Michael Rice, Catherine Breed Win The 2023 SCAR Swim

The 2023 SCAR Swim Challenge was another grand success.  

The brainchild of visionary Kent Nicholas [shown below] had won the 2022 World Open Water Swimming Event of the Year and had attracted a multi-faceted, multi-talented group of prolific marathon swimmers and their escort kayakers from around the world.  Triple Crowners, Ice Milers, and swimmers who have set records and pioneered swims gathered in the warm desert of Arizona to compete in the 4-day, 4-lake SCAR stage swim.

The event consists of four lake crossings, from dam to dam in Saguaro Lake, Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, and finally a night swim in Roosevelt Lake.  The four lakes were created through a series of dams that created the reservoirs along the Salt River that flows through the State of Arizona.

Nicholas wrote on the SCAR Facebook page, “If we could dial in a perfect day at Saguaro, this was it. From water temp to air temp to low wind – it was good day to be at S. Michael Rice [shown below] proving to be a champion with several on his heels. Catherine Breed [shown below] leading the females and showing the strength she has inside. Shout out to 70-year-old Michael Healy who came in at 4:59.44. One word – stud.”

Rice broke the legendary Saguaro Lake crossing record held by Grace van der Byl, a renowned channel swimmer from California.  Her 2 hour 50 minute record had stood for a decade.

But Day 1 started off as badly as a race director could have imagined.  Nicholas received a phone call in the dark morning hours,"Kent, the kayaks are gone."

Stolen?  Unlikely.  But where did the kayaks go?  The kayaks and the paddles were stacked in the parking lot near the start.  If there were no kayaks or paddles, the race could not go on.  It was panic time.

"Look for them!" ordered Nicholas who originally thought it was a cruel joke.

As it turned out, water was released from the dam overnight, causing the lake level to rise and jarring all the kayaks from their moorings. The kayaks and paddles floated away from the shoreline areas in the rising waters and quietly floated down the dam.  It took the crew significant time to find all the kayaks that had surreptitiously floated into one area near the dam.  It took great efforts to get all the kayaks restaged for the swimmers.

The swimmers and their support teams took the unexpected delay in stride, staying positive and flexible on Day 1.

Saguaro Lake Results

1. Michael Rice (38) 2:47:39.7
2. Catherine Breed (30) 2:53:39.1
3. Steven Munatones (60) 2:58:46.5
4. Karen Zemlin (55) 3:13:24.1
5. Lura Wilhelm (41) 3:16:01.4
6. Chris Cook (42) 3:19:07.3
7. Steven Sherry (56) 3:25:30.1
8. Stefan Reinke (64) 3:29:27.7
9. William Shipp (63) 3:35:16.5
10. Anna Delozier (59) 3:37:07.5
11. Cornelia Bleul-Gohlke (57) 3:38:58.0
12. Anna Zuccolotto Soto (37) 3:43:54.0
13. Mike Peters (29) 3:44:23.0
14. Charlotte Brynn (57) 3:46:27.9
15. Abigail Bergman (27) 3:51:24.8
16. Kerianne Brownlie (29) 3:53:10.3
17. Rod Watkins (62) 3:53:44.4
18. Erika Beauchamp (49) 3:53:49.7
19. Rijl Barber (42) 3:55:26.1
20. Patti Bauernfeind McMurdie (56) 3:57:08.0
21. Shannon Keegan (48) 3:58:13.6
22. Haiden Freeman (23) 3:59:15.3
23. Mark Spratt (67) 3:59:41.2
24. Jenny Smith (49) 4:04:51.7
25. Sofia Cardenas (34) 4:05:04.2
26. Kate Mason (64) 4:08:49.6
27. Peter Hayden (65) 4:13:08.0
28. Susie Paul (50) 4:21:57.3
29. Jared Kenney (36) 4:21:58.4
30. Jennifer Dutton (54) 4:25:08.3
31. Justine Brousseau (44) 4:25:31.7
32. Steve Sutton (56) 4:25:39.3
33. Sophie Ryan (45) 4:25:40.6
34. Fionnuala Walsh (49) 4:39:57.4
35. Sue-Ellen Booher (69) 4:40:12.1
36. Paula Yankauskas (68) 4:44:15.4
37. Claire Russell (61) 4:44:31.7
38. Mike Healey (70) 4:59:44.2
39. Kristiana Fox (44) 5:14:46.4
40. Elizabeth Huesing (61) 5:21:48.0
41. Joe Zemaitis (43) 10:00:00.0 (two-way crossing)
42. James McDonald, DNF
43. Jessica Kennedy, DNF
44. Lauren Byron, DNF
45. Melanie Tyrell, DNF
46. Dana Price, DNF

