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Atlantic City Press Article
August 8, 2002
Ocean City caps wave of success
By GUY GARGAN For The Press, (609) 272-7210, E-Mail
VENTNOR - It was Ocean City's day, and Ocean City's season.
The women of the Ocean City Beach Patrol dominated the eighth Cape Atlantic
Women's Lifeguard Invitational on Wednesday, winning the team championship
by a huge margin of 12 points.
The victory completed a sweep by Ocean City of the three all-female beach
patrol events of the South Jersey Chiefs Association season.
O.C. singles rower Carolyn Stephanik also was 3-for-3 on the season in her
event. Stephanik won a thrilling duel with Brigantine's Liz Alquist by a
half-boatlength in the singles in what was easily the calmest ocean of the racing
season.
Stephanik and partner Kristie Brown were second in the doubles row. Elise
Thieler easily won the swim for Ocean City, and the patrol's surf dash team,
scoreless in the previous two events, grabbed second place.
Ocean City scored 20 points, while Ventnor, Wildwood Crest and Brigantine
tied for second with eight points apiece. The Chiefs Association's doubles row
tiebreaker is waved in the Cape Atlantic Invitational. Sea Isle City and Atlantic
City finished in a deadlock for fifth place, each with seven points.
After the races, the O.C. women posed for a team picture with patrol chief Tom
Mullineaux and coach Jeff Garbutt. With no ice bucket around to douse Garbutt
with, the team then pushed him into the ocean. The laughing coach and
doubles rower was somehow able to remain upright and only got his feet wet.
"I've been working with the rowers and the surf dashers all season," Garbutt
said. "I don't know that much about swimming, so I just made sure Elise was
working out. The girls really came together."
Mullineaux was equally happy. "It's tough to go undefeated," he said. "I was
really nervous today with the amount of real talent in the meet. I'm especially
happy for Carolyn and Kristie, because they've been working at it for a few
years. It means a lot to have a sweep - to us, the girls and the patrol."
But the doubles row was a mild surprise, as the Sea Isle City crew of Joanne
Lombard and Megan McCormick beat Stephanik and Brown by two boatlengths.
Atlantic City's Therese Hudson and Lexie Zaborowski were third.
"The conditions favored us, because we trained for endurance rather than
power," McCormick, the stern, said. "The calm ocean was easier to pull through
than a rough chop. We were second at Longport (the Longport Women's
Lifeguard Invitational) and third in Wildwood (the Wildwood Invitational Women's
Lifeguard Championships), and we won (the women's division of) the Upper
Township Bay Row. This is our biggest win. The event is like the South Jersey
Championship for women."
Thieler at first went off course to the wrong pink flag out in the ocean. When she
got closer, she realized her mistake and turned left toward the correct flag. It
hardly mattered because Thieler had a good lead. The Clemson University
swimmer led by 20 yards on the way in, and got up and surf dashed to a
30-yard win. Stephanie Gibson of Atlantic City was second.
"I tried to pace myself and go hard after the (halfway) flag," Thieler said. "The
conditions were good. It was a little choppy, but it could have been a lot worse."
After talking with her father on the cell phone, Carolyn talked about
Wednesday's race and the season.
"I liked the calmer ocean. It was more of a race," Stephanik said. "Training for
the doubles really helps in the singles, because its longer and I have a great
partner. It was a whole team effort. Hopefully, everyone will come back next
year."
The Wildwood Crest surf dash team of Jen King, Marisa Galloway, Jeanette
Carroll and Rose Brenner had a mini-sweep of the season, winning
Wednesday's race and at the Wildwood Invitational. The Crest wasn't at the
Longport Women's Invitational.
