The sun was bright and shining for the first day of the 2018 Open Water Nationals in Tempe, Arizona. The first race of the day featured the women’s 10K and several familiar faces jumping to the front of the pack.
But it wasn’t a member of the national team who led the race at the start, instead, it was 14-year-old Mariah Denigan of the Northern Kentucky Clippers. Denigan led the race for the first 5K, before Ashley Twichell, representing TAC Titans, moved to the lead.
From there the race was Twichell’s as she raced to defend her 10K title in a time of 1:52:12.105. Twichell’s victory earned her a spot on the Pan Pacific Championship team heading to Tokyo later this summer.
Olympian Haley Anderson of Trojan Swim Club nabbed second place with a time of 1:52:29.617, followed closely by Sandpipers of Nevada’s Erica Sullivan and her time of 1:52.31.972. While Anderson earned herself a spot alongside Twichell in Tokyo, Sullivan (17) earned the title of Junior National Champion for the 10K.
Kathryn Campbell of Team Santa Monica finished fourth overall with a 1:52:34.390, followed by Nation Capital’s Chase Travis in a time of 1:52:36.667.
Wolfpack Elite’s Hannah Moore (1:53:36.242), Rebecca Mann (1:54:39.324), Bolles’ Kensey McMahon (1:54:39.699), Mexico’s Ruth Aguilar Ortega (1:55:08.742), and Denigan (1:55:55.882) rounded out the top ten.
https://twitter.com/USASwimLive/status/992458307087384577