First-person Impressions

• It is always so refreshing and incredible to see people from Phil White to Elaine Howley and Dan Simonelli [shown below], from Eri Utsunomiya to Alex Arévalo, from Ryan Willis to his superstar wife Sarah Thomas to help out, doing whatever they can to assist Nicholas and his crew: driving boats, handling supplies, delivering dry bags, kayaking for swimmers.
• The water was as tranquil as could be, and the beauty was overwhelming as advertised.  The greenness of the surrounding cliffs and canyons were stunning.
• The boat rides out to the staging areas and start presented great opportunities to learn about and talk with swimmers from around the world.
• After 2 hours 51 minutes of swimming, my Garmin indicated approximately 2,913 calories were burned.  Dinner awaits as do several long, low-pressure KAATSU Cycle sets as a warm-down and lactate flush.  

Day 2: The Crossing of Canyon Lake

Nicholas received a nightmarish telephone call yesterday to start Day 1 of the 4-day stage swim, SCAR Swim Challenge in Arizona. "Kent, all the kayaks are gone. They are not here."

His volunteer crew later found the kayaks had floated away in the night and got washed up near the dam. But Day 2 across Canyon Lake went much, much smoother under another set of ideal conditions, although the water temperature at the start near the dam was typically cold.

His volunteer crew later found the kayaks had floated away in the night and got washed up near the dam. But Day 2 across Canyon Lake went much, much smoother under another set of ideal conditions, although the water temperature at the start near the dam was typically cold.

Michael Rice and Catherine Breed remained the class of the field, winning handily under smooth, calm, low-wind water conditions with cloudless skies throughout the scenic race. But even so, with the cold start due to the upwellings near the dam, there were 10 DNF's.

Steve Sutton reflected on the crossing, "I prefer swimming through Canyon Lake because I can see things zipping by relatively quickly, from cacti to rocks.  It feels like I am swimming down the river.  When it opens up to the prairie of the water basins, the lake is just a vast expanse.  It pushes back.  I could neither see the bottom nor the passage of rocks to gauge forward momentum.  I couldn’t see much progress looking at the landscape in the distance, only the occasional buoy marker appeared to zip past me to indicate momentum of some sort was taking place, and that I was making progress toward the end, where those burritos were waiting for me, and my shoulder could rest."

Michael Reilly's swimming tool kit is shown below, carried by his escort kayaker.

