Mariah Denigan Wins Tight Battle for Women’s 10k Crown at Open Water National Championships

2026 Open Water National and Junior National Championships

• Thursday, April 2 – Saturday, April 4
• Sarasota, Florida
• Nathan Benderson Park
• Open Water
• Meet Central
• Start List
• Results

In the only performance under 2:04:00, Ohio State’s Mariah Denigan betteredher 3rd place finish at the 2025 US Open Water National Championships last year to take the top time in the women’s 10 km race in 2026 and earn her title as National Champion in 2:03:54, just eight seconds faster than runner-up Brinkleigh Hansen, 17, in 2:04:02.

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Mariah Denigan – 2:03.54
2. Brinkleigh Hansen – 2:04:02 *Junior National Champion
3. Ashley Twitchell – 2:04:04
4. Becca Mann – 2:04:07
5. Alex Siegel – 2:04:24
6. Brooke Travis – 2:05:32
7. Emma Finlin – 2:05:34
8. Paige Downey – 2:05:49

Behind Denigan was a three-swimmer slugfest for the top three, as Hansen (2:04:02), Ashley Twitchell (2:04:04), and Becca Mann (2:04:07) each battled to the final touch to fill out the top four of these championships, each securing a spot on the US Open Water National Team.

Hansen, who was the standout of these championships last season, beating out Claire Weinstein for the national championship victory, just fell off pace to catch Denigan’s closing speed, earning her a runner-up finish, but still earning her the Junior National Championship title, and will represent the US in the 7.5km at the Junior Open Water Championships in Argentina in September.

Twitchell, who is just 11 months postpartum after giving birth to her daughter in May, still wound up in a close 3rd-place finish at these championships, securing her spot on the national team, regardless of her results at the upcoming world cup.

Mann, Twitchell’s TAC Titans teammate, wound up in 4th, in 2:04.04. Following those top four were Long Island Aquatic Club’s Alex Siegel (2:04:24) and a third TAC Titans swimmer in Brooke Travis in 2:05.32.

The top six finishers in this race will earn invites to be a part of the American team on the World Cup on April 24 in Ibiza, Spain and May 1 in Golfo Aranci, Italy. USA Swimming will use the World Aquatics open water scoring system to give the top six swimmers one cumulative score and then the top four will be named to the Pan Pacs team.

18-year-old Paige Downey of Gold Medal Swim Club was the next highest placing junior finisher, touching 8th, which qualifies her to swim the 10l at the Junior World  Open Water Championships in Argentina.

Finishing 11th at these championships was Corvallis Aquatic Team’s Zayda Miehl, who at the age of 16, qualifies to race the 7.5km at the Junior World Championship.