December 27, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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SHS boys swimmers tank Lincoln,
challenge selves with Gig Harbor
( ourtesy of Joe Peters
Participants at the fourth annual Squaxin Community Salish Sea
Plunge lift their arms in victory after taking a dip in the cold, January
water last New Year's Day.
By EMILY HANSON
For the fifth year in a
row, the bold in Mason
County are invited to brave
the frigid waters of the
Hammersley Inlet.
The fifth annual Squax-
in Community Salish Sea
Plunge is set for 11 a.m.
on New Year's Day. Those
brave enough will jump into
Hammersley Inlet from the
Arcadia Point Boat Ramp.
The event was started
five years ago by Joe Peters,
a fish biolbgist and harvest
manager for the Squaxin
Island Tribe's Natural Re-
sources Department.
"I had been taking part
with my kids in the polar
bear swim that occurs in
Olympia for over five years,"
Peters said. "In 2008, Tribal
Council member Charlene
Krise suggested that I start
a polar bear jump for the
community. So, in 2008,
I sent an email out to the
tribal community to come
out and start a new tradi-
tion with me."
"Peters said there were
about 10 swimmers the
first year. Last year's sea
plunge saw roughly 20
swimmers, ranging in age
from 2 to 68.
Peters said that, at first,
he wanted to provide a free
drug-and-alcohol free event
that signifies a fresh start or
a new beginning for a new
year.
"Jumping into the cool,
crisp water is cleansing and
refreshing to the mind and
body," Peters said. "Some
would say that we are just
crazy."
It was the idea of a re-
freshing start that brought
Jen Strader to the second
Squaxin Community Salish
Sea Plunge.
"I wanted something new
to do," Strader said. "I had
just gone through the sepa-
ration process and I wanted
to start my new year off in a
refreshing way."
This will be Strader's
fourth year participating in
the event. She said she con-
tinues plunging because she
thinks it's a good cause.
"We all bring cans of food
for the Squaxin Community
Food Bank," she said.
The sea plunge has
grown into a food drive for
the Squaxin Community
Food Bank, Peters said.
While bringing nonper-
ishable foods to the event
is encouraged, it is not re-
quired in order to partici-
pate.
On average, about 15
people show up each year.
About the same number
watch from the shore, Pe-
ters said.
"I would rather go plung-
ing with a small group of
people I know than be one
of a crowd of people I don't
know," Strader said.
Another aspect of the
sea plunge, which adds to
the fun, is that participants
dress up in costumes.
Peters said he's seen
people in pajamas, tuxedo
T-shirts, blue wigs, Presi-
dent Barack Obama masks,
dreadlock wigs and classic
swim trunks or bikinis.
Strader said she has
dressed in costume each
year.
"Last year, I wore roller
derby attire, the year be-
fore I wore tropical attir6
and the first year, I threw
together everything, wild
I could think of," she said.
"I wore a Mariners' jersey
with bloomers and a skirt
over them. I went in with a
cowboy hat on and I came
out with the cowboy hat still
on."
She said she's going to
dress up again this year,
but her costume will be a
surprise.
"It will involve wings,
though," she said.
"We may be crazy, but I
have fun plunging in to the
Salish Sea with my kids,"
Peters said. "It has become
a tradition, each year I have
past participants ask if we
are still a go Jan. 1. Every-
body is welcome to take the
plunge."
Strader said in the years
she's participated, the sea
plunge has happened during
pouring rain and in freezing
temperatures.
"The most memorable
plunge for me was two years
ago," she said. "It was 31
degrees, sunny and there
was snow on the ground. It
looked warm outside so we
all had a tropical theme go-
ing on, but we were freezing
and just Wait~to go in."
While S~der's sons
have watched her dive each
year, she said this year they
will be taking the plunge.
"Last year, my 16-year-
old went in at the spur of
the moment in the clothes
he was wearing," she said.
Strader called the plunge
a good event for people to
do if they're looking to be
involved in something dif-
ferent.
"It's fun, it's relaxed and
it's great camaraderie," she
said. "I've met people and
stayed in contact with them
all year and I would never
have met them if I didn't do
it."
By EMILY HANSON
The Shelton boys' swim team com-
peted against two teams on opposite
ends of the competition spectrum last
week.
The Highclimbers opened their
week with a 128-49 victory against
Lincoln on Dec. 18.
"Lincoln had seven swimmers,"
co-head coach Chad Youngquist said.
"We didn't put in our strongest line-
up."
Since Lincoln is a 3A Narrows
League team with Shelton, Youngquist
said the Highclimbers had to compete
against them.
"They have blocks, though, so it's
always good for practice," he said.
With so few swimmers on the Lin-
coln side and no diving event -- the
board was recently painted and was
too slick for competition -- the meet
lasted roughly an hour, Youngquist
said.
"So the Shelton swimmers got half
as much rest time as they usually do
during a meet," he added. "We had
some focusing problems."
Despite the lack of focus, six High-
climbers earned best times in seven
events.
Luke Fiedler earned a best time in
the 200-yard freestyle with a time of
2 minutes, 18.94 seconds, fast enough
for second place.
In the 200-yard
individual medley,
Chris Frost swam a
best time at 2:57.41,
taking fourth place.
Frost also earned
DEC. 20: a best time in the
Gig Harbor..132100-yard backstroke.
Shelton ........ 54 He took fourth
place with a time of
JAN. 3: 1:25.94.
Shelton at Harrison MacA-
Stadium, 3 p.m. levy won the 50-yard
freestyle with a best
time of 23.66.
In the 100-yard bul~terfly, Alex
Dodge took fourth place with a best
time of 1:33.81.
Austin Wells took fourth place in
the 100-yard freestyle with a best
time of 1:05.47.
Finally, two swimmers earned best
times in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Ryan Taylor won the event with a
time of 1:20.05, while Dalton Green
took second at 1:24.63.
On the flip side, Gig Harbor defeat-
ed Shelton 132-54 on Dec. 20.
"Gig Harbor will be in the top 10
in the state for 4A," Youngquist said.
"We don't have to swim them, I just
wanted the guys to see what they
should aspire to. GigHarbor has over
See Swimming on page C-4
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STORE & DELl SPECIALS -- DEC 27- JAN 2
Journal photo by Emdy Hanson
Shelton sophomore post Tyler Speaks drives to the basket against
Tumwater junior guard Clayton Boze Friday during the Highclimbers'
game at Tumwater.
SkokomishPark.com • 360-877-5760
Basketball
Continued from page C-1
Sandberg said Shelton (1-6) has a long
season ahead of it.
"I keep telling them that I expect a
good effort every day in practice and in
games," he said. "I am coaching a good
team. They are good friends and are
close-knit. That is important to me."
Shelton is set to play Aberdeen at 7
p.m. tomorrow at home.
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Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 - Page C-3
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