By Tammy Kilby
For the Times
DARLINGTON — After 10 or more years, the canoes were reintroduced into Canoe Fest. In the morning of Sunday, June 9, the sun was shining at 64 degrees in Calamine and the Pecatonica River was calm.
By the end of the day, Canoe Fest history was made with the reintroduction of the canoe races.
The Lancaster family were joined by other canoeists, members of Beowulf, spectators, and the Republican Journal, went into the Pecatonica River at 6:26 a.m. with the first canoe.
The pair of canoeists were Paul Wedig of Argyle and Caleb Kennedy of Mineral Point. Their canoe was the second registered canoe that morning. The first canoe was registered by A. J. Howery, the long time canoing partner of Jay Lancaster.
“I wouldn’t miss this,” said Howery, whose one-man canoe left the Calamine shore at 6:36 a.m.
The third registered canoe held racers David Timmerman and Dena Kurt of Dubuque, Iowa. Their start time was 6:51 a.m.
The fourth canoe team was Jay Lancaster and his great-niece MaKena McCauley. She is the third generation to have raced with Lancaster. Her mother, Mackenzie McCauley and her grandmother Rhonda Pehl, who is Jay Lancaster’s sister, have all been Canoe Fest racers with him in the past. All of the first canoers in the Pecatonica River would earn placement trophies. There were a total of 24 racers.
The 2024 Canoe Fest Canoe Race Place winners include:
● Men’s & Women’s Cruising (1st place) Erik Botkhop and Jenny Bartz from Oregon. [Time: 142.31]
● Men’s & Women’s Racing (1st place) Jaya Hellenson and Liesa Pfeifer. [Time: 112.59]; (2nd place) David Timmerman and Dena Kurt from Dubuque, Iowa. [Time: 113.59]
● Cruising Parent and daughter (1st place) Jay Lancaster and MaKena McCauley, 12 years old. [Time: 132.43]
● 17 & Under (1st place) Brecklen Wiegel [Time: 155.13]
● Cruising Men (1st Place) Paul Wedig and Kaleb Kennedy [Time: 133.02]; (2nd Place) Dave Merriam and Andrew Merriam [Time: 218.03]
● Cruising Women (1st place) Elizabeth Wiegel of Darlington and Amber Grudell-Tisha from Brookfield [Time: 205.23]
● Canoe Men’s (1st place) Jeff Attius [Time: 218.47]
● Kayak (1st place) Cheryl Loken [Time: 144.29]; (2nd place) Nick Wiegel [Time: 155.07]; (3rd place) Rebecca Grundahl [Time: 202.51]
● C-1 Men’s Racing Canoe (1st place) David Timmerman [Time: 114.55]; (2nd place) Jim Braig [Time: 121.40]; (3rd place) A. J. Howrey [Time: 126.20]
There were 11 categories, although not all categories were represented.
Tristan Lancaster had all good things to say about the Canoe Racing event.
“I’m here to help put the canoes in the Pecatonica. I assist with helping the canoeists in the water safely, before they take off to race down the river,” he said. Tristan is Jeff Lancaster’s son, and nephew to Jay Lancaster. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little guy, and I feel like it’s MaKena’s time to experience it. I’m not racing this year, but I’ve canoed many times. I enjoy it, and I want others to enjoy it also.”
The Beowulf drone captured many events of the morning, as representatives were on hand to show their continued support.
Diego Camacho Jr. was impressed with how things took place.
“Jay has worked hard on getting this done,” Camacho said. “He and his family did a great job. I’m happy to see this take place.”
