For 5 years the masses have been asking, "Will Gavin Gee ever come out of retirement and return to regain his 3rd place crown at BYU's Splash and Dash?" After celebrating his 30th birthday most critics had written him off. "He's old and washed out, he couldn't compete in the 6th graders field day races, let alone the Splash and Dash" commented a reporter who has been covering the event for over 15 years. "He had a good run. I mean 7 third place finishes, that is quite a streak. If he came back it would just be a big disappointment to see him finish out of the medals."
However, despite the warnings of the critics he signed up, not for the standard event like some expected, but the Elite. A 1 mile swim and a 10K run would have been tough for Gavin in his prime, but the last 5 years had put him well beyond that.
It was clear after the first lap that this was not the Gavin we are used to seeing in the Richards building. After a mere 300 yards he was being passed by not one, not two, but three of the Otto brothers. In years past Gavin had relied heavily on his lead in the pool to give him an edge, clearly this year he would not have that luxury.
Surprisingly, Gavin was able to pick up his pace and keep the competition within reach. He got out of the pool just over 23 minutes into the race. "I knew it wasn't going to be an amazing swim, but I was just hoping to keep it under 30 minutes" Gavin told a reporter after the race. It ended up being a good thing he finished when he did just moments after he got out of the pool another competitor jumped out, narrowly putting him in 4th place. The first 5K was a bit ugly, but near the 2 mile mark Gavin seemed to get his second wind and was able to surpass one of the Otto's to move into 3rd place. After a strong 5K finish it looked feasible that Gavin would catch the competition, however his steam seemed to putter out at the 4.5 mile mark and Gavin had to watch the others add more distance to their lead. However, the little energy Gavin had left was enough to keep him going to reclaim his 3rd place title.
"It was the most amazing feat of athleticism I have ever seen--well the third most I guess" said Denny Gee, Gavin's wife and trusty lap counter.
When asked what he was going to do next Gavin replied, "I'm going to read a case about Disney Land!"