Canyon Lake Results

1. Michael Rice (38) 2:41:34.8
2. Catherine Breed (30) 2:44:47.1
3. Steven Munatones (60) 2:51:04.5
4. Chris Cook (42) 3:03:44.8
5. Karen Zemlin (55) 3:06:41.8
6. Lura Wilhelm (41) 3:10:04.3
7. Steven Sherry (56) 3:19:04.7
8. William Shipp (63) 3:29:13.6
9. Brad Lundblad (55) 3:32:16.5
10. Anna Zuccolotto Soto (37) 3:38:12.8
11. Mike Peters (29) 3:38:43.9
12. Erika Beauchamp (49) 3:39:45.1
13. Abigail Bergman (27) 3:42:52.5
14. Shannon Keegan (48) 3:47:16.9
15. Sofia Cardenas (34) 3:47:44.7
16. Rod Watkins (62) 3:50:01.4
17. Kerianne Brownlie (29) 3:51:25.2
18. Rijl Barber(42) 3:51:45.1
19. Joe Zemaitis (43) 3:54:48.8
20. Patti Bauernfeind McMurdie (56) 3:57:42.0
21. Jenny Smith (49) 3:59:37.1
22. Jared Kenney (36) 4:05:15.4
23. Haiden Freeman (23) 4:08:00.3
24. Jennifer Dutton (54) 4:10:18.1
25. Steve Sutton (56) 4:11:20.5
26. Kate Mason (64) 4:11:49.4
27. Charlotte Brynn (57) 4:12:01.9
28. Justine Brousseau (44) 4:13:25.8
29. Sophie Ryan (45) 4:22:29.9
30. Sue-Ellen Booher (69) 4:37:41.1
31. Paula Yankauskas (68) 4:41:59.3
32. Melanie Tyrell (53) 4:44:46.1
33. Claire Russell (61) 4:47:44.4
34. Michael Reilly (41) 5:13:56.9
35. Kathy Harrington (66) 5:58:11.8
36. Anna Delozier (59), DNF
37. Cornelia Bleul-Gohlke (57), DNF
38. Elizabeth Huesing (61), DNF
39. Fionnuala Walsh (49), DNF
40. Jessica Kennedy (45), DNF
41. Lauren Bryon (47), DNF
42. Mark Spratt (67), DNF
43. Peter Hayden (65), DNF
44. Stefan Reinke (64), DNF
45. Scott Duprex (55), DNF

First-person Impressions

• The water started off cold near the Canyon Dam, 55°F (about 12.7°C) as expected.  
• The day was very warm with typically hot desert air temperatures.  
• The three waves started fairly close together and the water surface chop was between non-existent and minimal. 
• The Z Brothers (younger brother Joe and older brother John shown below being interviewed) started off much earlier than everyone else as they put on another inspirational show of endurance while finishing a double crossing.
• The towering walls of Canyon Lake are as impressive as can be, as were the 7 bighorn sheep that came down to the lake, possibly curious about what the 45 humans were doing in their drinking hole.
• After 2 hours 51 minutes of swimming, my Garmin indicated approximately 2,475 calories were burned.  Dinner and dessert awaits somewhere along the 2-hour drive to Apache Lake. 

Day 3: The Crossing of Apache Lake

Nicholas got off things quickly on Day 3 across Apache Lake on Day 3 of the SCAR Swim Challenge in Arizona.

After two days of low winds, sunny cloudless skies, and low water temperatures, the top finishers both on the men's and women's sides had no changes. Michael Rice and Catherine Breed won the toughest, longest, coldest leg during the 4-day stage swim.

With the water being released, the temperature dropped down to 51.5°F (10.8°C) according to Peter Hayden's watch, near the start by Apache Dam [shown below].

"I apologize for making everyone wait as the starting line," said Stefan Reinke, the sole swimmer from Hawaii who never has the opportunity to train in cold water.  But the 65-year-old attorney, training in Honolulu, hung in tough and completed the swim. "I could not breathe when I first jumped in the water. I had to swim backstroke to the start. But I made it," he said later.

That accomplishment was something to be very proud of.  To the very last stroke. "Oh, Bill Shipp passed me at the very end [beating me by 15 seconds].  You know what a pair of men in Speedo's are called?  A race. And you know what a pair of men in Speedo's over the age of 60 are called? A serious race."

I felt the same way.  It was great to see how far that I could extend myself in cold water.  I had never swum in water that cold.  At the start of each lake, I was aiming to swim at least 30 minutes.  I figured 30 minutes was enough to judge myself as having put forward an honorable effort.  Fortunately each time, I got to 30 minutes, I was surprised by my desire to  swim further.  At 60 minutes, I was very happy to be able to swim further.  Same with 90 minutes, until the end.  So it was very satisfying to complete the entire event.

