Story and Photos By MEREDITH PHIPPS
SPO Student Reporter

On Saturday, the Aqua Mile swim race was held at Center Lake as part of the Northern Indiana Lakes Festival. It was the fourth annual swim race, and there were many racers competing for the fourth time. It was an exciting morning of good spirited competition, and community.

Photos by Meredith Phipps

Fifty-two swimmers raced in the categories of female wetsuit, female swimsuit, male wetsuit and male swimsuit. The overall winner was Jeff Ostermann, who is the defending champion two years running.

When I asked him how he felt about the race, he stated that the course is great, the layout is nice, it’s well marked, and that the water is beautiful. I spoke to the creator of the event, Troy Turley. He was inspired to start the event because he wanted to introduce the sport to Warsaw, get people involved in swimming, and earn funding for lake care.

If you are interested in competing next year, it’s never too early to start training! Anyone who is 11 or older is eligible to race.

For more information, see the Aqua Mile tab on the official website of Center Lake. If you choose to compete, come prepared for an exhilarating morning of swimming

Top Finishers:

• Female Swimsuit: Erin Sandberg, Staci Wooley, Amber Banning
• Male Swimsuit: Jeff Ostermann, Neal Ross, Ethan Cook
• Female Wetsuit: Mary Wilhoite, Nicole Froidevaux
• Male Wetsuit: Keith Higgibottom, Thaddeus Borchers, Chris Heckert