COEUR d'ALENE - Bryce Kananowicz is a lean, mean, swimming machine.

Breaking the course record and taking first place in the Coeur d'Alene Crossing Open Water Swim were simultaneous feats for the 17-year-old Coeur d'Alene resident.

When he popped out of the water following the 2.4-mile swim Sunday morning, the crowd cheered and he was greeted with a hug from Brady Hooper, a Coeur d'Alene Area Swim Team coach.

"You've got to be mentally tough and push through it, you know, think about all the things that you do all year long, train hard for it, think about what your coaches teach you," he said, moments after peeling off his wetsuit. The record-breaking Lake City High School swimmer also swims for CAST. His time was 44 minutes and 55 seconds, eight minutes faster than the previous course record.

"My body's sore, but what your mind can conceive, the body can achieve, so I like to think that through the race and just sing songs and it goes by fast," Kananowicz said.

More than 200 people participated in the second-annual event, with 209 finishing the race. Swimmers began at Arrow Point on the south side of Lake Coeur d'Alene and paddled their way to glory on the shore of the Hagadone Event Center, near the famous floating green.

Some spectators peered through binoculars to keep watch as the waves of swimmers made their way through the rough waters.

Lynne Threadgill and Judy Sheldon, both of Coeur d'Alene, viewed the progress from the dock.

"It's a little choppy for the swimmers, but they'll get here," Threadgill said. "It's a beautiful day for it, nice weather and lots of interest. Hopefully next year it will be twice as big."

Threadgill's son Michael was in a kayak on the lake monitoring for safety and Sheldon's daughter Keri was one of the swimmers.

"I expect she'll do well, she's a good swimmer," Sheldon said.

Swimmers of all ages - from 9 to 77 - made the cross-lake trek. Some were wobbly as they emerged onto the beach, and others made it look like a walk in the park.

Judith Coyle was the top female swimmer, finishing fifth overall with a time of 51:14.

Megan Forster, 17, of Coeur d'Alene, is also a swimmer for CAST and made friends with a couple girls from Canada that morning. Forster said she felt pretty good after the race.

"It was really choppy," she said. "I just kind of got in and just did it."

The Coeur d'Alene Crossing raised money for the Union Gospel Mission, CAST and the North Idaho College Booster Club. As of Sunday afternoon, $14,944 was donated.

For race results, visit www.cdacrossing.com or swimcast.net.