Tsunami Saipan, Dolphin Club swimmers join short course meet

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan and Dolphin Club Saipan swimmers and volunteers pose for a photo after the races in last Saturday’s short course meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Contributed Photo)

Tsunami Saipan held a short course meet last Saturday with the host club’s swimmers racing against members of the Dolphin Club Saipan at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

The weekend competition featured three events—20m kickboard race, 50m style 1 (swimmers do the stroke they love), 20m backstroke, 20m breaststroke, 80m individual medley, and 20m freestyle.

In the first event—the 20m kickboard—10-year-old Ashley Dangol posted the fastest time with her 12.22 seconds. Joining Ashley in the Top 10 (best times) were fellow Tsunami Saipan swimmers Isaiah Aleksenko (13.15 seconds), Aika Watanabe (14.78), Nelson Batallones (15.04), Aasish Dangol (15.14), Juhn Tenorio (15.28), Sophia Gauran (15.40), Anthony Camacho-Deleon Guerrero (15.49), Angel De Jesus (15.55), Joseph Zhang (15.71), and Nanaka Watanabe (15.87).

Thirty-seven other swimmers did the 20m kickboard event with majority of them enrolled in Tsunami Saipan’s beginners class, while Abigail Perez had the best time among Dolphin Club Saipan members after registering 20.09 seconds.

In the 50m Style 1, De Jesus did the freestyle and came out on top 22-swimmer field after logging 23.82 seconds. Aleksenko and Gauran also swam freestyle and timed in at 24.14 and 24.74 seconds, respectively, while Nelson Batallones was the fastest in butterfly (25.06 seconds). Tenorio got the best time in backstroke (26.55), while Nanaka Wanatabe had the same feat in the breaststroke (31.77).

In the 20m backstroke, 35 swimmers completed the race with Dal Illahi leading the pack after recording 17.25 seconds. Kevin Guerrero (17.69) and Kean Pajarillaga (18.05) rounded out the Top 3, while Perez was again the fastest among Dolphin Club Saipan swimmers after checking in at 22.98 seconds.

Illahi also ruled the 20m breaststroke after clocking in at 17.50 seconds. He was the lone swimmer to finish the race under 18 seconds as Guerrero and Pajarillaga registered 18.79 and 21.37 seconds. Fifteen other swimmers completed the 20m breaststroke race.

In the 80m IM, only two swimmers wrapped up the event in less than a minute with Tenorio the first one after posting 58.25 seconds and De Jesus the second with her 59.53. Batallones was ranked third after touching the wall at the 1:00.01 mark.

For the last event—the 20m freestyle—Dan Illahi got his third win against Guerrero and Pajarilla. Illahi’s 13.69 edged the 13.98 of Guerrero and 14.73 of Pajarillaga. Gemmilie Eugenio was the fastest among Dolphin Club Saipan members who joined the final race after registering 17.22 seconds. Twenty-nine others completed the final event of the short course meet that aimed at helping upcoming swimmers prepare for much competitive races.