The games after the Fourth of July parade at Maxwelton Beach aren’t just for kids anymore.
Last Friday, there were dynasties to preserve and at least a few grudge matches to settle at Dave Mackie Park as competitors between 1 and 50 headed out onto the field of competition. And what was the focus of all this? Just a sack race, an egg toss, and a slew of sprint races that at the longest were the equivalent of a run down a grocery store aisle.
But don’t let the specifics of the games fool you — what was important was winning, no matter how ridiculous the competition. Recent South Whidbey High School graduates Brian and Tim Gabelein showed up to successfully defend their title in the 15-and-over boys three-legged sack race, taking their fourth title in as many years. And in the egg toss, some of the best catches on the island — state fastpitch softball players Shannon Brown and Ashley Lopez — were there to win after training for, well, at least hours.
“This takes soft hands,” said Lopez prior to the competition.
Unfortunately for that pair, the softer hands belonged to Austin and Rob Marshall, who won the 18-and-up division of the egg toss. The best 17-and-under competitors were Kali Richmond and Alexa Grant.
In the three-legged race, 16-and-up winners were Andrea McGillen and Becky Gabelein in the girls division, making three Gabelein siblings champions on the day. In the 13-15 division, Ariel Barendt and Annalise Fowler were girls winners, while the mixed team of Tori Roberson and Madeline Scarp took the boys division. At 10-12, Kali Richmond and Anna Statz, and Jeffrey Jones and Kyrell Broyles were tops; at 7-9 Erica Feris and Laura Holst, and Zack and Kyrell Broyles were winners, and among kids under seven years old, Audrey Neubauer and Aneoia Weeks were the sole champions.
Sprint winners were as follows: 3 and under — Eliza Salzman, John Paul Anderson; 3-5 — Rachel Moulton, Will Kirby; 6-8 — Desi Peterson, Markell Sanders; 9-10 — Ryan Haven; 11-12 — Taylor Kanemori, D’vonzo Sanders; 13-14 — Erica Johnson, Tori Roberson; 15 and up — Sandy Marshall.
