The final day of the 2022 Open Water National & Junior Championships featured both the 5K national event and junior 7.5K event. The Sandpipers of Nevada again proved their open water prowess by capturing titles in the men's 5K as well as the boys' and girls' junior 7.5K events.

Brennan Gravley, a Sandpiper and University of Florida swimmer, captured the men's 5K title. The first-place finish marks the first open water national title of his career. The decorated Open Water National Team member started in the back half of the group before sifting through the traffic to touch first. 

"I didn’t want to play it too aggressive and I kind of wanted to see if I can play it from the back half," Gravley said. "There were a lot of different people in the front and that tends to bunch up. I think that played a big role in the race today.

“This [event] is a little more fun for me. I really do enjoy the 5K. The 10K is the Olympic event so the 5K is a little less pressure. It’s not as much of qualifier but instead just a chance to race."

The women's 5K saw France's Aurelie Muller take the lead roughly halfway through the three-lap race and not look back, as she ended up touching first just before her French teammate Caroline Jouisse. Tokyo Olympian and U.S. National Team member Bella Sims (also from Sandpipers of Nevada) touched third, improving two spots from her finish in the event at last year's Open Water National Championships and making her the top-American finisher in this year's event.

“It was actually one of the most fun races I’ve ever had," Sims sad. "It was fun swimming against the French girls and seeing all my friends in open water. I love open water because of all the people I’ve met and it’s just fun to see them again.”

The Junior 7.5K went to Katie Grimes and Ilya Kharun. No strangers to the competition, the win gives Grimes the third title of her career (2021 junior 5K, 2022 10K and junior 7.5K) and Kharun the second (2021 junior 5K, 2022 Junior 7.5K) of his.

"I love open water, I love this event and I love coming out here to compete against these awesome girls," Grimes said. "I'm really happy with how this weekend went and I'm excited for the next open water event." 

“It was amazing," Kharun said. "The race felt good and the water felt good – everything kind of went the way I was planning to. It was really fun racing those guys.”

Complete results for these events and others from this weekend, click here. For more information on the 2022 Open Water National & Junior Championships, visit https://www.usaswimming.org/event/2022/04/01/default-calendar/open-water-championships