Boyd Memorial Swim

There is no name more synonymous with lifeguarding at the Jersey Shore than Boyd so it’s fitting that a swimming event be named after three brothers who were the architects and foundation for the Seaside Heights Beach Patrol. 

This Sunday at 7pm the Boyd Memorial Swim will be held beginning on the Lincoln Avenue beach with participants expected to travel from across the tri-state area to compete in a 1-mile open swim which will have four divisions from high school to masters.  The annual event is hosted by the Lifeguard Association of Seaside Heights and it honors the memory of former Captain John Boyd, former Assistant Captain Hugh “Junie” Boyd and former Lieutenant Joe Boyd.

The $20 registration fee also gets you a t-shirt and food during a post-race beach barbeque on Hiering Avenue, where you can register beginning at 4pm.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the elementary school in Seaside Heights which is named after Hugh J. Boyd.  His son Jay is the Beach Patrol Chief.  For more information on Sunday’s swim you can contact Captain Rob Connor at (732) 793-4646.

The Cincinnati Reds are 14-2 since All-Star first baseman Joey Votto went on the disabled list following arthroscopic knee surgery.  A big reason why has been the play of  Toms River’s Todd Frazier, who has occupied first base for most of the games in Votto’s absence.  Frazier belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs Thursday in the Reds win over San Diego and is tied for the lead in both home runs and RBI’s among National League rookies.

The TV ratings for the Olympics continue to amaze many of us when you consider the prime-time events are being shown on a tape-delayed basis but new research shows that people who know results are more likely to watch the telecast later.  NBC researchers say that two-thirds of people who said they knew the outcome of an event would watch it anyway.  Even more surprising might be that those who watched the event live via the internet would not only watch the tape-delayed TV broadcast later but would tune in for a longer time than those who did not.

You can add American swimmer Rebecca Soni to the list of Olympians with a shore-area connection.  Soni set a world record while winning the 200-meter breaststroke Thursday and she is a 2005 graduate of West Windsor-Plainsboro North High School.  She was actually born in Freehold before moving to Plainsboro. The 25-year old now lives in California.