A pair of men¹s swimmers from the University of North Carolina, sophomore Chip Peterson of Pine Knoll Shores, N.C. and freshman Joe Kinderwater of Lancaster, Pa., qualified Sunday for the 2008 FINA Open Water World Championships to be held April 29-May 4, 2008 in Seville, Spain. In the U.S. World Championships Trials held Sunday, Peterson placed second and Kinderwater third, both earning spots on the U.S. National Team.

Peterson qualified to swim the 10-kilometer race at Seville next year where 10 swimmers will be chosen to advance to the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the event, the first time open water swimming will be a medal event at the Olympic Games. Kinderwater earned one of two American spot in the 5-kilometer world championships race in Spain next spring.

Mark Warkentin of Santa Barbara Swim Club and Peterson gave the fans something to cheer as the duo took it down to the wire before Warkentin surfaced triumphant in 1:57:01.84. Peterson, meanwhile, wound up in second place in 1:57:03.64 while Kinderwater placed third in 1:57.14.00.

Both Warkentin and Peterson now move on to Worlds in hopes of grabbing a top 10 spot to transfer over to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Initially, the men's field still remained in one pack at the first turn (2.5K). The men still hung together at the halfway mark (5K), although the pack had drifted out to about 10-meters wide at that point of the race. After everyone fed, the field formed back up with Fran Crippen (Mission Viejo) and Peterson out in front.

The pack still remained fairly tight at the last turn (7.5K) as only four swimmers had fallen out of contention. At the 8.75K mark, Warkentin jumped out to the lead, as a lead pack of seven swimmers emerged including Crippen, Peterson and Kinderwater.

With 500 meters to go, Warkentin and Peterson were in the lead with Crippen just behind. Warkentin and Peterson then broke away with about 100 meters to go en route to a head-to-head sprint to the line.

Kinderwater and Mission Viejo's Chad La Tourette, a freshman at Stanford, finished fourth, will serve as alternates in the 10K at Worlds and will be entered in the 5K event in Spain.