2022 Program Book - AuSable River Canoe Marathon by AuSable River Canoe Marathon

74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

Table of Contents The Tradition Begins.............................................................................................................4 Alcona Pond and 5 Channels get new launches.................................................6 2021 Marathon Results..................................................................................................8,10, Dynamic Duo Back to Defend.........................................................................................9 Iron Paddler Award Recipients.......................................................................................11 The People Who Power the Teams............................................................................. 13 A Passion Passed Down................................................................................................... 21 Renewables First Class.................................................................................................... 23 Hall of Fame............................................................................................................................ 23 Official Winners List.....................................................................................................31, 33 AuSable River Fest Schedule of Events.................................................................. 34 Paddle Fundraiser Returns............................................................................................ 48 Rookie Reverence............................................................................................................... 49 Most Top 10 Finishes........................................................................................................... 61 Remembering a Behind-the-Scenes Marathon Supporter......................... 62 Top 25 Fastest Marathons.............................................................................................. 68 Oscoda Community Events.............................................................................................71

Racing statistics are located throughout the book

74th AuSable River Canoe Marathon 2022 Volunteer Race Committee OSCODA Keith Wojahn Kathy Erickson Chris Lovelace Heather Tait Sam Harmon Rod Matthews Marie Matthews Mikayla Erickson L.J. Bourgeois Ryan Matthews Justin Griffith GRAYLING Ilene Geiss-Wilson Andy Moore Mary Luke Suzanne Schlachter Wayne Koppa Yvonne Schreiber Amy Martella Karen Martella Kate Reitz John Lucey Jack Richards Rich Kimmel Jon Schultz Ernie Balch Greg Stansbury Bruce Milligan Toni Stephan Michelle Milliken Kate Reitz Kathryn Bentley Phil Weiler Alexis Cherven John Cherven

© 2022 Sunrise Printing & Publishing, Inc. Publisher of the Arenac County Independent, Ogemaw County Herald and Oscoda County Herald 215 W. Houghton Ave. P.O. Box 247 West Branch, MI 48661 989-345-0044

Photos for this year’s cover of the Ausable River Canoe Marathon provided by:

Row 1 - Left to Right - Michelle Milliken, Kathryn Bentley, Rick Joy Row 2 - MCRA, Ginger Casey, Unknown Row 3 - Ginger Casey

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The Tradition Begins By Kate Reitz Nearly 75 years ago, at a 24-hour truck stop in Oscoda, Michigan, Howard Brubaker of the Oscoda Chamber of Commerce and Frank Davis of the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce collaborated on an idea initially meant to boost tourism to their little towns situated on the shores of Lake Huron. From that brainstorming session, what has become known as North

America’s toughest and richest canoe race, the non-stop 120-mile, AuSable River Canoe Marathon, was born. For most of the nearly 75 years since that first race, The Marathon has started along the banks of the AuSable in downtown Grayling, Michigan, at a place that has become synonymous with The Marathon, and that over these many years has been referred to by many people simply as, ‘Rays.’ With a rich history that spans back to a period long before The Marathon came to be, this same upper area of the AuSable River was where Michigan Native Americans and early explorers portaged from the AuSable to the Manistee River and back, while traveling between Michigan’s storied coasts by canoe. This spot on the riverbanks in downtown Grayling is adjacent to the location that Chippewa Indian Chief David Shoppenagon and his family called home beginning in the late 1870’s. Chief Shoppenagon utilized his spot on those same banks of the AuSable as the hub of his popular hunting and fishing guiding business, launching a tradition of service that has carried on in that same location, more than 150 years later. When the first official race kicked off in September 1947, only a small, four-wall structure owned by Sailor Bill Huddleston and known as ‘Sailor’s Fly Factory’ stood at this spot on the banks of the

