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Chentsova earns 2 swim records
Saipan Swim Club’s Victoria Chentsova entered the CNMI swim record books after breaking two age group marks during the 2015 SSC International Invitational Swim Meet held this month at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.
Saipan Swim Club’s Victoria Chentsova races in the 200m freestyle event of the 2015 SSC International Invitational Swim Meet held this month at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Chentsova posted her first age group record right on the opening day (March 12) of the annual competition as she completed the 1,500m freestyle swim in 19:43.16 and broke the 12-year mark of another SSC swimmer, Tamiko Winkfield. Winkfield held the previous record in the girls 17 to 18 age group at 19:54:00, which she registered on Jan. 10, 2003.
The 17-year-old swimmer’s second age group record was earned in the last day (March 14) of the meet after she clocked in at 42.51 seconds in the 50m breaststroke race. The SSC bet shattered the 42.62 seconds Daime Rivera of Tsunami Saipan logged on Dec. 13, 2014.
With her two age group records, the Saipan International School student joined the ranks of Xenavee Pangelinan and Anneka Sakovich. Pangelinan still holds the most records in the girls 17 to 18 age group, owning 14, while Sakovich has one, which is also the oldest (9:50.22 in 800m freestyle posted on Aug. 18, 1995).
Besides her record-breaking swims in the 1,500 freestyle and 50m breaststroke, Chentsova also joined in five other individual races and one relay
She finished the 800m freestyle in 9:59:78, chopping off more than 20 seconds from her old personal best time (10:21.09). The SSC swimmer got PBTs in three more events—50m, 100, and 200m freestyle races. In the 50m freestyle, Chentsova broke the 30-second barrier with her 29.87 seconds, which is faster than her old PBT (30.52). In the 100m and 200m freestyle events, she registered 1:04.53 and 2:28.64, respectively, to surpass her previous PBTs of 1:05.82 and 2:23.01.
In her 100m butterfly debut, Chentsova timed in at 1:19.44, while in the 200m medley relay she teamed up with Christian Villacrusis, Kento Akimaru, and Jin Ju Thomson and they recorded 2:22.48 to beat Palau and Guam’s Manhoben Swim Club teams.
On top of getting two age group marks, Chentsova also made it to the podium in the high-point race in the over 17 division. She placed runner-up to Palau’s Dirngulbai Misech after collecting 68 points against the latter’s 71.
