Rezne eyes Olympic Trials times in Noumea

Rezne Wong hopes to get under U.S. Olympic Trials times when he represents the CNMI in the 2012 Oceania Swimming Championships from May 28 to June 2 at the Noumea’s Aquatic Centre.

The University of Hawaii-Manoa swimmer and 2010 NMASA Athlete of the Year will compete in five events in New Caledonia—200m individual medley, 200m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, and 50m and 100m breaststroke.

It’s in the first two events that the Marine Biology junior wants to make the U.S. Olympic Trials grade.

“I really want to cut 2:10 in the 200m IM and cut 2:23 in the 200m breaststroke. It would be great if I could get under the U.S. Olympic Trials cut of 2:20.79 in the 200m breaststroke. I particularly won’t be competing in the U.S. trials but it would be great for the team atmosphere next year to know that more and more swimmers in the UH-Manoa team have U.S. Olympic Trials cuts,” he said.

Aside from improving his times, the Marianas High School alumnus said he’s also competing in New Caledonia so he could represent his home islands.

“I would just like to represent the CNMI well among the other nations there. Often we focus too much on racing when it’s the friendships between swimmers that matter a great deal too. It’s going to take a miracle to medal in Oceania champs, but I’m going to give it my best shot,” he wrote in an email to the Saipan Tribune.

Wong said because of budgetary constraints, the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association and the CNMI’s sports governing body for swimming, Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation, initially were not supposed to send anyone to the 2012 Oceania Swimming Championships.

“I pleaded to NMSF and NMASA and coordinated with Hiro Kimura (Tsunami Saipan head coach) and coach Bill ‘Mister’ Sakovich (Saipan Swim Club co-founder) to get me to go to Oceania Champs. Guam and Palau and other islands get to represent their countries in Oceania against powerhouses New Zealand and Australia, but the CNMI didn’t send one in the 2010 champs. So, after a couple of emails, John Hirsh (NMISF president) and Mike White (NMASA president) nominated me to the Oceania swimming board and I was selected to go represent the CNMI. After last summer I also realized that I should live up to every opportunity to swim and take those chances—a swim career can only be lived for so long, so I should give it my all,” he said.

To help finance the trip, which is expected to total more than $3,000, Wong has enlisted the help of NMISF and Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan.

Aside from the donated funds, Wong also promised to personally fundraise alongside Tsunami Saipan swim team members and his family after the meet to return the “borrowed” money.

“I would like to thank NMASA and NMSF and its members for selecting me to go to the 2012 Oceania Swimming Championships as I am very honored to do so. I would also like to thank Tsunami Saipan for their help, support, and encouragement for me. I would also like to thank John Hirsh for selecting me to go and for allocating funds from a very tight budget. Mike White also helped nominate me for going. Lastly, this wouldn’t be possible without the help of my mom, Emelita Wong, and coach Bill Sakovich for helping me coordinate my complex flight schedule and hotel details. I also thank God for blessing me with such an opportunity,” he said.