Glenn Broussard of Youngsville retrieves his paddle after a spill at the start of the race. He recovered and finished in fourth place in the Men's Solo Double Blade class.
Conrad, Carson and Peyton Pellerin, 12-year-old triplet grandsons of Tour du Teche founder Ray Pellerin, start the youth wave of Top of the Teche.
Conrad Pellerin halfway to claiming victory in his class. He did it in one hour, 18 minutes and 12 seconds. His brothers were only about two minutes behind.
Another Pellerin entry in the Fourre Tout (catch all) class propelled by (from left) André Pellerin, Susan Ogeron, Patrick Guidry and Jessica Turner. They finished second overall.
Tour du Teche veteran paddler Denise D'Abundo wins the Woman's Solo Double Blade class in one hour, eight minutes and 10 seconds.
Tour du Teche Executive Director Nicole Patin tells Lafayette's KATC TV what racing on the Teche is all about.
Longtime Tour du Teche supporter Tave Lamperez (in solo canoe center left) leads the pack at the start of the adult division. He finished fifth overall in one hour, five minutes and 39 seconds.
The back of the pack heads for Arnaudville. Tour du Teche races are not just for the pros.
Randy Hargroder of Opelousas was first overall and the only paddler to make the 7.5 mile trip in under an hour: 59 minutes and 58 seconds.
Patti Holland of The TECHE Project (left) visits with Tour du Teche staffers Linda Finley, Nicole Patin and Director General Ray Pellerin.
Top of the Teche 2 run last weekend
Randy Hargroder of Opelousas shaved two seconds off of an hour getting from Leonville’s public boat ramp to Myran’s Maison de Manger here in Saturday’s running of the Top of the Teche.
Hargroder’s time of 59 minutes and 58 seconds earned him first place in the Men’s Solo Double Blade Paddle.
In second place overall was the four-person team of Andre Pellerin, 38, Jessica Turner, 32, Susan Orgeron, 57, Patrick Guidry, 20, all of Breaux Bridge, with a time of one hour, one minute and 19 seconds. They were the only entry in the Fourre Tout class.
Right behind them at one hour, one minute and 33 seconds as Bil Aylor of Bryson City, N.C. Then came Jimmy Guidry of Lafayette with 1:05:26. Both men were paddling solo kayaks.
Hargroder is 59 years old, Aylor is 65 and Guidry is 63.
Tave Lamperez, 54, of St. Charles, Ill., was next to the finish line in 1:05:39, pressed by Denise D’Abundo, 44, of Baton Rouge, at 1:08:10. D”Abundo was in the Women’s Solo Double Blade class and Lamperez in Men’s Solo Single Blade.
Glenn Broussard, 44, of Youngsville, took a spill in the packed start, recovered and finished fourth in Men’s Solo Double Blade with 1:08:10.
First, second and third in the Boys Solo Double Blade class were Conrad Pellerin, 1:18:12; Peyton Pellerin, 1:20:27; and Carson Pellerin, 1:20:28. All from Breaux Bridge and all of them 12 years old (triplets).
Second and third in Woman’s Solo Double Blade were Anne Sonnier, 55, Lafayette, 1:26:37; and Anna Broussard, 26, Lafayette, 1:32:25.
Brian Barrilleaux, 47, Morgan City, posted second in Men’s Solo Single Blade with 1:30:21.
The only entry in Men’s Tandem Single Blade Paddle, Drake Herrick, 46, Lafayette, and Mark Couvillion, 41, Youngsville, came in first, of course, at 1:30:39.
Women’s Tandem Double Blade class was won by Nikina Davis, 33, of Franklin, and Jessica Deslatte, 32, of Charenton. Their time was 1:28:07.
Mixed Tandem Double Blade Paddle victory went to Aaron and Amanda Landry, Amanda Landry both 33 from Sunset, at 1:30:57.
Winners of the Women’s Tandem Single Blade class were: First, Shelly May, 28, and Ariel Roland, 27, both of New Orleans, 1:36:07; second, Joni Emmons, 23, and Jackie Emmons, 60, both of St. Martinville, 1:42:49; and third, Alison Lognion, 24, and Charlotte Ingalls, 25, both of Lafayette, 1:56:44.
For more information about Tour du Teche, Inc., events and sponsors, go to www.tourduteche.com.
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