Apache Lake Results

1. Michael Rice (38) 4:52:46.2
2. Catherine Breed (30) 4:59:06.2
3. Steven Munatones (60) 5:11:06.3
4. Karen Zemlin (55) 5:30:40.9
5. Chris Cook (42) 5:34:25.2
6. Lura Wilhelm (41) :39:57.2
7. Steven Sherry (56) 6:04:02.5
8. Joe Zemaitis (43) 6:08:08.5
9. John Zemaitis (39) 6:13:43.0
10. Anna Zuccolotto Soto (37) 6:15:23.7
11. William Shipp (64) 6:15:25.2
12. Stefan Reinke (64) 6:15:40.8
13. Erica Beauchamp (49) 6:16:32.4
14. Abigail Bergman (27) 6:17:05.4
15. Shannon Keegan (48) 6:27:41.6
16. Kerianne Brownlie (29) 6:29:22.0
17. Rijl Barber (42) 6:30:37.8
18. Sofia Cardenas (34) 6:36:24.0
19. Jenny Smith (49) 6:40:40.8
20. Rod Watkins (62) 6:40:50.7
21. Mike Peters (29) 6:44:40.0
22. Haiden Freeman (23) 6:46:36.9
23. Steve Sutton (56) 7:03:29.2
24. Craig Collins (64) 7:04.12.1
25. Jennifer Dutton (54) 7:04:35.6
26. Kate Mason (64) 7:05:38.6
27. Jared Kenney (36) 7:13:07.8
28. Sofia Ryan (45) 7:27:32.3
29. Justine Brousseau (44) 7:36:23.6
30. Sue-Ellen Booher (69) 7:47:51.4
31. Paula Yankauskas (68) 7:50:21.0
32. Claire Russell (61) 8:07:29.9
33. Cornelia Bleul-Gohlke (57, wetsuit +3 hour) 9:05:43.8
34. Jessica Kennedy (Wetsuit 3+ hour) 9:34:00.8
35. Charlotte Brynn (57) DNF
36. Elizabeth Huesing (61) DNF
37. Lauren Byron, DNF
38. Mark Spratt (67) DNF
39. Melanie Tyrell, DNF
40. Patti Bauernfeind McMurdie (56) DNF
41. Peter Hayden (65) DNF
42. James Janik (47) DNF

First-person Impressions

• The water started off extremely cold near the towering Apache Lake.  How cold was it?  So cold that the tough 42-year-old Chris Cook of London said it was cold when he first jumped in off the pontoon boat near the start.
• How Stefan Reinke finished this cold water crossing is beyond me.  He was disappointed with his DNF on Canyon yesterday, but he made up for it big-time across Apache.
• The water was like glass over half of the way, and there was minimal surface chop for the remainder of the race.
• While the water was cold, the downstream current was helping the swimmers move forward.  The overall faster times this year showed the effects of the downriver push.
• I could barely breathe when I slide into the water from the pontoon boat.  Catherine Breed wanted to jump into together, but I wimped out and had to delay a bit in order to mentally prepare myself for the cold-water shock.  I immediately swam on my back while I attempted to control my breathing and stay focused on calming down.
• While the water was cold, the sun's solar rays were very warm and the swimmers coated themselves in sunscreen, zinc oxide mixtures, and Desitin [shown below].
• At the start, I tried to stay positive, but there was a limit of my positivity.  I convinced myself that I could swim for 30 minutes and then get out with some degree of honor.  When 30 minutes came by and my kayaker Chris Morgan signaled me to stop for a drink of water, I waved him off.  There was no way I could stop and take in water.  I had to keep moving.  The same thing happened at the 60-minute mark.  Chris' signal was ignored and I kept swimming.  Eventually, with the meandering river, the water warmed up several degrees and I felt comfortable enough to hydrate and eat.
• I had to be careful as part of the "Cardiac Club" (along with Steve Sutton and Peter Hayden).  We promised our families that we would give it our best shot, but will not push it to the point of danger.
• After 5 hours 11 minutes of swimming, my Garmin indicated approximately 4,668 calories were burned.  Dinner and dessert awaits.

