River Swim because it is a tradition. This is his third year participating in the race, but his first year winning.
More than 100 swimmers participated in the 3.2-mile swim that began at the Safe Harbor Port Royal Marina in Port Royal.
There was also a 1-mile fun swim that began at the Beaufort Memorial Hospital dock. The fun swim was not timed.
Both swims ended at the Downtown Marina near Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
The swims were followed immediately by a 5K run for those who chose to participate.
All participants in the 5K race also had to participate in one of the swims, but those who were just interested in running could participate in the 8K Competitive Run through Port Royal on Friday, May 19, 2023.
The 8K began at the Sands Beach in Port Royal and the event included live music and food trucks.
John Duberley, of Bluffton, placed first for men and overall, in the 8K race with a time of 27:20 and Mary Pickens, of Lady’s Island, placed first for females with a time of 55:05.
“About 80% of our participants only do the swim,” said Denice Davis, event director with the Lowcountry YMCA.
Davis said that the participants ranged in age from 13 to 78 years old.
RESULTS
Results for the 3.2-Mile Beaufort River Swim 2023 are:
Male Overall: Dominic Edl, 18, Bluffton, 49:08.17
Female Overall: Skylar Bruner, 18, Hilton Head Island, 50:00.00
Female 1-15: Eliska Walsh, 15, Bluffton, 58:28.33
Female 16-19: Brooks Risher, 18, Hilton Head Island, 55:05.62
Female 25-29: Chole Parsemain, 27, Savannah, Ga., 1:02:59.63
Female 30-34: Stephanie Waninger, 34, Beaufort, 59:18.45
Female 40-44: Laura Seifert, 43, Savannah, Ga., 57:28.19
Female 45-49: Lori Lucas, 49, Hilton Head Island, 1:02:48.01
Female 50-54: Tammy Averill, 53, Fort Wayne, Ind., 58:10.07
Female 55-59: Cherly Reinke, 58, York, S.C., 56:08.43
Female 60-64: Hilary Walton, 63, Port Royal, 1:06:34.28
Female 65-69: Hilary Hattler, 66, Hilton Head Island, 1:07:19.41
Male 1-15: Grant Stone, 15, Lady’s Island, 57:03.04
Male 16-19: Carter Hawkes, 19, Bluffton, 52:28.54
Male 30-34: Sam Wilson, 31, Savannah Ga., 54:13.49
Male 40-44: Shaun Donahue, 44, Bluffton, 1:15:36.63
Male 45-49: Fran Jewison, 48, Savannah, Ga., 58:47.29
Male 55-59: Joe Green, 59, Bluffton, 58:54.72
Male 60-64: Michael Wendt, 60, Lexington, S.C., 54:55.9
Male 65-69: Jonathan Riggs, 65, Okatie, 1:04:20.87
Male 70-74: Clifford Sweatte, 71, Aldie, Va., 1:00:49.9
Male 75-79: Richard Aikman, 76, Zionsville, Ind., 1:22:08.17
Results for the 3.2-mile River Swim and the 5K are:
Male Overall: Tom Gillespie, 32, Savannah, Ga., 1:19:24.89
Female Overall: Amber Gourley, 47, Charleston, 1:25:09:67
Female 20-24: Miranda Nepip, 23, Charleston, 1:30:31.14
Female 30-34: Carissa Garnes, 33, Bluffton, 1:35:11.55
Female 35-39: Hilary Holston, 39, Charletson, 1:33:06.55
Female: 50-54: Katherine Rosenblum, 54, Bluffton, 1:34:47.43
Female 55-59: Kelly O’Brien, 56, Tybee Island, Ga., 1:37:17.74
Male 16-19: Hector Castellon, 18, Bluffton, 1:20:22.68
Male 20-24: Shawn Smith, 23, Beaufort, 1:41:24.47
Male 25-29: Griffin Boke, 25, Hendersonville, N.C., 1:46:11.63
Male 40-44: Brian Floyd, 41, Concord, N.C., 1:36:50.79
Male 50-54: Rafael Londono, 54, Beaufort, 1:59:31.42
Male 60-64: Bruce Davis, 63, St. Helena Island, 1:39:41.95
Male 65-69: David Luce, 66, Hilton Head Island, 1:37:08.92
Results for Friday’s 8K race are:
Male Overall: John Duberley, 35, Bluffton, 27:20
Female Overall: Mary Pickens, 29, Lady’s Island, 55:05
Female 16-19: Julisa Martinez, 18, Ridgeland, 1:40:23
Female 40-44: Blanca Farmer, 42, Lady’s Island, 1:40:23
Male 16-19: Kaden Zimish, 16, Richmond Hill, Ga., 44:26
Male 20-24: Maxwell Davis, 21, Beaufort, 27:59
Male 30-34: Michael Pickens, 31, Lady’s Island, 55:05
Male 40-44: B Tompkins, 43, Savannah, Ga., 39:00
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