AuSable. Sailor’s shop served as the starting line of what was then known as the ‘AuSable River Canoe Championship Marathon.’ That first year, 46 teams started the race and only 15 finished, with Allen Carr (28) and Delbert Case (21), both of Grayling, Michigan taking the title with a winning time of 21 hours, 3 minutes. By the time

the third AuSable Marathon was held in September of 1949, then owner Ray Snider, was nearing completion on the construction of the much larger ‘Ray’s Canoe Livery’ which he modeled after the lumbering museum building at Hartwick Pines State Park. This two-story, half-log building with the long, riverside front porch has served as the backdrop for the start of most AuSable Marathons since that time. Ownership of Rays Canoe Livery transferred from Ray Snider to the Al and Cappy Westervelt Family in 1968, who continued strong support of the Marathon and contributed to its success. Ray’s was purchased by the Southard

74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

Family in 1979 and became known as ‘Ray’s Canoe Livery and The Fly Factory.’ In a nod to Chief Shoppenagon’s business activities some 100 years earlier, fly fishing guiding and outfitters services were once again offered, along with recreational canoe and kayak rentals. Throughout the nearly 30 years of ownership by the Southard Family, they enthusiastically embraced hosting duties as the starting point of the race, and invested considerable time and effort promoting The Marathon, and the sport of marathon canoe racing. In 2008 Ray’s Canoe Livery and The Fly Factory became ‘The Old AuSable Fly Shop,’ a fly-fishing outfitter and pro-shop offering guide services and lodging, under the ownership of Jeff Gardner and Linda Matas. In 2017, ‘Ray’s BBQ, Brews & Blues’ restaurant was added to the property. Open yearround and described on its website as a place to “Eat some great BBQ on the banks of the famous Au Sable River while drinking one of the best beers you’ve ever had.,” Ray’s BBQ, Brews and Blues also boasts full riverside dining during the summer, and arguably one of the best viewpoints of The Marathon start that money can buy. Although the current-day view of these banks and river bends of the upper AuSable River would no-doubt be nearly unrecognizable to the Native Americans who traveled them long before Michigan even became a state, or likely even to the flyfishermen and canoe racers who graced the waters in the 1940’s, the traditions they established so long ago continue on today, honoring them and celebrating the storied river that winds through the valleys from Grayling to Oscoda and the shores of Lake Huron.

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Alcona Pond and Five Channels Get New Launches

Two new launches at dams along the path of the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon -- Alcona Pond and Five Channels -- are ready to go this summer. The launches enable an easier portage around the dams for paddlers to continue down the scenic AuSable River. The walkway to the launch and the launch deck at Alcona are made of durable concrete. A smooth steel edge surrounds the launch deck, a welcome feature that allows paddlers to board their small watercraft without having to get into the water. The modern launch replaced aging wood steps and railings along the embankment where paddlers needed to enter the water to get into their canoe/ kayak. Over the years, the water at the location became deeper, making it more difficult for paddlers to board their watercraft. The new launch was installed a short distance downstream from the previous launch where the

water is shallower. To protect the shoreline from erosion, rip-rap was also added to both sides of the shoreline. “We researched solutions to create a launch that is safer, more convenient and long-lasting while continuing to provide recreational access to the river,” said Matt Carmer, Natural Resources Administrator at Consumers Energy, who coordinated the project. A launch was also installed at Five Channels Dam just before the 2021 Au Sable River Canoe Marathon held in July. At Five Channels Dam, a new core wall was built, which included a new upstream canoe take out as part of the canoe portage. This design is similar to Foote Dam and Mio Dam. In 2019, the canoe/kayak slide at Five Channels Dam was upgraded and the first-ever slide was installed at Mio Dam.

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74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

As the portages at Alcona, Five Channels and Mio dams are on the route of the 120-mile Au Sable River Canoe Marathon, the slides and launches were designed with input from representatives of the planning organization, the nonprofit Au Sable River International Canoe Marathon, Inc. The 120-mile race from Grayling to Oscoda is held annually on the last weekend in July. The event attracts professional paddlers and up to 50,000 spectators from the United States and Canada. Along the route, two-person teams portage at Consumers Energy’s six hydro dams. “Consumers Energy is a longtime Marathon partner and sponsor,” Carmer said. “The event gives us an opportunity to support local communities and showcase our hydroelectric sites that generate clean, renewable energy from one of the nation’s most scenic rivers.”