On the last day in Roosevelt, volunteer Phil White reminded me of the contingent of Vermonters who participated in 2023 SCAR.  "All in all, there are 9 Swimmer Scouts who have swum the length of Memphremagog.  Ten are participating in one way or another.  Seven are swimming: Charlotte Brynn, Paula Yankauskas, Shannon House Keegan, Lauren Byron, Jennifer Dutton, Bill Shipp, and Steven Munatones, while two are kayaking: Sarah Thomas and Abigail Fairman, and one is assisting on the boats and on dryland: Elaine Kornbau Howley."

Roosevelt Lake Results

1. Catherine Breed (30) 2:23:26.2 
2. Michael Rice (38) 2:25:02.3 
3. Steven Munatones (60) 2:34:54.4 
4. Chris Cook (42) 2:43:03.4 
5. Lura Wilhelm (42) 2:43:58.9 
6. Karen Zemlin (55) 2:44:59.4 
7. Steven Sherry (56) 2:55:04.5 
8. Ashley Husmoe (15) 2:58:28.2 
9. Henry Palmer (20) 2:58:28.7 
10. Charlotte Brynn (57) 3:00:10.3 
11. Anna Delozier (59) 3:00:25.8 
12. William Shipp (63) 3:01:20.1 
13. Alison Meadow (49) 3:03:20.1 
14. Stefan Reinke (64) 3:03:27.1 
15. Abigail Bergman (27) 3:06:29.3 
16. Haiden Freeman (23) 3:09:32.5 
17. Erika Beauchamp (49) 3:11:46.8 
18. Cornelia Bleul-Gohlke (57) 3:14:56.8 
19. Sofia Cardenas (34) 3:15:44.7 
20. Anna Zuccolotto Soto (37) 3:15:50.3 
21. Shannon Keegan (48) 3:17:35.7 
22. Dana Price (50) 3:17:43.0 
23. Mike Peters (29) 3:18:23.3 
24. Rijl Barber (42) 3:18:47.0 
25. Jessica Kennedy (45) 3:18:59.8 
26. Rod Watkins (62) 3:19:38.5 
27. Mark Spratt (67) 3:22:00.1 
28. Rob Forst (52) 3:24:23.1 
29. Kerianne Brownlie (29) 3:27:11.4 
30. Jared Kenney (36) 3:28:02.7 
31. Jenny Smith (49) 3:30:09.1 
32. Peter Hayden (65) 3:30:09.6 
33. Steve Sutton (56) 3:34:12.0 
34. Kate Mason (64) 3:38:32.6 
35. Susie Paul (52) 3:39:57.0 
36. Jennifer Dutton (54) 3:44:32.9 
37. Justine Brousseau (44) 3:51:06.8 
38. Claire Russell (61) 3:51:11.4 
39. Lauren Byron (47) 3:51:48.1 
40. Sophie Ryan (45) 4:01:26.6 
41. Paula Yankauskas (68) 4:01:29.4 
42. Sue-Ellen Booher (69) 4:02:25.1 
43. Terri Daugherty (36) 4:03:15.4 
44. Kristiana Fox (44) 4:17:05.3 
45. Michael Reilly (41) 4:24:34.6 
46. Elizabeth Huesing (61) 4:25:25.7 
47. Melissa Housmyer (63) 5:13:10.4 
48. Joe Zemaitis (43) two-way loop

First-person Impressions

• Catherine Breed laid down the hammer right from the start, upsetting Michael Rice on the last day in Roosevelt.  She started out fast and kept up her pace, not leaving anything to chance as the pair winded in and between all the swimmers in Wave #1 and #2.
• After 5 hours 11 minutes of swimming, my Garmin indicated approximately 4,668 calories were burned.  Dinner and dessert awaits.
• One person who is greatly appreciated by everyone is Brad Lundblad, a local from Mesa, Arizona who has been helping out at SCAR for years as a kayaker, driver (both truck and boat), swimmer, security guard, and overall volunteer extraordinaire who unselfishly loads and unloads kayaks and carries all kinds of equipment and supplies throughout the four-day period.
• The water conditions were ideal, if you prefer flat, calm, tranquil waters.  There was even a slight wind push for the kayakers on occasion.
• The natural beauty of the landscape and canyons were beyond spectacular.

