Perfect Temperature, Gorgeous Day, Flat Water In Long Beach

Double Pan American Games gold medalist Alex Kostich and former University of Florida All-American Dawn Heckman won the 5K Pacific Open Water Challenge going away today in Long Beach.

Under gorgeous blue skies in a flat rowing basin, the two swam a fast pace in the point-to-point course.

"I wasn't quite sure I was going to swim this morning," said Alex, a perennial top finisher in every open water swim he competes in. "I was a little sick this week and was here to cheer Dawn on - we train together on the weekends. But I entered this morning and just sprinted the first 800 meters to see how my body would react."

His body reacted well. Alex set off at an 82 strokes per minutes pace, separated himself from his competitors and then build the next loop with a 84 spm pace and finished with an 86 spm pace. "I felt great. It was a perfect temperature. I like swimming in open water without all the waves and surf like in the ocean."

In an earlier race, Dan Wegner (20:13) and Laurie Dodd (20:46) won the 1-mile race.

Photos courtesy of Super Kidz Photo with additional photos here.