Kang, Yanai reset age group records

Lukas Kang and Ryuto Yanai got off to a strong start in the Tsunami Saipan-organized Swim Circuit Series after breaking CNMI age group records in the first leg of the meet held last Saturday at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.

Kang timed in at 1:23.74 in the 100m backstroke event in the boys U8 division to eclipse the 1:26.54 he submitted on Feb. 5, 2011. Notably, Kang’s new age group record is faster than the 9 to 10 mark (1:25.57 of Kento Akimaru made on Oct. 15, 2011).

Two other swimmers joined the 100m backstroke race with Tsunami Saipan’s Hiroto Yanai and Saipan Swim Club’s Taiga Saito timing in at 1:26.91 and 1:51.81, respectively.

Hiroto’s younger brother, Ryuto, swam in the boys U8 100m freestyle and shattered his own record. Ryuto clocked in at 1:16.11, surpassing the 1:17.64 he recorded early this year.

Ryuto had the second fastest time among the 13 swimmers who participated in the 100m race. Sixteen-year-old Grace Kimball had the best time at 1:08.43. Other swimmers who joined the event were Tsunami Saipan’s Heong Joo Yoo (1:26.61), SSC’s Taiga Sato (1:30.14), David Boyer (1:31.55), Hannah Palacios (1:35.75), Tsunami’s Quina Flores (1:38.00), SSC’s Geuel Villacrusis (1:40.63), Tsunami’s Kyona Rivera (1:43.81), SSC’s Michael Villagomez (1:47.31), Tsunami’s Juhn Tenorio (1:54.53) and Karen Irinaka (1:55.41), and SSC’s Conatsu Koga (1:56.96).

Ryuto and Kang also competed in the boys U8 50m freestyle and they both erased the previous age group mark. Kang timed in at 34.33 seconds to crush the 36.18 seconds mark of Ryuto (April 16, 2011). However, the latter reclaimed the age group record after clocking in at 33.85 seconds in the same race.

Twenty-two swimmers completed the 50m freestyle race with Tsunami Saipan’s Takumi Sugie recording the best time at 30.13 seconds.

Tsunami Saipan coach Hiro Kimura lauded Ryuto Yanai and Kang for their record-breaking swims and also made special mention of Miku Tammy and Rivera siblings—Daime and Kyona.

“Miku is getting closer to the CNMI age record. Her time in the 200m freestyle is just three seconds short off the CNMI age group mark,” Kimura said in an email to Saipan Tribune yesterday.

Tammy timed in at 2:49.99 in the 200m freestyle race and the girls 9 to 10 age group mark stands at 2:46.59 (Myana Welch/May 5, 2000). In the 50m freestyle, Tammy recorded 36.14 seconds.

The Rivera sisters made personal best times despite taking a break from swimming for almost two months. The 14-year-old Daime logged her PBT in the 100m breaststroke at 1:41.46, which was also the fastest among four swimmers who joined the event. In the 50m freestyle, she submitted 36.46 seconds. Kyona also raced in the 50m freestyle and had her PBT at 42.40 seconds. In the 100m freestyle, the 9-year-old Kyona logged a PBT of 1:43.81.

Meanwhile, the three remaining legs of the circuit series will be held on Nov. 19, Dec. 3, and Dec. 10.