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2021 AuSable River Canoe Marathon Results Place

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

No.

63 99 97 55 08 52 07 02 66 13 91 22 78 01 90 20 30 18 16 03 80 14 46 39 74 57 10 35 92 81 45 31 70 40 43 79 19 86 23 87

Paddlers (Ages)

Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44) Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30) Chris Issendorf (39) & Logan Mynar (30) Mike Davis (30) & Shane MacDowell (33) Pete Mead (40) & Carson Burmeister (24) Ryan Zaveral (28) & Matt Gabriel, Jr. (37) Kyle Mynar (36) & Kyle Stonehouse (27) Brett Stockton (58) & Ryan Halstead (34) Patrick Madden (41) & Steve Watson (49) Nick Walton (48) & Serge Pagé (44) Daniel Medina (27) & Ian Rolls (43) Jason Hatfield (43) & Colin Hunter (40) Michael Schlimmer (35) & Ben Schlimmer (32) Richard Lauth (48) & Mary Schlimmer (30) Austin Weiler (29) & Adam Gelinas (39) Russ Reker (57) & Tad Hill (43) Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56) Douglas Dalman (46) & Brad Wilson (39) Jeff Kolka (62) & Naomi Kolka (25) Mo Harwood, Jr. (42) & Erich Podjaske (39) Kevin Boss (58) & Andy Hall (49) David Teddy (47) & Bill Torongo (59) Paul Olney (58) & Michael Fries (68) Brandon Stafford (36) & Andrew Condie (36) Seth Miller (54) & Stephen Miller (56) Dan Mecklenburg (59) & Jon Webb (61) Joe Leusby (37) & Rob Shadley (37) Ryan Childs (48) & Zachary Childs (19) Brian Jones (37) & Gwen Hills (37) Greg Zophy (64) & Jeremiah Menk (44) Dan Goltz (50) & Judson Steinback (40) Fred Kueffer (42) & Kira Stolen (49) Benjamin Tarbutton (36) & David Smith (37) Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63) Mike Hartman (45) & Sean Casey (43) Doug Moggo (59) & Josh Moggo (29) Kaitlin Mynar (30) & Virginia Condie (42) Chris Broderson (52) & Emily Broderson (43) Kevin Olson (34) & Sylvie Nadeau (46) Nathan Tart (41) & Shannon Issendorf (38)

Time

13:54:09 14:07:37 14:11:01 14:14:11 14:15:51 14:17:33 14:24:43 14:26:26 14:27:41 14:27:48 14:33:40 14:39:07 14:43:19 14:44:24 14:49:30 14:59:48 15:00:42 15:16:20 15:19:29 15:24:56 15:27:05 15:29:02 15:29:55 15:30:02 15:32:34 15:34:17 15:39:34 15:40:42 15:41:07 15:42:37 15:44:26 15:47:00 15:49:44 15:52:00 15:54:43 15:55:53 15:56:08 15:57:49 15:59:55 16:03:48

Continued on Page 10

74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

Dynamic Duo Back to Defend

Smashed Record in 2021, Now the Hunted

Less than a year after their recordsmashing performance, Jorden Wakeley and Matt Meersman will be back to defend their title at the 2022 Consumers Energy Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. The dynamic duo will return July 3031 to the 120-mile race, but this time in unfamiliar territory. The two are now being hunted by the rest of the canoers, who will do everything in their power to make sure their reign as champions is short-lived. “I’m more motivated now than I’ve ever been to defend our title,” said Wakeley, 31, a Grayling native and professional mountain bike racer. “There are a lot of great teams that will be looking to knock us off, but we will be ready.” In the 2021 marathon, Wakeley and Meersman had a time of 13 hours, 54 minutes and nine seconds– smashing the previous record of 13 hours 58 minutes and eight seconds set in 1994 by race Hall of Famers Serge Corbin and Solomon Carriere. Those are the only two teams ever to be under 14 hours at the marathon. The recent champs caught up to train for a few days under sunny skies in

