It was indeed a wonderful day in Oyster Bay, as over a thousand enthusiastic triathletes gathered at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on Sunday morning, Aug. 22 to compete in the 12th annual Seacrest-Tobay Triathlon.

Top performers from Plainview-Old Bethpage included 12 year-old Matthew Descovich of Plainview, who took second place honors in the 14 and under age group in 1:25:33, Odd Sangesland of Plainview, who was the first place finisher in the 70 and over age group in 1:29:41, Jaime Fishlow of Old Bethpage (1:15:04) and Mike Sorrentino of Plainview (1:33:16). In the team competition, Plainview's Scott family (Mary, Gregory and Bonnie) took fifth place in the Family Division with a total time of 1:40:04, Plainview's Lori Harfenes Melnik rode the bike leg for the first place women's team, Ken Pritchard of Plainview rode the bike leg for the first place co-ed team, and Plainview's Jay Rosenkranz did the swim leg for the third place male team.

More than 700 athletes completed the entire event -- a 1 Kilometer swim in Oyster Bay Harbor, a 15 Kilometer bicycle ride through Oyster Bay Cove and Laurel Hollow, and a 5 Kilometer Run up to the Planting Fields Arboretum and down to the finish back at Roosevelt Park. In addition, there were 99 teams of three athletes each who successfully completed the event as a relay. The Triathlon was conducted jointly by the Town of Oyster Bay and the Greater Long Island Running Club, with Steve Winkler of the Running Club serving as the director once again.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and Receiver of Taxes John O'Leary were on hand to welcome the triathletes to Oyster Bay, and there was a relay team representing the Oyster Bay Town Board, with Annette Muscarella, daughter of Councilman Joe Muscarella doing the swim, Councilwoman Christine Preston doing the bike, and Jeff Symons doing the run. The "pride and joy of Town Hall" finished as the ninth place team in the co-ed division.

Three blind and deaf athletes from the Helen Keller National Center in Port Washington successfully completed the full triathlon -- Maricar Marquez, who finished in 1:45:38, the second straight year she has completed the event, Brian Farney (1:58:09), and Anindya Bhattacharyya (2:08:01). Fourteen year-old Jesse Walsh, a wheelchair athlete who was born with arthrogryposis, a birth defect that left him without the use of his legs, successfully completed the entire course as well, finishing in 2:43:40.

"We were thrilled at the great turnout for this year's Triathlon, and offer our congratulations to all the local athletes from Plainview-Old Bethpage who participated," observed Triathlon Director Steve Winkler. "It was a great day for everyone who participates, and we were happy to be able to join with our good friends in Town Hall to help show the world what a great facility we have at Roosevelt Park, and what a beautiful area we have in and around the hamlet of Oyster Bay. Aug. 22 was very much a wonderful day in Oyster Bay!"