2018 Cap 2K Open Water Race and Pledge Swim scheduled for Sunday, April 29, 2018

Students from Pasadena Memorial High School in Pasadena, Texas, who competed in the 2016 race,
 are shown  with Olympic Gold Medalist and race coordinator Sandy Neilson-Bell (third from left).
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography, Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (April 29, 2018) At 10:30 a.m. in Austin, Texas, the 2018 Cap 2K Open Water Race and Pledge Swim will begin with over 200 swimmers from all over the United States competing. The race, which is billed as "The Only 'Downhill' Swimming Race in Texas" will start off the east end of  Red Bud Isle  and will consist of a 2000-plus-meter straightaway course ending at the Texas Rowing Center in Austin in Lady Bird Lake.

The race is the brainchild of Dr. Keith Bell and his wife, Sandy Neilson-Bell and will attract swimmers as young as 12-year-old and as old as their 80s. The divisions include adults 18-and-over, youth 12-14 years old, , first responders, and a separate division for those choosing to wear a wet suit. The Cap 2K also includes a division for high school-aged swimmers. The 10th Annual Open Water Swimming H.S. Championships will see seventeen swimmers from the Houston area competing, including swimmers who attend First Baptist Christian Academy, Pasadena High School, Pasadena Memorial High School, Sam Rayburn High School and various swimming clubs from the Gulf area.

As stated on the event's web site, it is held for fun, health and fitness, to promote clean water and water conversation, and to raise money for swim lessons for those less fortunate and to fight prostate cancer through support, education, awareness and advocacy.

Awards to the top competitors will be presented at the conclusion of the race at Eiler's Park, which is next to historic Deep Eddy Pool in Austin.

Hurrell-Zitelman and Johnson record top finishes in 2017 Cap 2K Open Water Race

Jacob Hurrell-Zitelman was the top overall 

finisher in the 2017 Cap 2K Open Water Race.

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, 

La Vita Loca Photography

Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 1, 2017) Nineteen-year-old Jacob Hurrell-Zitelman and 17-year-old Morgan Johnson were the top male and female finishers in the 15th Annual Cap 2K Open Water Race in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 30, 2017. Hurrell-Zitelman finished the two-kilometer course in 23 minutes, 43.88 seconds, which was eight seconds ahead of second place finisher Clark Wakeman. Jacob Hurrell-Zitelman swims collegiately for Trinity University in San Antonio and was a triple gold medalist in the 2017 Southern Collegiate Atlantic Conference Championships in the 500-yard freestyle (4:36.25), 400-yard individual medley (4:04.764) and 1,650-yard freestyle (15:54.58). The 2016 graduate of San Antonio Taft High School also competed in the 2017 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in the 500-yard, 100-yard, and 1.650-yard freestyle along with the 400-yard individual medley. Wakeman's second place time was 23 minutes, 51.82 second with 27-year-old Nolan Slesnick placing third (24:02.15).

Morgan Johnson was the top overall female

finisher in the 2017 Cap 2K Open Water Race.

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, 

La Vita Loca Photography

Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

In the female division, 17-year-old Morgan Johnson was the top finisher with the time of 25 minutes, 2.37 seconds. Her performance was also the fourth overall best time in the race. Fisishing in second place in the female division was 16-year-old Halle Gordon (27:34.52) with 14-year-old Erin Lin (27:48.02) taking third. In the First Responder division, William Hanson placed first with the time of 37 minutes, 57.19 seconds. Sybil Hay was second with the time of 47 minutes, 54,60 seconds.

Cap 2K co-race organizer and founder Keith Bell was second in the men's 65-69-year-old division with the time of 31 minutes, 49.74 seconds. His performance was also 30th overall in the field of 185 competitors. He is the only swimmer to have competed in all 15 Cap 2K Races, whom he runs and organizes with his wife, Sandy Neilson-Bell. Neilson-Bell was a triple gold medalist (100-meter freestyle, 400 meter freestyle relay, 400-meter medley relay) in the 1972 Olympic Summer Games in Munich.

The 16th edition of the Cap 2K is scheduled for Sunday, April 29, 2018. 

SBAS swimmers place Top-3 in 2017 Cap 2K Open Water Race

Derrick Mauk accepts the award
for his third place finish
in the Cap 2K Open Water Race.
Photo by Darla S Tamuitis.
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 1, 2017) Four members of the South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team (SBAS) competed in the Cap 2K Open Water Swimming Race on April 30, 2017 in Austin's Colorado River and came back to the Pasadena area with three Top Three finishes.

Derrick Mauk, competing in the men's 40-44-year-old age group placed third with the time of 33:11.01. the former nationally ranked high school diver and USA Masters Swimming National Championships Finalist was competing in his second Cap 2k. He first competed in the race in 2007, placing second in the men's 30-39-year-old division with the time of 35:18.56.

