2 canoeists win whitewater golds

NANTAHALA RIVER, N.C. – Two Indian Island residents won gold medals here at the Whitewater Open Canoe National Championships July 15-17. Scott Phillips and Chip Morin finished first in their racing classes at the annual championship event.

Phillips, competing in the national meet for the fourth year in a row, finished first in the open canoe (OC), premier recreation class – an eight-mile race – July 15. The same day, Morin won the OC master (ages 40 and over) rec class (eight miles).

On July 16, Phillips and Morin teamed up to win the OC2 (two-man) premier rec class – another eight-mile race.

Phillips won two golds last Friday – one in the new whitewater sprint, 1 1/2-mile race by 14 seconds and the other in the new OC2 mixed premier class with Nancy Shellhorse of Virginia Beach, Va.