A record field of 1160 athletes crossed the finish line of the 18th annual Vytra-TOBAY Triathlon at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on Sunday, Aug. 21, and 124 teams successfully competed the accompanying Vytra-TOBAY Tri-Relay.

Top individual finishers were Kevin Cunningham of Smithtown, who completed the 3/4 mile swim, 15 Kilometer bike ride and 5 Kilometer run in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 32 seconds, Grant Connelly of Port Jefferson (1:05:02) and Rich Gregory of Garden City (1:06:05). Meredith LaRossa of Bellmore was the Women's individual winner for the second year in a row, finishing in 1:09:21, with Barbara Cronin Stagnari of Mineola second in 1:13:22, and Kerry Holland of Point Lookout 3rd in 1:13:52.

Top local male finishers included Ryan Pacifico of Bayville (1st, 20-24 age group), John Siebert of Syosset (2nd in the Clydesdale 205-219 pound Weight Division), Steven Quigley of Bayville (2nd in the Clydesdale 220 pound plus Weight Division), Jonathan Sobel of Woodbury (3rd 35-39), and Steve Schloss of Muttontown (1st 65-69), and Arnold Juzefovic of Lattingtown (1st 70-74). Leading local female finishers were Nicole Skidmore of Syosset (6th woman overall), Jessica Foschi of Brookville (9th woman overall), Jackie Bruscella of Bayville (7th woman, 19 and under), Natalie Penny of Bayville (6th woman 30-34), Kathleen Danyko of Syosset (5th woman 35-39), Ranna Smith of Locust Valley, (6th woman 40-44), Kelly Yevoli of Bayville (1st woman 45-49), Holly Jonas of Woodbury (1st woman 50-54), and Joanne Gallo of Oyster Bay (2nd woman 55-59).

Jean Bohan of Oyster Bay did the run leg for the second place Tri Relay Team, John Lovejoy of Oyster Bay was the swimmer for the Runner's Edge Team that scored 2nd in the Male combined Age 140-179 Team, and the Huminski family of East Norwich scored second in the Family Team Division.

A special Award was presented to the Lynch Family of Jericho, who have been competing as a team in the Tri-Relay each year for nearly a decade. Dad Bill Lynch and his son Tim Lynch competed this year as a two person team, taking top honors in the Family Team Division, and completing the event in memory of Bill's son and Tim's brother 1st Lt. Matthew Lynch, who was killed in action in Iraq last October.

The charitable beneficiaries of this year's Vytra-TOBAY Triathlon are the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation and the Oyster Bay-based Friends of the Bay.

Thanks go to Town Supervisor John Venditto and the Town of Oyster Bay, whose Department of Parks and Recreation was key to the success of the event once again, to primary corporate sponsor Vytra Health Plans, and to Race Director Jose Lopez of the Greater Long Island Running Club, who put together this important event once again this year.

The Vytra-TOBAY Triathlon is the largest multisport event in the New York Metropolitan area. In addition to raising money for important local charities, it provides an important venue for promoting healthy physical activity and individual and family recreation. "Having been fortunate enough to have been at races around the country, the energy at the event was that of a nationally ranked event," observed Race Director Jose Lopez. "It is a tribute to the Town of Oyster Bay, the Department of recreation and Parks, Vytra Health Plans, the Greater Long Island Running Club, and all the municipalities that this event traverses, that the Vytra-TOBAY Triathlon continues to grow not only in the number of happy participants but also in the level of professionalism."