U.S. Open Water World Championships Trials: Mark Warkentin, Chip Peterson Qualify for World Championships in Men’s 10K; Complete Results Included

FORT MYERS, Florida, October 21. AFTER an exciting day of swimming yesterday in which Micha Burden (Mission Viejo) and Kirsten Groome (First Colony) earned spots in the women's 10K at the FINA Open Water World Championships to be held in Seville, Spain next April, the men took center stage in another 10K battle.

Mark Warkentin (Santa Barbara Swim Club) and Chip Peterson (North Carolina) gave the fans something to cheer as the duo took it down to the wire before Warkentin surfaced triumphant in 1:57:01.84. Peterson, meanwhile, wound up in second place in 1:57:03.64 while WSY Swimming's Josef Kinderwater placed third. As times are reported, this article will be updated. Both Warkentin and Peterson now move on to Worlds in hopes of grabbing a top 10 spot to transfer over to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The men's race provided much more opportunity for anyone from the field to win compared to the women's race yesterday.

Initially, the men's field still remained in one pack at the first turn (2.5K), while the women had already broken into three packs at that point with the top four of Burden, Groome, Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo) and Kalyn Keller (Club Wolverine) already breaking apart into the lead pack.

The men still hung together at the halfway mark (5K), although the pack had drifted out to about 10-meters wide at that point of the race. After everyone fed, the field formed back up with Fran Crippen (Mission Viejo) and Peterson out in front.

The pack still remained fairly tight at the last turn (7.5K) as only four swimmers had fallen out of contention. At the 8.75K mark, Warkentin jumped out to the lead, as a lead pack of seven swimmers emerged including Crippen, Peterson and Kinderwater.

With 500 meters to go, Warkentin and Peterson were in the lead with Crippen just behind. Warkentin and Peterson then broke away with about 100 meters to go en route to a head-to-head sprint to the line.

"I have never won an important race in my life," Warkentin told USA Swimming. "At 27 and at the end of my career, this probably would have been the last race."

Kinderwater and Mission Viejo's Chad La Tourette, who finished fourth, will serve as alternates in the 10K at Worlds and will be entered in the 5K event in Spain.

Men's Results
1. Mark Warkentin, Santa Barbara, 1:57:01.840
2. Chip Peterson, North Carolina, 1:57:03.640
3. Josef Kinderwater, WSY Swimming, 1:57:14.140
4. Chad La Tourette, Mission Viejo, 1:57:15.110
5. Noa Sakamoto, Unattached, 1:57:19.570
6. Scott Kaufmann, Reno Aquatics, 1:57:19.660
7. Steve Roof, Canton City, 1:57:20.650
8. John Flanagan, Kamehameha, 1:57:21.560
9. Fran Crippen, Mission Viejo, 1:57:31.650
10. Cody Kaufmann, Gator, 1:57:33.540
11. Michael Daup, Blackline, 1:58:01.500
12. John Kenny, Germantown, 1:58:12.160
13. Charlie Rimkus, Mission Viejo, 1:58:38.850
14. Andrew Gemmell, Delaware, 1:58:43.490
15. John Kevin Koehler, Indiana, 2:00:13.370
16. Phillip Owen, North Carolina, 2:02:21.420
17. Deni Cullom, Mission Viejo, 2:02:47.820
18. Vincent Donnelly, Tampa Bay Community, 2:02:54.320
19. Harry Stephenson, Gulf Coast, 2:02:54.590
20. Tommy O'Neill, Long Island, 2:16:23.530
DNS: Joey Pedraza, Pine Crest
DNS: Kyle Young, Area Tallahassee

2007 U.S. Open Water Men 10K Start

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