Semana Nautica’s 2017 festival produces record turnouts, new champions

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As the festival’s final Santa Barbara sunset fell into the sea, Semana Nautica’s 11-day run in 2017 came to a close with another amazing chapter completed for Santa Barbara’s 80-year-old sports festival.

Along with record crowds at several events, there were many outstanding athletic performances to note. Olivia Smith and Taylor Steffen captured the titles of Men’s and Women’s Ocean Swimmer of the Year while Tim Siciliano outlasted a record turnout to become the 6-Mile Swim champion.

2018


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Sergey Sushchikh and Addi Zerrenner triumphed on the new trail course of the 4th of July 15K, leading almost 300 runners who took part in either the 15K or 5K. The CBVA’s beach volleyball tournaments were won by players with international acclaim.

Semana Nautica includes non-sporting events as well. There’s an Art Show with a coastline/beach theme and cash prizes organized by the Santa Barbara Art Association. And don’t forget the Krazy Kardboard Kayak Race that combines family friendly competition with engineering and boating know-how.

As the sand settles, it was another great Semana Nautica Festival packed with unforgettable memories. Thanks to all our participants, spectators, sponsors, and the City of Santa Barbara for making it all possible.

4TH OF JULY 15K [RESULTS]


The Semana Nautica 15K was revolutionized this year as the race was dramatically altered by a move from the flatlands of the Goleta Valley to the up-and-down, varied-surface trails at Elings Park. The course change didn’t phase Sergey Sushchikh and Addi Zerrenner, both collegiate long-distance runners, as the pair were victorious for the second straight year. Sushchikh edged second and third place finishers Chris Gregory and Tyler Hansen with a time of 52 minutes and 32 seconds. Zerrenner, 9th overall, won the women’s race in 59:42. Rachel Ragona, of Westlake, was second in the women’s race.

The Santa Barbara Athletic Association added a 5K distance which attracted nearly as many runners as the 15K race, a total of almost 300 runners. After the race, the Kiwanis Club served a pancake breakfast to help the SBAA raise money for local high school running programs

It was the 63rd running for the Semana Nautica 15K, held annually on the 4th of July.

SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT: SEMANA NAUTICA 15K RACE RUNS AGAIN

There was also a 5K race on offer and Goleta resident Ian Morgan set the pace in 19:08. Jake Ballantine was second at 21:00. Santa Barbara’s Lauren McClanahan was victorious in the women’s 5K with a time of 22:24. Solette Westerberg was the second female finisher followed closely by Jamie Duncan and Mariann Thomas.

OCEAN SWIMMER OF THE YEAR


Olivia Smith retained her title as Female Ocean Swimmer of the Year while Taylor Steffen emerged as the Male Ocean Swimmer of the Year.

Just qualifying for the Ocean Swimmer of the Year Point Series isn’t easy. A swimmer has to swim two different 1-mile ocean swimming races, and either the 3-mile swim or the six-mile swim.

There was plenty of competition for the Ocean Swimmer of the Year honor, as Karen Schultz threatened Smith’s crown by winning the 6-mile swim and placing second in 1-mile and 3-mile races. But Smith’s results were too strong to overcome, as the 19 year old won each of the three races she competed in.

In the men’s standings, 2016 top-dog Chris Braden finished a close second to Steffen. Braden recorded a 2nd in the Reef & Run mile, and two 3rds in the 1-mile and 3-mile swims.

MULLEN & HENZELL ONE-MILE SWIM [RESULTS]


Ben Brewer edged Taylor Steffen to triumph in a closely contested 1-Mile Ocean Swim. Brewer’s winning time was 20 minutes and 19 seconds while Steffen followed at 20:25. Olivia Smith

Brewer and Steffen swam in a lead pack of five swimmers for most of the mile-long course. Drafting for the first two miles, Brewer and Steffen created some separation over the final quarter mile and Brewer outkicked Steffen by a couple body lengths from the final buoy turn to the beach.

SEMANA NAUTICA 3-MILE SWIM [RESULTS]


Taylor Steffen became a two-time champion by topping 74 other swimmers on the 3-mile course at East Beach. Myles Peck, Chris Braden, Steffan Westerberg and Tim Siciliano rounded out the top-five performances. Olivia Smith, Karen Schultz and Mallory Mead came in 1-2-3 in the women’s race. Smith’s winning time of 1:07.59 was good for 8th overall.

The Semana Nautica 3-Mile Swim uses a race course parallel to East Beach, starting in front of the Cabrillo Bathhouse and stretching down to Stearns Wharf and back.

CBVA MEN’S OPEN


Jake MacNeil and Gabe Burlacu defeated local duo Ric Cervantes and Mike Stewart 23-21, 21-16 to capture the CBVA Open crown and $300 apiece.