Marco Castillo palced
third inn his second-ever Cap 2K.
Photo by Darla S Tamuitis.
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

Pasadena Memorial students Tristan Morgan and Marco Castillo, who competed in the men's 18-24-year-old division, finished in second and third place, respectively. Morgam posted the time of 35:56.03 while Castillo was just under two minutes back at 37:45.07. Morgan previously competed in the race in 2015 and 2016 in the high school aged division, while Castillo also competed in 2016.

In the boys 12-14-year-old division, Harrison Brown placed fourth in his first ever Cap 2K with the time of 36:44.30. His time was only 55 seconds behind third-place finisher Lane Stallworth (35:49.18).

Students from Pasadena Memorial HS place second in open water swimming competition

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography, Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 1, 2017) Students from Pasadena Memorial High School swam their way down the Colorado River in Austin in route to a second place finish in the team standings at the American Swimming Association State High School Open Water Championship, as part of the Cap 2K Open Water Race on April 30, 2017. Students from four Houston-area high schools competed in the championship, including students from Pasadena High School, First Baptist Christian Academy, and Sam Rayburn High School

The group who attends Pasadena Memoria placed six swimmers in the top eleven of the girl's high school aged division; finishing behind Westlake High School for the second consecutive year in the team standings. Leading the way was 16-year-old Catherine Acosta. The junior completed the two-kilometer course in 36:08.43; good enough for fifth place. 2017 was Acosta's second time competing in the open water race. Also competing their second time were Memorial classmates Brianna Lykens

Pasadena-area swimmers headed out to
the starting line of the Cap 2K.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis,
La Vita Loca Photography,
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

(7th place, 41:40.61), Abigail Salazar (9th place, 42:36.20), Reanna Bowers (10th place, 44;20.02) and Christine Osborne (11th place, 47.07.79). Joining them in the Maverick's scoring was first-timer Kimberly Dutton (6th  place, 39:34.82). Pasadena High School junior Alexa Perez placed eighth with the time of 42:12.21. Memorial scored 18 points for the runner-up in the team standings behind Westlake (27 points). Westside High School was third with seven points while Pasadena placed fourth with three points.

In the boy's division, First Baptist Christan Academy's Christopher Brown finished in seventh place with the time of 37:49.41, followed by Sam Rayburn High School's Michael Vargas in eighth place (37:55.20). FBCA placed fifth in the team standings as a resullt of Brown's performance.

THREE FORT HOOD DOLPHINS, COACH FIND SUCCESS AT CAP 2K OPEN WATER SWIMMING RACE

(Pictured L to R: Kaitlin Tierney, Rachel Singer, Kristine Kelly, Lauren Singer. Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loco Photography Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved)

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 3, 2009) Three members of the Fort Hood Dolphins Swimming Team and one of their coaches found success at The Money Box Cap 2K Open Water Swimming Race at Lady Bird Lake in Austin this past Sunday.

Fort Hood Dolphins age group swimmers Kaitlin Tierney and Rachel Singer placed second and third place, respectively in the girls youth division (ages 12-14) while their Dolphins teammate and current Killeen High School swimmer Lauren Singer place tenth in the girls high school division of the 2000-meter race.

In addition, Kristine Kelly, who a coach for the Fort Hood Dolphins, placed second in the women's masters 18-24 division.

The race, which benefits the Scholarship Fund for Swimming Lessons for Underprivileged Austin Kids & Friends of Deep Eddy Pool (FODE), started at From Red Bud Isle to the Texas Rowing Center.

The Cap 2K, which is the only open water river swimming competition in Texas, is billed at the the only downhill swimming race in Texas.

This year's edition of the race was the first for the Singer sisters and Tierney, but was the 4th edition for Kelly.

She has previously competed in the race in 2004, 2005, and 2007; winning her division in 2005 and 2007, while taking second place in 2004.

Kelly, a former five time All American swimmer for Pasadena (Texas) High School, was swimming in her first open water race in two years. Kelly has been recovering from a shoulder injury sustained while swimming for the University of Houston

This was the seventh year the race was held and involved 179 swimmers in the youth, high school, masters, and wetsuit division.

The Singer sisters are the daughters of Fort Hood Dolphins head coach Vince Singer.

Cap2K Open Water Race Scheduled for Sunday

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 2, 2009) The 2009 edition of The Money Box Cap2k Open Water Race is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, 2009 at Lady Bird Lake (formally known as Town Lake) in Austin.

The 2,000+ meter open water race and pledge swim, billed as "The only downhill swimming race in Texas," is open to swimmers from 12 year old and older and will ebgin at 10:30am from Red Bud Island. The finsih line will be the boat dock at the Texas Rowing Center.

The purpsoe of the race is to encourage health and fitness, to swim in Lady Bird lake, to promote clean water, to support Swim Safe for Austin Kids and/or Deep Eddy Pool, and for lots of fun.

Champion open water swimmers from all over the Texas will converge on Lady Bird Lake to compete for titles in the youth, high school, and masters division.