Florida. “Nobody has pushed me harder in my life than Jorden,” said Meersman, 45, of South Bend, Ind who works in river conservation. “I know what kind of athlete Jorden is, he competes at the highest level. My mindset to myself is you better get on your game old guy. There’s an opportunity here and you better seize it.” The two go about training for the Marathon in much different ways, but they find themselves at their best when the pressure mounts. “Something just clicks with Matt. I don’t have to say anything to him since we are both on the same page,” Wakeley said. “We want to accomplish the same thing and I trust him to put in the work to put us in the best possible position to make that happen.” In 2021, Wakeley and Meersman finished more than 13 minutes ahead of the second-place team, Wes Dean of Grayling and Weston Willoughby of Traverse City. Dean and Willoughby finished in 14:07:37. Willoughby and Dean finished in first place, one spot ahead of them in two

previous races to last year’s Consumers Energy Au Sable River Canoe Marathon – the Curley Memorial in Oscoda and the Spike’s Challenge. “All the credit in the world to them – they are a great team” said Meersman. “That really pushed us harder and know what we have to do for (the 2021) and this year’s Au Sable Marathon.” Training for Meersman includes more than 200 hours to build his endurance for the variety of circumstances his team will face in his 16th Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. “Sometimes I think we should dial it back, but Jorden keeps the pedal down,”

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Meersman said. “I just follow his lead, and if I blow up, blow up. He has to know I’m giving him everything I’ve got.” While Wakeley said he likes training on the water, he stays in tip-top shape primarily through cross country skiing and mountain biking. He rode his bike for about 7,000 miles last year and spent another 1,000 miles cross country skiing. “I love getting ready for this event,” said Wakeley. “We know the challenges that we are facing, but we have confidence in each other that we can accomplish our goal again this year.”

Continued from Page 8

Place

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 10

No.

21 98 72 67 96 11 28 06 53 68 05 36 56 73 71 15 47 84 58 04 50 42 61 54 17 85 76 59 33 12 60 94 48 77 51 69 75 88 27 24 62 41 26

Paddlers (Ages)

Brandon Gerardy (41) & Stephen Leppard (46) Levi Korneli (26) & Garrett Garner (24) Lydia Huelskamp (29) & Mollie Binion (38) Roy Sowersby (60) & Bruce Daman (52) Cecili Bugge (21) & Holly Orr (38) Robert Smith (47) & William Fowler (30) Alan Putnam (35) & Aaron Putnam (37) Mike Packard (57) & Jake Crotser (23) Christopher Krey (30) & Sean Brabant (31) Rusty McLain (62) & Lee Duncan (46) Ted Kenyon (49) & Pam Fitzgerald (60) Zach Cheney (24) & Michael Garon (63) Nick Lyesiuk (77) & Peter Heed (71) Samantha Binion (35) & Wade Binion (42) Michael Cade (49) & Chris Champion (40) Rodney Elliott (54) & Rebecca Sutter (52) Jeff DeFeo (66) & Katie Peck (26) Nate Winkler (49) & Jaya Elleson (61) Michael Davis (51) & Io Harberts (62) Josh Kellogg (38) & Jeremy Kellogg (35) Chris Ecker (57) & Bill Mahaffy, Jr. (40) David Hawkins (39) & Bryan Bearss (44) Chuck Hewitt (62) & Jenna Briggs (36) Maria Schilling (48) & Lynne Witte (67) L.J. Bourgeois (44) & Nicole Rice-Owens (43) Gary Aprea (78) & Gloria Wesley (61) Keith Wojahn (57) & Jerry Killingbeck (52) Mark Koenig (63) & Ron Koenig (59) Helen-Holly Crouch (63) & Debbie Brax (59) Natalie Kellogg (17) & Mike Kellogg (52) Jim Amell (62) & Roger Henry (79) Travis VanDeCasteele (24) & Kyle Schmidt (26) Mickey Kimsel (47) & Bryce Martin (28) Josh Harvey (31) & River Robertson (29) William Dean (62) & Lewie Madill (62) Chris Scully (61) & Ed Butler (74) Bernie Tuszynski (64) & David Timmerman (63) Eric Dittenber (44) & Yves Cartier (65) Gary McLain (55) & Dwight Walker (67) Kristi Treston (27) & Katie Treston (32) Jacob Cramer (26) & Matthew Rudy (27) Brian Whaley (27) & James Holzberger (30) Andrew Weeks (57) & Paddi Thornburg (58)

