Saturday, April 2, 2022
Marsteiner, Weinstein Hold Start-to-Finish Leads En Route to Junior 5K Titles
The 2022 Open Water National & Junior Championships resumed Saturday morning with the Junior 5K events, seeing Sandpipers of Nevada’s Claire Weinstein and New Wave Swim Team’s Samuel Marsteiner take start-to-finish leads across three laps to win them their first junior titles. Today’s event also qualifies the top-2 finishers for the U.S. roster at the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships, which takes place September 1-4 in Beau Vallon, Seychelles.
Weinstein’s held a first-place position from the first lap to the last lap, touching first in 1:06:08 – just more than a minute ahead of the field.
“It felt really good,” Weinstein said of qualifying for the international opportunity. “It’s nice that we have [international] trips since last year they were cancelled. It feels really good.”
Qualifying for the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships alongside Weinstein was Mission Viejo Nadadores’ Abigail Miller, who finished in 1:07:19.
“It feels amazing,” Miller said of qualifying for the team. “I honestly wasn’t expecting it, I just came out here to have fun and race and see what happens.”
The men’s event saw New Wave Swim Team’s Samuel Marsteiner and NOVA of Virginia Aquatics’ Nathan Szobota post a 1-2 finish to qualify them for the international opportunity this fall.
“I really wanted this. To have it [qualifying for the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships] now is just amazing,” Szobota said. “I’m super excited for it. I heard about that opportunity and now that I get to go do it, I’m super excited.”
The competition concludes tomorrow with with 5K national event and 7.5K junior national event. Racing begins at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Weinstein’s held a first-place position from the first lap to the last lap, touching first in 1:06:08 – just more than a minute ahead of the field.
“It felt really good,” Weinstein said of qualifying for the international opportunity. “It’s nice that we have [international] trips since last year they were cancelled. It feels really good.”
Qualifying for the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships alongside Weinstein was Mission Viejo Nadadores’ Abigail Miller, who finished in 1:07:19.
“It feels amazing,” Miller said of qualifying for the team. “I honestly wasn’t expecting it, I just came out here to have fun and race and see what happens.”
The men’s event saw New Wave Swim Team’s Samuel Marsteiner and NOVA of Virginia Aquatics’ Nathan Szobota post a 1-2 finish to qualify them for the international opportunity this fall.
“I really wanted this. To have it [qualifying for the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships] now is just amazing,” Szobota said. “I’m super excited for it. I heard about that opportunity and now that I get to go do it, I’m super excited.”
The competition concludes tomorrow with with 5K national event and 7.5K junior national event. Racing begins at 7:30 a.m. ET.