La Jollans swim Maui Channel

La Jollans Todd Robinson and Peter Worland finished first and second, respectively, in a Maui Channel swim on Sept. 5.

Barbara Held, also of La Jolla, was the ninth solo swimmer, second woman, to finish the course.

Robinson was first solo finisher, beating 46 of 50 relay teams in the 9 1/2-mile course with a time of 3:54:01 in rough conditions with 10- to 20-knot winds and 7- to 10-foot swells. Just a couple of weeks ago, Robinson set a men’s record for the 21-mile Catalina Channel crossing with a time of 8:05:44, besting the previous high mark of 8:14:46 set in 1993.

In the Maui race, Peter Worland took second among 20 solo swimmers with a time of 4:24:55.

A couple of swim teams from UCSD also participated in the Sept. 5 event. Team NSLB, composed of Kelly O’Sullivan, Jerry Jessop, Bill Hartwell, John Heffner and Treacy Sommer, finished sixth.

Team Children of the Cove placed eighth in the Mixed Division. Swimmers were Amy Pace, Michella Thomas, Susan Weston, Ari Crocker, Jon Jacobsen and Steve Green.

A third UCSD team had to withdraw from the race due to poor racing conditions in the channel.