The 11th Annual Steve Braun Memorial Triathlon saw 100 individuals and teams swimming, biking, and jogging their way through the day’s events.

The weather held overall on Sunday, and while there were choppy waters out in the lake, a safety boat stood by to aid swimmers. Volunteers for the event helped keep the participants timed, motivated, hydrated, and pointed in the right direction, and EMTs, the Orcas Rec staff and the Moran State Park staff were on hand to ensure the safety of competitors.

There were eight teams with two-three people per team; 63 triathletes finished all three legs of the race.

The first team to finish was team 66. Mark Drangsholt was the first male to finish the triathlon, with a time of 1:27:30. Alicia Cole was the first female to finish, with a time of 1:42:30. The youngest participant, Will Christinson, age 11, finished two legs of the race. The oldest participant was 65 years old and completed one leg as an individual.

The Cole family made a strong mark on the triathlon. Alicia was the first female across the final finish line and her father Stan (swimming) and husband Josh Horst (cycling and running) were the winners of the team times. Alicia is a serious athlete and a competitor at the national level in rowing. She is about to complete her studies as a doctor of naturopathic medicine. Alicia and her husband live in Seattle.

Stan, at 63, was second from the oldest in the race. He placed ahead of his daughter and 21-year-old-son (Kaman Cole, 41st over all) in the swimming portion. He says he could have done better if he hadn’t felt so constricted by the rented wetsuit. Stan was part of the water polo team in the Olympics of 1964, 1968, and 1972, winning the bronze in the 1972 Olympics. He and his wife Mary live outside of San Diego for most of the year, and spend their summers on Obstruction Island.

Proceeds from the Steve Braun triathlon went towards Orcas Rec, Friends of Moran State Park, and the San Juan Preservation Trust.

For more photos of the event, go to photographer Martin Taylor’s website at http://www.ednagallery.com/steve_braun_tri_2009.html