Smith, Steffen earn ‘Ocean Swimmer of the Year’ title
Olivia Smith and Taylor Steffen were the top swimmers at the 2017 Semana Nautica Summer Sports Festival, each winning multiple races on their way to being crowned Semana Nautica’s Ocean Swimmers of the Year.
The Ocean Swimmers of the Year will be recognized and awarded trophies on Thursday, August 24 at East Beach Grill following Reef & Run’s swimming event.
The Semana Nautica Ocean Swimmer of the Year is determined by a points accumulation based on the open-water swimming races during the festival. To qualify, competitors must swim in the Mullen & Henzell 1-Mile Swim, at least one of the two 1-mile races at Reef and Run, and either the 3-mile or 6-mile distance races.
Smith couldn’t be beat in 2017. The 19-year-old UC Davis swimmer triumphed in each of the three races she entered, making Smith the first three-time Semana Nautica Ocean Swimmer of the Year awardee. Smith also won in 2014 and 2016.
Steffen was also dominant. The 18 year old bested the field in the 3-mile swim and the Reef & Run 1-Mile swim while taking second in the Mullen & Henzell 1-mile race. Steffen adds the 2017 title to his previous Ocean Swimmer of the Year award from 2015.
Overall, eight males and eight females qualified for the Ocean Swimmer of the Year standings. Arjun McAvoy and Karen Schultz were runners-up. The Semana Nautica Ocean Swimmer of the Year point series was introduced in 2013.