Semana Nautica Athlete of the Year Cuyler Gabriel
Female Ocean Swimmer of the Year Olivia Smith
Male Ocean Swimmer of the Year Ben Brewer
Ben Brewer, Olivia Smith, and Cuyler Gabriel will receive special recognition from the Semana Nautica Association for their standout performances in connection with the 2014 summer sports festival.
There will be an official ceremony at the Reef & Run Boat to Beach event in August.
Brewer and Smith won the Ocean Swimmer of the Year point series for being the top overall ocean-swimming competitors across multiple events. It’s the second year that Semana Nautica has named an overall Male and Female Ocean Swimmer of the Year, and Brewer is now a two-time winner.
Brewer finished first overall in three of the four races counted. Victories in the 1-mile, 3-mile and the Nite Moves 1k gave him a clear lead in the points standings.
Smith was equally as dominant, winning the 3-mile, the Nite Moves 1k and Reef & Run 1 mile.
Twelve swimmers met the criteria for Ocean Swimmer of the Year, which involved competing in at least four distance races during the two-week festival. After Brewer came Arjun McAvoy, Jim Avrea, Ryan Wenger, Dave Kosmo, Mark Urish, Dave Tanner and Roland Takayama. Alethea Butler-Nalin came in second for the women, followed by Marcie Kjoller and Danielle Lipski.
Gabriel was voted as the festival’s Athlete of the Year. Gabriel won multiple events, including the 5-mile biathlon and a 1-mile swim at Reef & Run, and was runner-up in the Mullen & Henzel Mile Swim. He also competed in the three-day Age Group Meet at Los Banos Pool.
Gabriel, Brewer and Smith are all local teenagers who train with Santa Barbara Swim Club.
SWIMMER OF YEAR STANDINGS
MEN
NAME
BEST NM
BEST R&R
BEST 3 or 6
1 MILE
TOTAL
Ben Brewer
1
2
1
1 5 Arjun McAvoy
6
8
5
9 28 Jim Avrea
3
4
14
20 41 Ryan Wenger
8
16
20
26 70 Dave Kosmo
22
17
13
30 82 Mark Urish
13
15
23
32 83 Dave Tanner
53
45
26
66 190 Roland Takayama
52
42
55
68 217 WOMEN
NAME
BEST NM
BEST R&R
BEST 3 or 6
1 MILE
TOTAL
Olivia Smith
1
1
1
2 5 Alethea Butler-Nalin
3
8
9
11 31 Marcie Kjoller
11
7
10
8 41 Danielle Lipski
6
6
15
20 47
