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Scottsdale family thrives in Alcatraz swim

BY ZACH ALVIRA

Progress Sports Editor

Denton Smith’s high school graduation present wasn’t what most kids his age ask for.

Smith wanted a trip with his family to San Francisco. But beyond that, he wanted to compete in The Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim, a race that tests both a participants’ strength and endurance swimming from the base of Alcatraz to the San Francisco shoreline.

So, along with his father, Matt, and mother, Shalayne, Matt got his wish. The family competed in the event on Sept. 25 and thrived. But beyond their high placements, it was an opportunity for them to spend quality time together doing what they love and check off a bucket list item along the way.

“I grew up at a time where Alcatraz was unescapable,” Matt said. “Growing up as a swimmer, I always thought it would be fun to do that. I found the race and found an opportunity to do it. My wife, who enjoys being a part of everything she can, she wanted to do it. It kind of started because, for me, it was a bucket list type of thing and they both wanted to join along.”

Denton – who graduated last May from Saguaro High School, where he was an accomplished swimmer – placed �irst overall in the 1.5-mile swim. His dad, an avid swimmer himself who competed at Arcadia High before going on to compete at Iowa, placed �irst overall for his age group.

Shalayne never swam growing up. Instead, she was an avid runner at Coronado High School in Scottsdale. But she felt like she could compete, especially alongside Matt and Denton.

She placed sixth overall in her age group, admitting she was as surprised as Matt and Denton were that she crossed the �inish line when she did.

“I really didn’t learn to swim until my 30s,” Shalayne said. “My goal was to join the boys and to make it. I was just excited to get up there and see how they did. That sort of motivated me.”

Denton took a gap year and is currently verbally committed to the University of Minnesota as a 2022 recruit for swimming. Due to the pandemic, seniors at the college level were granted an extra year of eligibility, leaving few spots freshmen. So, he is spending this year training to compete at a high level when he arrives in Minnesota.

But he won’t forget the Alcatraz run.

“It was a lot of fun,” Denton said. “There haven’t been a lot of times in my life where I’ve competed in races with my parents, especially not sanctioned ones to this extent, so it was de�initely a memory I’m going to keep going into college and the rest of their life.”

The race had 650 male and female participants in a variety of age groups. Boats carried the swimmers out to Alcatraz Island, where they then jumped into the 63-degree water. Luckily, Matt said, the water was a bit calm on the day of the race.

They treaded water for about 10 minutes before the start of the race occurred. From there, they were essentially on their own. Denton crossed the �inish line in 24 minutes, 35 seconds, a record time for the event. Matt �inished in 28 minutes, 30 seconds and Shalayne in 44 minutes. They embraced one another at the end of the event, proud of what they had all been able to accomplish.

“It was very nice to start together,” Shalayne said. “I said to the boys, ‘Bye, good luck! I’ll see you soon.’”

Matt said he said the same thing to his son, who he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up with.

“When I saw him, he was off to the left and it’s funny because I knew he was super focused on it,” Matt said. We were mid conversation with a couple of people around us and the horn blew. The conversation stopped and we instantly started going.” “Being able to spend the time not only in the race but beforehand, talking about the race, getting the time to hang out with them, it was awesome. “We were together the entire time up until the race started and then met up after it. It was beyond what I could’ve asked for and hoped for. Honestly, I don’t think it could’ve gone any better.”

From left: Matt Smith, Shalayne Smith and Denton Smith all competed in The Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim, a 1.5-mile race from the former prison to the San Fancisco

shoreline. (Courtesy Matt Smith)