SANDPOINT - As famous New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra might put it, "it was like deja-vu all over again," Saturday during the 17th Annual Long Bridge Swim in Sandpoint.

For the second consecutive year, Coeur d'Alene swimming phenom Bryce Kananowicz took any drama out of the race early, dusting a field of nearly 700 swimmers to win by more than three minutes.

Kananowicz, 15, opted to miss the first day of the U.S. Junior National Championships to defend his Long Bridge Swim title, shredding the 1.76 mile open water course in 36 minutes, 6 seconds. For the second consecutive year he beat runner- up Colorado swimmer Austin Layman by a comfortable margin, although times were slower across the board due to colder water.

Kananowicz will quickly take off for nationals, where he will compete against some of the fastest young swimmers in the U.S. in the 100 backstroke, 200 back, 400 individual medley and 200 individual medley. He simply didn't want to miss the Long Bridge Swim, which he calls fun and challenging.

"It's fun to defend it (last year's win) - there are so many talented swimmers. 700 people do this, which is fantastic for a race," says Kananowicz, a member of the powerful Coeur d'Alene area swim team. "Hopefully, next year I can have a 3-peat."

Winning the women's field was another repeat champion in 17-year-old Spokane swimmer Emri Moore, who hit land in 39:42, backing up her win from two years ago. She led an unusually strong contingent of female swimmers this year.

In a bit of an anomaly, four of the top 10 finishers were female, as compared to last year, when the top female was 14th overall. Spokane's Susanne Simpson was ninth overall, and the 51- year-old from Spokane has been enjoying the race since 1999, drawn by the event's camaraderie.

"It's a fun swim. It gets all different ages and abilities," she said, noting a strange ritual which she didn't do this year. "Every third year I do the whole swim butterfly."

Per usual, the age range in the swim spanned more than 70 years, from 8-year-olds to an 81-year-old. For every swimmer leaving a wake, there were 10 more floating at whatever pace they like - part of the race allure as fins, snorkels and flotation devices are allowed.

Friends and family screamed encouragement from directly above on the iconic Long Bridge, as the unique vantage lets people follow along at the same pace of the swimmer.

One of loudest voices was that of Coeur d'Alene parent Pat Seymour, who was screaming "go Dirk, go Dirk, go Dirk," encouraging his 15-year-old son, who ended up finishing 11th overall.

"It's great to see your kid swim the whole length of the race," said Seymour. "It's one of the only races you can do that."

Race inventor and director Eric Ridgway strives to create a laid back, fun and encouraging environment, which draws swimmers from all over Northwest and Canada and keeps them coming back.

Austin Layman, 17, comes from Colorado every year to visit family and enjoy what he deems a very unique event.

"There's nothing else like it," said Layman, who plans to swim in college. "The setting is beautiful and the atmosphere is really positive."

As always, a cadre of local volunteers pitch in to make an event with some tough logistics run as smoothly as possible. From buses, to timers, to kayakers, to boat patrols, to ice cream cone makers to the local boy scout troops that transport hundreds upon hundreds of clothes bags to the finish, everybody plays a part in the success of the swim.

Top 25 finishers

1, Bryce Kananowicz, M, 14, Coeur d'Alene, 36:06. 2, Austin Layman, M, 17, Breckenridge, Colo., 39:12. 3, Emri Moore, F, 17, Colbert, 39:42. 4, Gus Koch, M, 15, Hayden, 39:52. 5, Annie Warner, F, 31, Nine Mile Falls, Wash., 39:54. 6, Tom Hickox, M, 58, Carefree, Ariz., 40:00. 7, Donald Moravec, M, 51, Spokane, 40:01. 8, Angela Corder, F, 53, Overton, Wash., 40:10. 9, Susanne Simpson, F, 51, Spokane, 40:16. 10, Larry Krauser, M, 58, Spokane, 41.58. 11, Dirk Seymour, M, 15, Coeur d'Alene, 42:03. 12, Bob Davis, M, 53, Calgary, 42:04. 13, Marcos Donolo, M, 36, Pullman, 42:05. 14, Bryan Buck, M, 49, Irvine, Calif., 42:14. 15, Bob Schlemmer, M, 51, Seattle, 42:29. 16, Tim Burnham, M, 52, Cashmere, Wash., 42:39. 17, Trever Grey, M, 35, Tacoma, 42:57. 18, Anastasia DeTar, F, 17, Post Falls, 42:59. 19, Edward Davis, M, 48, Pullman, 43:02. 20, Craig Scrivner, M, 48, Ellensberg, Wash., 43:04. 21, Nicole Rozier, F, 13, Coeur d'Alene, 43:29. 22, David Barns, M, 58, Hayden, 43:33. 23, George Jensen, M, 52, Liberty Lake, 43:55. 24, Eric Mann, Spt, 21, 44:17. 25, Chris Mann, Spt, 17, 44:50.