Time

16:08:16 16:10:50 16:13:51 16:15:23 16:17:55 16:20:27 16:25:00 16:25:29 16:27:15 16:31:24 16:32:38 16:35:48 16:36:31 16:37:15 16:38:05 16:38:46 16:39:15 16:42:24 16:43:49 16:44:37 16:46:58 16:48:45 17:00:00 17:06:53 17:07:28 17:08:27 17:13:25 17:23:40 17:27:36 17:40:56 18:04:47 18:11:24 18:17:57 DQ-OT Drop DQ-OT Drop Drop Drop Drop Drop DQ-OT Drop

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74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

reated by Hall of Fame Historian John B. Cook, the Iron Paddler Award is given to paddlers who have finished 10 or more AuSable River Canoe Marathons in the Professional Division. To put 10 finishes into perspective, it is 1,200 miles of intense hardcore paddling; it is a minimum of 500,000 relentless paddle strokes; it is a minimum of 140 hours of grueling canoe racing. These paddlers are die-hard and dedicated. These paddlers are iron-willed and incredible. These paddlers are the Toughest of the Tough! Iron Paddler logo designed by Brent Southland

Iron Paddler Award Recipient s “T he Toughest of the Tough!”

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Paddler Bernie Fowler Steven Kolonich Ralph Sawyer Jack Kent Al Widing, Sr. Irvin “Buzz” Peterson Jack Kolka Jerry Kellogg Verlen Kruger John Baker Bob Welsch Butch Stockton Brett Stockton Tony Short Rick Joy Jeff Kellogg Al Robinson Dave Shepherd Ken Kolonich Serge Corbin Lynne Witte Jeff Kolka Jim Harwood Bill Torongo Steve Kolonich Randy Drake Ted Kolka Al Rudquist Blaise St. Pierre Bill DuBois Robert Bradford Clark Kent Steve Landick Bruce Barton Carrie Montgomery Michael Garon Jon Webb

Year Age

No.

1956 1961 1962 1965 1968 1971 1972 1977 1978 1980 1980 1983 1987 1987 1987 1989 1989 1991 1992 1993 1993 1994 1994 1996 1997 1997 1997 1998 2000 2002 2002 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004

38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

30 41 25 34 43 47 38 33 56 38 38 34 24 23 28 44 46 35 46 36 39 35 30 34 25 43 31 38 60 44 59 43 50 46 33 47 44

Paddler John Sullivan Tom Trudgeon Joe Shaw Connie Cannon Dwight Walker Steve Krantz Solomon Carrière Joseph Seifert Fred Mills Ted Smutek Frank Smutek Mo Harwood, Jr. Ray Bauer Tom Cannon Peter Heed Ray Quick Joe Johnson Andrew Triebold Steve Lajoie Mike Bradford Allen Limberg Greg Nelson Brian Royce Chuck Hewitt Colin Hunter Tim Sheldon David Teddy Amy Solak Sean Casey Mike Hartman Jeff DeFeo Nate Winkler Robert Smith Jon Thompson Don Brooks Matt Streib Pete Mead Program Book

Year Age

No.

2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013

75 Tad Hill 76 Rodney Matthews 77 Dick Kloss 78 Nick Walton 79 Gloria Wesley 80 Jason Hatfield 81 Flash Marsh 82 Joey Kimsel 83 Brad Wilson 84 Gary Aprea 85 Tom Ackemyer 86 Chris Hewitt 87 Ellen Thompson 88 Ryan Halstead 89 Matt Meersman 90 Russ Reker 91 Mike Packard 92 Tim McClure 93 John Lucey 94 Michael Schlimmer 95 Tim Chapple 96 Benedict Schlimmer 97 Doug Moggo 98 Fritz Hansen 99 Steve Watson 100 Matt Gabriel Jr. 101 Roger Henry 102 Mike Davis 103 Rebecca Davis 104 Ray Trudgeon 105 Daniel Medina 106 Joe Leusby 107 Nick Lyesiuk 108 lo Harberts 109 Jerry Killingbeck

