Professional triathlete Greg Bennett of Australia needed a paramount performance to capture Sunday's Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon in downtown Dallas.

Bennett said that he, runner-up Andy Potts and third-place finisher Stuart Hayes never backed off while vying for the $60,000 winner's prize. The Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series' Race to the Toyota Cup title and its $60,000 bonus also were up for grabs.

"It's probably the best performance of my career," said Bennett, a fourth-place finisher at the 2004 Athens Olympics. "The quality of the field was second to none. Everyone desperately wanted to win the big pay day."

Bennett, 36, stayed with Potts, 32, and Hayes 29, out of the water and on the bike. Then, Bennett said he pushed the pace, sprinting the first mile at 4-minute, 40-second pace. He said his heart rate hovered at 180 beats per minute throughout the race which began with a 1,500-meter swim in Joe Pool Lake, continued with a 40K bike ride from Cedar Hill State Park to downtown Dallas, and finished with a 10K run along the Katy Trail, ending by the American Airlines Center.

"My mantra was: 'Make them catch you! Make them catch you!' " Bennett said.

He said he felt a huge sense of relief when he crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 46 minutes, 52 seconds, repeating as race champion, capturing his third consecutive series title and earning the $120,000.

Women's pro winner surprises field: Lisa Norden of Sweden won her fifth consecutive multi-sport race since placing 18th at the Beijing Olympics. She finished in 1:57:30 for her first win in the United States.

Norden, 24, came out of Joe Pool Lake last among the 10 pro women. She clocked the fastest bike ride and run, defeating series winner Becky Lavelle and U.S. Olympians Sara Haskins and Laura Bennett.

Local elite amateur shines: Mina Pizzini of Dallas enjoyed a police escort much of the day en route to capturing the women's elite amateur title. Pizzini, a professor at SMU Cox School of Business, led the professional and elite amateur women through the swim and the bike ride.

"It was my fastest run time of the season, but it felt slow," said Pizzini, who ran the 10K nearly 90 seconds faster than she has all season. "I kept getting passed by the pros so I thought I was going slow."

Briefly: Three-time Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper, who placed seventh in Beijing, will have surgery Thursday in Colorado for the sports hernia that sidelined him from competing here Sunday. But first, Kemper leaves Dallas Monday for Washington, D.C., where he will join other U.S. Olympians at the White House to meet President George Bush on Tuesday. ... Two challenged athletes – dialysis patient Shad Ireland and visually impaired Aaron Scheidies – both completed all five races in the Life Time Fitness Triathlon series.

U.S. OPEN TRIATHLON

(At Dallas)

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

MEN

PRO DIVISION TOP OVERALL

1. Greg Bennett, 1:46:52

2. Andy Potts, 1:47:29

3. Stuart Hayes, 1:47:59

4. Michael Raelert, 1:48:15

5. Courtney Atkinson, 1:48:53

6. Brent McMahon, 1:49:03

7. Timothy O'Donnell, 1:49:36

8. Paul Matthews, 1:50:04

9. Reinaldo Colucci, 1:51:11

10. Simon Thompson, 1:53:05

ELITE AMATEUR TOP OVERALL

1. Karl Bordine, 2:01:23

2. Gavin Anderson, 2:03:43

3. Daniel Brienza, 2:05:47

4. Eddie Branigan, 2:06:55

5. Sean Blasko, 2:06:57

6. David Balis, 2:08:35

7. Carlos Vicencio, 2:09:06

8. Ben Hall, 2:09:08

9. Pedro Trindade, 2:10:03

10. Dane Mitchell, 2:11:01

WOMEN

PRO DIVISION TOP OVERALL

1. Lisa Norden, 1:57:30

2. Sarah Haskins, 1:58:40

3. Nicola Spirig, 1:59:31

4. Sarah Groff, 1:59:49

5. Laura Bennett, 2:00:01

6. Becky Lavelle, 2:00:23

7. Julie Dibens, 2:00:31

8. Samantha Warriner, 2:01:18

9. Jasmine Oeinck, 2:01:31

10. Jodie Swallow, 2:02:06

ELITE AMATEUR TOP OVERALL

1. Mina Pizzini, 2:14:30

2. Amy Alexander, 2:17:38

3. Susan Whiting, 2:21:10

4. Jenny Fletcher, 2:21:13

5. Andrea Myers, 2:21:32

6. Margot Hair, 2:23:08

7. Kristin Wrede, 2:23:58

8. Brook Mutzenberger, 2:24:17

9. Amy Miner, 2:33:05

10. Jill Gellatly, 2:33:30

By DEBBIE FETTERMAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News