Cervantes and Stewart survived hard-fought three-set matches in the semifinals and quarterfinals before having to face the Canadian duo in the championship match. The champions defeated top-seeded Michael Boag and Jorge Martinez in the semis.

NOOZHAWK: SANTA BARBARA OPEN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS DRAW HIGH-CALIBER TEAMS

Burlacu and MacNeil, from Toronto, Canada, are in California training with the Canadian National Beach Volleyball Team.

“We wanted to get in some training for a week in California and some of our buddies told us there was a tournament here, so we might as well play a tournament,” Burlacu told Noozhawk. “We’d never been to Santa Barbara and we heard it’s a great beach, so we made the trek.”

CBVA WOMEN’S OPEN


Kathryn Plummer and Milica Mirkovic proved they were championship worthy by defeating all comers including Sammy Slater and Haley Hallgren in the title match, 21-15, 21-18.

Plummer is 6’6″ tall and won an indoor national championship last year while a freshman at Stanford. Plummer and Mirkovic, a Cal Bear, have plenty of experience playing together, having previously won multiple medals at top-end international tournaments.

NOOZHAWK: SANTA BARBARA OPEN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS DRAW HIGH-CALIBER TEAMS

Plummer and Mirkovic knocked out defending champions Jace Pardon and Brittany Tiegs in the semifinals.

SEMANA NAUTICA ART SHOW


A watercolor painting by Gail McBride Kenny was awarded first place by juror Ralph Waterhouse at the 2017 Semana Nautica Art Show. The work, named “Dyad,” features two white egrets wading through shallow water.

All the winning pieces are being displayed throughout the month of July at the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion. Viewers can see the paintings and photographs during business hours Monday to Friday until July 28.

Other winning pieces belong to Frances Reighley, who submitted an oil painting named, “Joe Cool at the Beach,” and Rick Osgood, whose watercolor piece, “Ellwood Shoreline,” won third place. Jodi Simpson, Nina Warner, and Janice Lorber were recognized as Honorable Mentions.

The Semana Nautica Art Show is managed by the Santa Barbara Art Association.

FIVE-MILE BIATHLON [RESULTS]


Grant Schroeder proved to be a dangerous threat in his first Semana Nautica Biathlon, a four-mile beach run followed by a 1-mile ocean swim. Schroeder bested the field in a winning time of 44 minutes and 38 seconds.

NOOZHAWK: SCHROEDER MAKES IMPRESSIVE DEBUT IN SEMANA NAUTICA BIATHLON

Schroeder wasn’t the first to hit the water after the beach run but gained his advantage on the 1-mile swim course. The recent Cal grad was a collegiate water polo player and triathlete, so the swim was his strongpoint.

Jake Ballantine came in second with a time of 46:03 followed by Stepan Paul at 48:35. Ruby Singh was the top women’s competitor completing the course in 1:00.41.

RUN TO SURF ADVENTURE RACE


Combining a scenic waterfront 5K running race with a beach obstacle course and a 1K paddleboard race, Run to Surf joined the Semana Nautica schedule for the first time in 2017. The popular event was in its second year at Leadbetter Beach Park. Hundreds of locals competed as individuals or teams in the friendly contest. Times were not kept, but local triathlete and physical trainer Kyle Visin completed the course ahead of the pack.

KRAZY KARDBOARD KAYAK RACE [VIDEO]


The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum hosted its family-fun annual event at West Beach with 25 teams participating. Each team was given two large cardboard sheets, some duct tape, and a yard stick. Their challenge was to construct a boat from these materials that would be able to keep a human afloat during a short race. There were three races at the end, and some boats proved to be more seaworthy than others. Find Results HERE.

SEMANA NAUTICA 6-MILE SWIM [RESULTS]


One of Semana Nautica’s most challenging races, the six-mile course begins at Goleta Beach and finishes at Hendry’s Beach. Luckily, conditions were mild this year and swimmers were able to complete the six miles in considerably faster times compared to 2016. Tim Siciliano, 37, a former University of Michigan swimmer who now coaches at UCSB, came in with a time of 2 hours, two minutes and 41 seconds. Karen Schultz, who also won this event in 2014, came in second overall with a time 2:07:00. Last year’s champion, Moby Coquillard,  claimed third place in 2:08:25. Coquillard has recorded a top-10 finish in seven consecutive years.

NOOZHAWK: SICILIANO, SCHULTZ WIN 6-MILE SWIM

The 54 swimmers who completed the race was a record turnout for the 6-Mile Swim, which has a history going back to 1990.

SANTA BARBARA TENNIS OPEN [RESULTS]


No. 1 seed Nicolas Moreno de Alboran topped third-seeded Graham Maassen 6-1, 6-1 to win the Men’s Open championship. In the Women’s Open Championship, it was Stephanie Yamada defeating Criss Rodriguez 6-2, 6-0.