36 47 51 45 52 53 51 56 53 40 74 30 52 53 59 54 59 34 34 45 52 53 38 51 30 46 37 46 33 35 56 39 38 55 43 49 32

Paddler

Year Age 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2019 2019 2019 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021

35 58 71 41 54 37 38 34 33 72 50 25 58 29 39 52 52 58 52 31 43 28 55 76 46 34 76 28 29 37 27 37 77 62 52

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74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

The People Who Power The Teams By Amy Martella It’s 4am on the last Sunday of July. Where are we? You guessed it! McKinley Bridge and it’s the Consumers Energy AuSable River Canoe Marathon. A crowd of people stand in the chilly river ready to feed while spectators line the bank. Each feeding team is waiting for their canoe to pass under the bridge. Much of the focus of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon is rightfully on all the awesome paddlers, but their feeding teams have an important role too. The paddlers need fuel to keep going and would not make the 120 miles from Grayling to Oscoda without the assistance of their “feed crew”. Feeders are their team’s lifeline and must be prepared for anything and everything that their team might need. Prior to the race, paddlers label their food and drink jug. Either by feed number or by the location in preparation for each feed. Feeders bring everything

they need with them to the river along with extra paddles as well as supplies that might be needed to repair the boat. The feed crews should also be thinking about extra clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray, icy hot and many other necessities that may be needed. Is it cold? They may want a jacket. Is it hot? They may need extra water. Is it rainy? They may want a dry shirt. It doesn’t matter, the feeders are in the water ready for their team all night long. Feed teams also have the important job of preparation and anticipation of every feed. Usually you find yourself in a “hurry up and wait” situation. Rush, rush, rush to the next designated feed and wait for your team. It’s up all night in the cold dark river, yet we all wait the entire year for the calendar to turn to the last week in July and the start of the marathon week! The feed crew is constantly thinking about the task of being ready for their boat. Deciding what they

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Photos by Crystal Brabant

need will definitely keep you busy. While in the river awaiting your team, you are already thinking about the needs for the next stop. Do they want anything special? What is on the list? There is a very special comradery among feed teams, not only within your own unit but we also support each other. What do the paddlers eat? While food varies from team to team many eat fruit such as melon, grapes or blueberries and some prefer more of an all-liquid diet with electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade, Perpetuem, Ensure, Boost or some other energy drink that keeps them going for the gruelling 14–19-hour race. One would think that being up all night would seem to be hard to do, but the night passes so quickly and before you know it, you are leaving Foote Dam and heading toward Oscoda. The paddlers aren’t the only ones in the race that are dedicated. The feed crew is dedicated to the team. Nothing is better than seeing your team come around the corner and when they make that final turn for home with the last sprint into the finish line! They did IT!

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74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

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74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

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Active Paddlers with 100+ Career Points Name

Points

Best Finish

Last Year of Points

Top Tens

Name

Points

Best Finish

Last Year of Points

Top Tens

Matt Rudnitsky

410

4th

2017

Chris Issendorf

200

3rd

2021

Michael Schlimmer

410

3rd

2017

Logan Mynar

190

3rd

2021

Weston Willoughby

410

2nd

2021

Allen Limberg

180

1st

2006

Pete Mead

410

3rd

2021

Mike Vincent

180

2nd

2016

Samuel Frigon

380

1st

2019

Tim Sheldon

170

5th

2015

Shane MacDowell

370

4th

2021

Mathieu Pellerin

170

2nd

2016

Benedict Schlimmer

350

3rd

2016

Wesley Dean

170

2nd

2021

Brian Krantz

290

3rd

1992

Mike Bradford

160

6th

2013

Tad Hill

280

4th

2016

Kyle Mynar

160

5th

2021

Clark Kent

250

5th

2012

Trevor LeFever

140

6th

2018

Lynne Witte

230

4th

1992

Colin Hunter

130

8th

2018

Steve Watson

230

6th

2021

Patrick Armstrong

110

4th

2014

Official Marathon Career Points Ranking - Top 50 Rank

Name

Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7(t) 7(t) 9(t) 9(t) 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20(t) 20(t) 20(t) 20(t) 20(t) 25 26(t) 26(t) 28

