Competitors break away from the starting line at Thursday's Cape May Point Women's Lifeguard Challenge.
By BRIAN CUNNIFF
CAPE MAY POINT — How good was Jenna Parker at Thursday’s Cape May Point Women’s Lifeguard Challenge?
So good that she finished the run-rescue board-swim triathlon-style race before most of the competitors had even completed the second leg.
Parker, a former professional triathlete, won the event for the fourth time in five tries, posting a time of 22 minutes, 58 seconds. The Harvard graduate and professional actress beat the 49-lifeguard field by nearly 2 ½ minutes.
Diamond Beach lifeguard Scarlett Loughlin placed second in 25:54. It was Loughlin’s third top 10 finish in four tries at the race.
Surf City’s Julia Rothstein finished third in 25:26, Longport’s Taylor Phy was fourth in 25:27 and Ocean City’s Stephanie Hauck placed fifth in 25:58.
Parker, who, at age 35 was also the oldest competitor in the field by seven years, joined with Maggie Shaw, who placed seventh, to give Harvey Cedars the team championship. Hauck and Samantha Brady, who placed sixth, gave Ocean City a second-place team finish.
The race included a 1.3-mile soft-sand run, one-mile ocean paddleboard and half-mile ocean swim.