With a time of 33 minutes, Chip Peterson of Chapel Hill was the first contestant to cross the finish line south of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier in Wrightsville Beach for the 10th annual Wilmington Family YMCA Pier-2-Pier swim Saturday, Sept. 13.
Peterson and the nearly 400 other swimmers in the water Saturday swam 2 miles from Crystal Pier to Johnnie Mercer’s Pier against the light north wind. Earlier in the morning YMCA Cape Fear Aquatic Club head coach said the wind was blowing from the south as forecasted, thus causing race organizers to determine the swimmers would start from Crystal Pier and swim with the wind. However, the weather had other ideas and the wind switched from the north shortly before the start of the race at 9 a.m.
The wind did not stop Peterson and other top swimmers from finishing in good time.
Peterson finished first, followed by Connor Williams at 37:08 minutes and Noah Cairns at 37:15.
For the women the top finishers were Caty Hulsey at 37:26, Danielle Silverling at 37:53 and Meghan Joram at 37:54.
Peterson, a 2010 graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, was on the UNC swim team during his college years but had a couple medical setbacks afterward. Following a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, Peterson needed to have a colectomy with his last surgery in November 2013. Since that time Peterson has competed in six 10K swim races and said it felt great to take first in the Pier-2-Pier.
Seventeen-year-old third place female contestant Meghan Joram came down to Wrightsville Beach from Winston Salem with numerous members of the Tyde Swim Club. A majority of the teammates, aged 14-17, had competed in the swim two or three times before. All members of the team said the swim was a good test and those who were return swimmers said they were glad there were no jellyfish in the water like there was two years ago.
YMCA Aquatic Club head coach Gavin Spake said Saturday’s race was the first time the event maxed out with around 400 contestants registered.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Aquatic Club.
