Eckhoff gets 'lucky' in open-water victory

By Mike Tymn
Special to the Honolulu Advertiser

The 2,000-meter U.S. Masters Swimming National Championships open-water swim was held at Kaimana Beach yesterday. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

With about 30 meters remaining in the race, Karnaugh realized he was not heading directly for the finishing chute in the sand on the beach. Rather than continue in a straight line to the beach, he made a hard left turn and swam toward Eckhoff, adding about 10 meters to his swim. By the time Karnaugh was in line with the finishing chute, Eckhoff was on his feet for the dash to the finish line.Ê

"I got lucky," said Eckhoff, a 36-year-old executive recruiter from Los Angeles, who was unable to win in the pool during the national championships staged at the University of Hawai'i during the week.Ê His best effort was a third place in the 1,000 freestyle.

"I got lost," said Karnaugh, 35, from Maplewood, N.J. Had Karnaugh, who set five American records in the pool during the week, continued to the beach without turning, he could have run the 10 meters on the beach and edged Eckhoff.

Eckhoff won with a time of 21 minutes, 40.1 seconds. Karnaugh, who fell after rising to his feet, recorded 21:57.1. Jim McConica, a 51-year-old resident of Ventura, Calif., was third in 22:21.8

Finishing 15th overall among some 400 swimmers, Sara Quan, a 29-year-old personal trainer from Bend, Ore., won the women's race in 23:34.9, just edging Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, a 40-year-old San Diego resident, by two seconds.

"We came in together, and it came down to the run," said Quan, who won three races in the pool during the week. Pipes-Neilsen won six races in the pool, setting American records in all of them.

USMS RECORDS

The top Hawai'i finisher was Rick Heltzel, 45, 18th overall in 23.43.8.

National records set at USMS Masters Nationals, May 14-17 at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex at the University of Hawai'i.

Julia Dolce, 92, Garden State Masters, 1,000-yd free 28:36.94, 200-yd free 4:56.62, 500-yd free 13:51.00.

Mike Shaffer, 36, Ventura County Masters, 1,000-yd free 9:31.89.

Jim McConica, 51, Ventura County Masters, 1,000-yd free 9:57.78.

Tom Landis, 60, Oregon, 1,650-yd free 19:18.93.

Colette Crabbe, 45, Oregon, 400-yd IM 4:54.46, 200-yd breast 2:35.43.

June Krauser, 75, Gold Coast Masters, 400-yd IM 7:27.88, 200-yd IM 3:33.30.

Joel Feldmann, 50, New England Masters Swimming, 50-yd back 30.52, 100-yd IM 1:06.43.

Bettyann Barnett-SallŽe, 56, Hawai'i Masters, 50-yd back 31.63, 200-yd free 2:14.32, 100-yd back 1:07.52.

Bunny Cederlund, 80, Space Coast Masters, 50-yd back 43.81, 100-yd back 1:39.35.

Larlyn Pipes-Neilsen, 40, San Diego Swim Masters, 200-yd free 1:51.93, 200-yd fly 2:03.93, 100-yd back 59.36, 200-yd IM 2:07.24, 100-yd IM 7.02, 100-yd free 54.38.

Laura Val, 50, Tamalpais, 200-yd free 1:59.55, 200-yd fly 2:15.18, 50-yd fly 27.81, 50-yd free 25.30, 100-yd fly 1:01.26.

Audrey Etienne, 85, San Mateo Masters Marlins, 200-yd free 4:05.11.

Ronald Karnaugh, 35, Arizona Masters, 200-yd free 1:40.16, 500-yd free 4:33.97, 200-yd IM 1:50.96, 100-yd IM 50.45.

Paul Smith, 42, Rocky Mountain Masters, 200-yd free 1:43.05.

Jeff Farrell, 65, Ojai-Santa Barbara, 200-yd free 2:01.22, 50-yd free 23.66, 200-yd IM 2:24.24, 100-yd IM 1:03.54, 100-yd free 54.43.

Karen Melick, 45, Southern Cal Aquatics Masters, 100-yd breast 1:11.35, 50-yd breast 32.73.

Ginger Pierson, 56, Multnomah Athletic Club, 100-yd breast 1:18.30, 50-yd breast 35.06.

James Belardi, 45, Southern Cal Aquatics Masters, 200-yd fly 1:58.12.

Ronald Johnson, 70, Arizona Masters, 200-yd fly 2:52.99, 50-yd fly 29.49, 200-yd breast 2:55.34, 200-yd IM 2:34.91, 100-yd IM 1:08.82, 100-yd fly 1:09.63.

Richard Abrahams, 57, Rocky Mountain Masters, 50-yd fly 24.59, 100-yd fly 54.39.

Diane Stowell, 68, Hawai'i Masters, 200-yd breast 3:15.83.

Barb Gundred, 50, Pacific Northwest Aquatics, 100-yd back 1:06.44.

Betsy Jordan, 65, San Diego Masters Swimmers, 100-yd back 1:19.85.

Florence Carr, 76, Florida Maverick Masters, 50-yd free 34.10.

John Smith, 40, Team Tyr, 50-yd free 21.08, 100-yd free 46.25.

Donald Hill, 70, The Olympic Club, 50-yd free 25.99, 100-yd free 58.35.

Robin Parisi, 47, Multnomah Athletic Club, 200-yd IM 2:19.91.

Adam Conway, 23, San Diego Swim Masters, 100-yd fly 49.37.

Cappy Sheeley, 60, Hawai'i Masters, 100-yd fly 1:01.94.

Regula Steiger, 50, Hawai'i Masters, 50 yd breast 34.10.

Ann Hirsch, 71, Walnut Creek Masters, 50-yd breast 43.23.

Women 35+ 200-yd medley relay: Rocky Mountain Masters A (Collette Sappey, Sarah Lee, Julia Von Evig, Kathy Garnier) 1:53.58.

Men 35+ 200-yd medley relay: Team Tyr A (John Smith, Dean Putterman, Robert Killeen, Christopher Cavanaugh) 1:35.56.

Men 55+ 200-yd medley relay: Walnut Creek Masters A (James King, Jesse Smyers, James De Lacy, Bill M. Dick) 1:50.34.

Women 35+ 200-yd freestyle relay: Rocky Mountain Masters A (Julia Von Evig, Kathy Garnier, Sarah Lee, Collette Sappey) 1:39.23.

Women 45+ 200-yd freestyle relay: Pacific Northwest Aquatics (Jo Moore, Charlotte Davis, Debbie Glassman, Mary Lippold) 1:45.48.

Men 55+ 200-yd freestyle relay: Rocky Mountain Masters A (Paul McCormick, Arnie Dowd, Carl Selles, Richard Abrahams) 1:35.55.

45+ 200-yd medley relay: Hawai'i Masters A (Bettyann Barnett-Sallee, Spencer Eldred, Stgeve Borowski, Regula Steiger) 1:50.54.

Mixed 65+ 200-yd medley relay: San Diego Swim Masters A (Betsy Jordan, Bob W. Best, Bill Earley, Jeanne Little) 2:14.70.

Mixed 35+ 200-yd freestyle relay: Rocky Mountain Masters A (Paul Smith, Kathy Garnier, Mike Gonzales, Collette Sappey) 1:32.67.

Mixed 65+ 200-yd freestyle relay: San Diego Swim Masters A (Bob Best, Betsy Jordan, Jeanne Little, Bill Earley) 2:00.31.