Previous Story
4 to compete in Oceania swim champs
-
- Chentsova
-
- Suzuki
-
- Villacrusis
-
- Welch
Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation has named four swimmers and one coach to the CNMI National Team that will compete in the XI Oceania Championships in Fiji next month.
The elite squad is composed of Victoria Chentsova, Salofi Welch, Christian Villacrusis, and Lennosuke Suzuki and coach Bobby Winkfield.
All four swimmers are first-timers in the regional tournament held every two years, but Chentsova is no stranger to a big competition like this, as last year she represented the Commonwealth in the 16th FINA World Championships in Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia. Chentsova, who holds the CNMI age group records (17 to 18) in the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,500m freestyle events, is currently based in Massachusetts, while the three other members of the team are training under Saipan Swim Club.
Welch, Villacrusis, and Suzuki just had their final local competition for the 2015-2016 season last Saturday when they competed in the NMISF Closing Swim Meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. Of the three male swimmers, only Suzuki is a record-holder, setting marks in the 50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle, and 200m individual medley in the 11 to 12 age group.
Meanwhile, the Oceania championships will run from June 21 to 26 at the Damodar National Aquatic Centre in Suva. This will be the sixth time that the CNMI is sending swimmers to the regional contest. In 2000, Xenavee Pangelinan represented the Commonwealth to the event hosted by New Zealand. In 2002, Dean Palacios, Seung Gin Lee, and Tamiko Winkfield competed in New Caledonia, while Nina Mosley and Juan Camacho were sent to Fiji for the 2014 competition. In the last two tournaments, the CNMI fielded only one swimmer in Rezne Wong (2012 in New Caledonia) and Kensuke Kimura (2014 in New Zealand).
