April 24--Homer Glen's Becca Mann won a second straight U.S. title in the 10-kilometer open water event Friday at Miromar Lakes, Fla.
And Northwestern junior Jordan Wilimovsky won his first.
The victories earned Mann, 17, and Wilmovsky, 21, places in the event at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
A finish in the top 10 at worlds would qualify them for the 2016 Olympics. Mann finished eighth in the 10k at the last world meet two years ago.
Mann, who trains in Baltimore, already had made the U.S. world team in a pool event, the 800-meter freestyle.
The high school senior has also published a book, the Stolen Dragon of Quanx, first installment of her planned Eyes Trilogy.
Mann won Friday's race in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 38.344 seconds. That was less than four-tenths of a second ahead of Haley Anderson, 23, who gained the second world team spot.
Wilimovsky, of Malibu, Calif., won the men's race by nearly 13 seconds.
He had finished second in the 10k at open water nationals last year. Friday's win marked a steady progression to the top, after a ninth in 2012 and fourth in 2013.
He took third in the 1,650-yard freestyle at last month's NCAA Championships.