Serge Corbin Jeff Kolka Andrew Triebold Rick Joy Steve Lajoie Ralph Sawyer Bill Torongo Brett Stockton John Baker Jim Harwood Tony Short Jerry Kellogg Ken Kolonich Jack Kolka Butch Stockton Steve Kolonich Irvin Peterson Bernie Fowler Al Widing, Sr. Steven Kolonich Jack Kent Jeff Kellogg Randy Drake Nick Walton Solomon Carriere Dave Shepherd Al Rudquist Ryan Halstead

2150 1810 1650 1620 1550 1290 1260 1260 1220 1220 1150 1120 1050 1030 1010 1000 890 810 770 740 740 740 740 740 700 690 690 680

Best Finish 1st 1st 1st 3rd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 1st 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 1st 1st

Last Year of Points 2005 2005 2019 2008 2019 1968 2012 2021 1990 2006 2009 1982 2015 1981 1987 2011 1971 1956 1988 1965 1968 1990 1998 2021 2000 1992 1998 2021

Top Tens 22 20 18 26 17 14 19 14 15 19 19 14 21 16 13 18 10 10 11 13 12 11 11 14 9 10 9 10

660 650

Best Finish 3rd 2nd

Last Year of Points 2007 2007

Top Tens 15 11

John Sullivan

640

2nd

2007

Bob Welsch Stan Hall Matthew Rimer Jay Stephan, Sr. Matt Streib Larry Kindell Christophe Proulx Tim Triebold Steve Krantz Luc Robillard Mo Harwood, Jr. Matt Meersman Claude Corbin Don Feldhauser Louis Berthiaume Hugh Bissonette Ken Brown Mike Davis Verlen Kruger Guillaume Blais

630 620 600 550 550 540 540 530 520 510 490 490 480 470 470 440 440 430 420 420

2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st 3rd 4th 2nd

1981 1973 2010 1957 2014 1961 2018 1999 1990 1978 2010 2021 1979 1955 2004 1951 1981 2021 1980 2019

11 7 9 6 8 6 6 9 8 6 9 9 5 5 7 5 5 7 10 5

Rank

Name

Points

29 30

Ted Kolka Bruce Barton

31 32 33 34 35(t) 35(t) 37(t) 37(t) 39 40 41 42(t) 42(t) 44 45(t) 45(t) 47(t) 47(t) 49 50(t) 50(t)

#H up A ll N ight

74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

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74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

A Passion Passed Down

By Lexi Cherven I cannot tell you the number of times I have been asked, “When are you going to do the Marathon?”. Although racing has crossed my mind; my intention to race has never been more than a distant thought. To me there is so much more to the AuSable River Canoe Marathon than crossing the finish line; it’s an opportunity to spend valuable quality time with my dad, John Cherven. My dad was introduced to the Marathon back in 1983 when he was looking for ways to get more involved in the community. He sparked up a conversation with Steve Southard, who recommended he come to a Marathon committee meeting. Little did he know how life changing that first meeting would be. Over the past 39 years, my dad has been involved in nearly every aspect of the race. As an accountant, he immediately fell into the role of treasurer; however, his involvement grew year after year. Some of his most well-known contributions are aiding in the establishment of the Time Trials, Special Olympics Canoe Challenge, and more recently, the Scholarship Fund. By far one of his most favorite roles on the committee was managing paddler registration and entries, which involved making initial contact with all first-time paddlers to ensure they were fully prepared for what was ahead of them. Being an initial point of contact allowed him to develop a

special bond with the rookie and out of state paddlers. His passion for the Marathon has gone far beyond committee responsibilities. He has opened his home to over 25 paddlers giving them a place to stay during Race Week or during the off-season for training. His cabin just upstream of McMasters Bridge has not only been a popular place for committee members and friends to view the race, but also a feeding spot to many teams who want to avoid the busy scene at the bridge. I experienced my first

