May 19, 2007

FORT MYERS BEACH, FLA. - Two highly favored swimmers won the men's and women's 5K race Thursday at USA Swimming's Open Water National Championships. Defending 5K national champion Chip Peterson of the North Carolina Aquatic Club and a rising sophomore on the University of North Carolina men's swimming and diving team took the men's race in 52:39.20, while last year's runner-up, Chloe Sutton, of California Capital Aquatics, came out on top of the women's race in 58:23.45.

Two other Tar Heels were top nine finishers. Rising junior Whitney Sprague of the Carolina women's swimming and diving team was fourth in the women's 5K in 59:40.93. It was Sprague's first ever open water competition. Entering freshman Joe Kinderwater was ninth in the men's 5K race.

"This is the only (open water) race I do in the U.S. every year," said Peterson, a Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., native and the 2005 10K open world champion and 5K silver medalist. "It's one of my favorite races."

Peterson has enjoyed tremendous success at Open Water Nationals over the last few years.

He's competed in the meet for four years now and has four national titles to show for it - two in the 5K (2006 and 2007) and two in the 10K (2005 and 2006). He will be going for his third straight win in the 10K race on Saturday.

"The cuts (to qualify for this meet) were a little harder this year, so in terms of competition, it's a completely different race from couple of years ago," Peterson said. "It's definitely faster."

While Peterson was pleased with his win in the 5K, he said his main focus for the week was on Saturday's 10K race, which serves as a qualifier for the U.S. Open Water Olympic Selection Meet/World Championship Trials.

The top 15 finishers in the men's and women's 10K Saturday will qualify for the Open Water Olympic Selection Meet/World Championships Trials, which will be held Oct. 20-21 in Fort Myers.

"(The 5K) was an opportunity to come out here, see the course and get a feel for the competition," Peterson said. "It will be a different race on Saturday, but a lot of the same people will be in it. It's good way to gauge where I'm at right now."

The USA Swimming Open Water National Championships continues Saturday with men's and women's 10K race, and concludes Monday with the men's and women's 25K.

USA Swimming Open Water National Championships

5K Medalists

Men - 1. Chip Peterson, North Carolina Aquatic Club, 52.39.20; 2. Fran Crippen, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 53.23.48; 3. Noa Sakamoto, unattached, 53.35.55; 4. Jan Wolfgarten, Gator Swim Club, 52:38.41; 5. Scott Kaufmann, Reno Aquatic Club, 54:08.57; 6. Steffan Troxel, Indiana University, 54:00.60; 7. Andrew Gremmell, Delaware Swim Team, 54:04.08; 8. Charlie Rimkus, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 54:11.29.

Women - 1. Chloe Sutton, California Capital Aquatics, 58:23.45; 2. Micha Burden, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 59:06.03; 3. Christine Jennings, Minnesota Aquatics, 59:38.89; 4. Whitney Sprague, North Carolina Aquatic Club, 59:40.93; 5. Kelly Ann Baird, Winston-Salem YMCA, 59:48.57; 6. Katelyn Martin, Magnus Aquatic Group, 59:50.67; 7. Liz Nelson, The Woodlands Swim Team, 1:00:02.42; 8. Meghan Leddy, Eastern Express Swim Team, 1:00:24.32.