Teammates Brinkleigh Hansen, Cobe Hehenberger Win Open Water Nationals Junior Titles
Saint Petersburg Aquatics teammates Brinkleigh Hansen and Cobe Hehenberger won junior titles at the 2024 Open Water Nationals on Saturday.
Hansen clocked in at 1 hour, 43 seconds to win the junior girls 5-kilometer race. Hehenberger went 58:14 in the boys 5K on the second day of three at the event in Sarasota, Fla.
Hansen was four seconds quicker than Long Island Aquatic Club’ Alex Seigel. Zayda Miehl, who competes for Corvallis Aquatics in Oregon, finished third.
“I thought the race was really hard but fun,” Hansen told USA Swimming. “Staying in the pack was really exciting because I had people to push me.”
Hehenberger’s winning margin was six seconds. He and Nicholas Liberty of Rockville Montgomery Swim Club separated as a leading pack more than a minute clear. Liberty finished second in 58:20.
“The first two laps were nice, and as soon as the third lap started I had to pick it up,” Hehenberger said. “That’s when it started to hurt a lot more.”
Third place in the boys race went to Griffin Cagle. The SwimMAC Carolina swimmers clocked in at 59:48.
The three-day event concludes Sunday with the women’s and men’s 5K races and the 7.5K junior national championships.