SCAR Cumulative Results (Total Time for Saguaro + Canyon + Apache + Roosevelt Lakes)

1. Michael Rice (38) 12:47:03.0 
2. Catherine Breed (30) 13:00:58.6 
3. Steven Munatones (60) 13:35:51.7 
4. Karen Zemlin (55) 14:35:46.2 
5. Chris Cook (42) 14:40:20.7 
6. Lura Wilhelm (41) 14:50:01.8 
7. Steven Sherry (56) 15:43:41.8 
8. William Shipp (63) 16:21:15.4 
9. Anna Zuccolotto Soto (37) 16:53:20.8 
10. Abigail Bergman (27) 16:57:52.0 
11. Erika Beauchamp (49) 17:01:54.0 
12. Mike Peters (29) 17:26:10.2 
13. Shannon Keegan (48) 17:30:47.8
14. Rijl Barber (42) 17:36:36.0 
15. Kerianne Brownlie (29) 17:41:08.9 
16. Rod Watkins (62) 17:44:15.0 
17. Sofia Cardenas (34) 17:44:57.6 
18. Haiden Freeman (23) 18:03:25.0 
19. Jenny Smith (49) 18:15:18.7 
20. Kate Mason (64) 19:04:50.2
21. Jared Kenney (36) 19:08:24.3 
22. Steve Sutton (56) 19:14:41.0 
23. Jennifer Dutton (54) 19:24:34.9 
24. Justine Brousseau (44) 20:06:27.9 
25. Sophie Ryan (45) 20:17:09.4 
26. Sue-Ellen Booher (69) 21:08:09.7 
27. Paula Yankauskas (68) 21:18:05.1 
28. Claire Russell (61) 21:30:57.4 
29. Joe Zemaitis (42) 33:49:00.5 (including two-way crossings of Saguaro + Canyon + Roosevelt)
30. Charlotte Brynn (3 races completed) 
31. Stefan Reinke (3 races completed) 
32. Patti Bauernfeind McMurdle (3  races completed) 
33. John Zemaitis (3 races completed) 
34. Anna Delozier (2 races completed) 
35. Cornelia Bleul-Gohlke (2 races completed) 
36. Mark Spratt (2 races completed) 
37. Peter Hayden (2 races completed) 
38. Susie Paul (2 races completed) 
39. Melanie Tyrell (2 races completed) 
40. Kristiana Fox (2 races completed) 
41. Michael Reilly (2 races completed) 
42. Elizabeth Huesing (2 races completed) 
43. Ashley Husmoe (1 race completed) 
44. Henry Palmer (1 race completed) 
45. Alison Meadow (1 race completed) 
46. Dana Price (1 race completed) 
47. Jessica Kennedy (1 race completed) 
48. Rob Forst (1 race completed) 
49. Brad Lundblad (1 race completed) 
50. Lauren Byron (1 race completed) 
51. Terri Daugherty (1 race completed) 
52. Fionnuala Walsh (1 race completed) 
53. Mike Healey (1 race completed) 
54. Melissa Housmyer (1 race completed) 
55. Cathy Harrington (1 race completed) 
56. Craig Collins (1 race completed) 

First-person Impressions

• Michael Rice and Catherine Breed received their SCAR Buckles for finishing first overall, a placing that surprised no one.  
• The determination of Breed to win the last stage in Roosevelt Lake was clear to see.  She took off from the start and never looked back.
• Much deeply felt appreciation goes to everyone involved, especially volunteers like Patty Hermann who paid for the beautifully creative SCAR Buckles and organized the enjoyable pre-swim in Saguaro Lake.

Jenny Smith summarized the event for many, "What an incredible event and awesome experience.  SCAR has been on my wishlist, and I am still reveling in it.  I cannot believe how Kent and his swim support family pulls off such an enormous event, I am still in SCAR swim bliss."

For additional information on the 4-day stage swim, visit the SCAR Facebook page here.  To apply to next year's swim, bookmark this SCAR website: www.scarswim.com.