Port Alberni’s Owen Brown was the first male finisher and placed second overall Sunday in the 58th annual Qualicum Beach Ocean Mile Swim off the Qualicum Beach coast.
Brown, competing in the 36-45 age group, covered the one-mile loop course around a series of buoys in 23 minutes, 10 seconds to win the Bavaro Autobody & Glass Trophy. He was second to Parksville’s Haley Bennett, 16, who claimed her second victory in the event in 22:10.
Another Parksville teen, Ethan Stannard, came out of the water just behind Brown to take third in 23:16.
Paul Jager, who listed his hometown as Sproat Lake, won the open class, which allows wet suits, in 29:06.
Also competing from Port Alberni was Jessica Oosterhuis, who placed sixth in the 46-55 age group with a time of 44:50.