40-year-old Harvey Cedars guard fends off 16-year-old Ivy Slavinsky of Sea Girt
CAPE MAY POINT – She did it again. Jenna Parker won the 16th annual Cape May Point Women’s Lifeguard Challenge for the sixth time. Last year, Parker placed second, turning in a time just 3 seconds short of the winner’s 24:00.
The race consists of a consecutive 1.3-mile soft sand run, one-mile ocean paddle, and half-mile ocean swim. Each beach patrol may enter as many as two teams, an A team and B team, each consisting of two female competitors. Each competitor completes the entire course with competitors scoring individually and as a team with cross country style scoring.
The event featured a record-setting 54 competitors from 18 beach patrols.
Parker turned in a winning time of 25:27, just three seconds ahead of second-place finisher Ivy Slavinsky, 16, of the Sea Girt Beach Patrol. Slavinsky’s time was 25:30.
Parker, at 40 years old, was double the age of some of the participants. Last year, she told the Star and Wave it was her final competition.
“They raced so well today,” she said. “They really made me dig deep; it doesn’t get easier.”
The level of competition and the level the women up and down the Jersey coast have raised to over the last five to eight years is incredible, Parker said.
“I hope that maybe me being around has helped with that to help inspire the next generation,” she said.
Parker finished fifth in Cape May Beach Patrol’s Superathalon July 2 as the only female competitor and the first woman to do the open division.
“I’m 40 and to be able to be out here with girls half my age, it’s something that I’m going to hold onto for as long as I can,” she said.
More soft sand this year on the beach made the run more challenging along with a choppy ocean which caused Parker to cut her leg on a jetty. The high tide hid most of the jetties on the course and Cape May Point Beach Patrol lifeguards on paddleboards were out in the water to direct competitors around them. Parker didn’t initially set the jetty near the end of the swim and actually stood up on it. She said she didn’t want to get disqualified for going over it, so she jumped back into the water and swam around it.
Parker said every year she must train a little harder. When she is not lifeguarding, she works as chief of staff for a health tech company and has an upcoming acting project providing a voice for an animated film.
Third place was taken by Katie Zgorski, 23, of the Ocean City (Md.) Beach Patrol in a time of 25:45; followed by Lexi Santer, 28, of the Ocean City (N.J.) Beach Patrol, last year’s winner, in fourth place in 27:03; and Maddie Priest, 18, of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol, in fifth place in 28:01.
Zgorski, a first-time competitor in the Cape May Point event, said the waves were rough on the swim causing her to swallow a lot of water but paddling was easier catching incoming waves. She said she was accustomed to running on soft sand in Maryland competitions.
Rounding out the top 10 were Grace Emig, of Brigantine City Beach Patrol “A” in sixth place, 28:49; Emma DeMario, of Cape May Beach Patrol “A” in seventh place, 28:52: Madi Bickford, of Cape May Beach Patrol “B” in eighth place, 29:02; Bella Bulhoes, of Sea Bright Ocean Rescue, in ninth place, 29:55; and Kylie Fry, of Sea Isle City Beach Patrol “A” in the 10th spot in 29:57.
Bickford said “A” and “B” teams in Cape May trained for the event as a group.
Water conditions were rougher than previous years with two-foot seas, a south wind and a water temperature of 67 degrees. A high tide was occurring right at the start of the race.
The top three teams in cross country scoring were Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol “A Team.” Jenna Parker and Maggie Shaw with 11 points, Cape May Beach Patrol “A Team,” Emma DeMario and Madi Bickford in second place with 13 points and Brigantine City Beach Patrol “A Team,” Grace Emig and Megan Winterbottom with 14 points.
In the soft sand run at the first flag, Slavinsky was in the lead followed by Maddie Priest, of Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol “A.” Parker took the lead in the soft sand race followed closely by Slavinsky and Zgorski.
On the last leg of the soft sand race, headed for the paddleboards, Slavinksky took the lead followed by Parker and Zgorski. Parker was first in the water in the paddleboard portion and maintained a lead with Slavinsky close behind.
Slavinsky was first out of the surf in the paddle board competition followed closely by Parker and Zgorski.
In the half-mile ocean swim, headed towards the finish, Slavinsky and Parker were neck and neck followed closely by Zgorski.
“It’s going to be a close one, folks,” race announcer Sgt. Tony Genero said.
Parker was first out of the water for the win.
Race director Kristen Moorby dedicated the race to Harry “Buzz” Mogck, former Cape May Beach Patrol chief who served the city for five decades. He passed away June 23. She requested a moment of silence in his honor.
Moorby presented a plaque to Mogck family.
– STORY by JACK FICHTER/Sentinel and Cape May Star and Wave staff
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel and Cape May Star and Wave staff
