Sandpoint's Jeff Smith nabs top 10 overall finish

COEUR d’ALENE — 10 Sandpoint-area athletes completed the Coeur d’Alene Triathlon on Saturday, highlighted by the 8th place overall finish of Sandpoint’s Jeff Smith, who clocked a 2:05.12.

669 people finished the 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run Olympic distance triathlon, won by Spokane’s Kalen Darling, whose name might ring a bell. The University of Hawaii swimmer won last weekend’s Long Bridge Swim as well.

Smith had intentions of competing for the title, but a case of food poisoning on Friday and a wreck on the bicycle course proved too much to overcome. He couldn’t eat anything all day Friday, but felt good enough on Saturday to at least give the race a try.

“On the run I started getting nauseated again,” Smith said, noting all he had in his stomach was vitamin water. “I was sort of running on fumes.”

He also said he carried too much speed into a corner on the bike, and his rear wheel spun out on some road striping. He slid across the road, and felt it cost him 2-3 minutes of time overall. The Coeur d’Alene race came a week after a strong 3rd place finish in the Spokane Troika half ironman, and two weeks before he’ll defend his title in an XTERRA off-road triathlon in McCall.

Michelle Sadewic, a 36 year-old from Sagle, was the top female finisher from the area. She clocked a 2:53.38 in her first ever Olympic distance triathlon, which placed her 14th in her age group and 307th overall.

Her goal was to break three minutes, which she did easily, much to the surprise of her husband Craig.

“I crossed the finish line and my family wasn’t even there,” laughed Sadewic, adding that her husband and kids had stayed at the hotel. “I called him and he said ‘you’re finished?”

Doug Lieuallen finished 95th overall, and Frank Finney 101st to highlight the other top local finishers. Former Sandpoint resident Brian Hadley, who ran cross country at SHS, finished 7th overall, just a head of Smith.