AuSable River Canoe Marathon in 1995 at the age of 11 months old. Growing up around the Marathon with a parent as involved as my dad was, you either quickly learn to love it or hate it. I was fortunate enough to love every minute of it. The Marathon became the highlight of my summer. As I got older, I became

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more involved in helping my dad with each of his responsibilities; however, the Special Olympics Canoe Challenge has always been one of my favorites. There is nothing like seeing the joy in the Special Olympians’ face as they hop in the canoe with a Marathon paddler. I would like to think this event played a large role in my decision to become a Neurologic Physical Therapist. In the recent years, my dad has stepped away from most of his formal roles on the committee to enjoy the race as a spectator and support me in my position as organizer and co-emcee of the Opening Program. Despite stepping back, he continues to be a mentor and point of contact for all things Marathon-related. Being involved in the Marathon alongside my dad has taught me so many life lessons, but more importantly it’s been something that I will cherish forever. Dad, thank you for your commitment to making the AuSable River Canoe Marathon what it is today. Lexi Cherven in 1996

John and Lexi Cherven at the finish line in Oscoda in 2014

74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon

Renewables First Class Matt Conn sought a new challenge along his career path. It was 2019, and he had been working at Consumers Energy for six years, having joined the company after service in the Army. He worked as a gas field worker, and most recently as a trenching machine operator. He saw a job posting about a new company apprenticeship program with focus on renewable energy. Fast forward to Feb. 9, and Conn is one of four employees who is about to embark on a renewables career after graduating with the first class of the Renewable Specialist Apprenticeship (is this the official name). It was formed in a partnership with the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) and Michigan State Utility Workers Council (MSUWC). The nearly three-year program, developed jointly by our Learning and Development team and Power for America (P4A),

trains apprentices to climb great heights to fix hydraulics and complete advanced electrical troubleshooting. Once the program is complete, apprentices are certified to work in wind, solar and battery fields. “This is the future, and there’s no place in this company I would rather be,” said Conn, who lives in Birch Run. “This is a great opportunity, and I can’t wait to see what happens next for this class.” Joining Conn in the first class are: • Keith J. Boulis of Bay City, who started with the company in 2013 as a meter reader and was an auxiliary operator at the Karn plant, which is scheduled to close in 2023. • Paul Turner of Midland, who joined the company in 2016 as a gas field intern. He joined the company after a stint in the Army. • Justin Fodo of Bay City, who began his Consumers Energy career in 2018 as a gas field worker and then was an environmental operator at the Karn plant. Andrew Snider, Director of Renewable

2015 - Larry Kindell & Larry Roberts

2006 - Marilyn Wagner & Jay Stephan, Sr. 2007 - Hugh Bissonette & Bernie Fowler

AuSable River Canoe Marathon

2008 - Butch Stockton & Harry Curley

2012 - John Baker & Ed Wojahn

2011 - Stan Hall & John B. Cook

2016 - Howard Brubaker & Réjean Huard 2017 - Jerry Kellogg, Jeff Kellogg & The Gary Family

2009 - Ralph Sawyer & Al Widing, Sr. 2010 - Frank & Peggy Smutek & Oscoda/ AuSable Fire Dept. Water Rescue

Operations, said this first class worked as a team and put in long training hours to become renewable specialists. Snider added the class helped to smooth out bumps in the road for enrollees in the program’s second and third cohorts. The program is preparing to hire and train up to 24 additional renewables employees over the next two years – and helps ensure no worker is left behind in the clean energy transformation. “This remarkable group will always be remembered as the first class,” Snider said. “We are here to celebrate them and how they will help us power Michigan’s clean energy future. All of this was made possible thanks to our extraordinary partnership between Consumers Energy, UWUA and MSUWC.”

2013 - Serge Corbin & Bruce Myles 2014 - Lynette Witte & Jack Kolka

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2018 - Bruce Burton & Solomon Carrière 2019 - Jeff Kolka & Joe Wakeley 2021 - Steven Kolonich & Irvin and Steve Peterson

Professional Division Split Time Records Checkpoints

Year

Time

Team (Ages)

Burton's Landing

2018