Tsunami Saipan targets more records

Juhn Tenorio is among the Tsunami Saipan swimmers expected to earn CNMI age group records in the upcoming season. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center is setting its sights on more records in the 2017-2018 season.

Head coach Hiro Kimura said that the club has seven swimmers with age group marks and they are pressed to add entries to the CNMI record list in the upcoming season as Tsunami Saipan is scheduled to compete in nine timed events.

Ashley Dangol leads Tsunami Saipan’s record holders, owning two in the girls 11 to 12 age group—100m butterfly (1:13.19) and 200m butterfly (2:45.00). Other club members who hold marks in their current division are U8’s Maria Battalones (50m breaststroke) and Aasish Dangol (50m butterfly); 11 to 12’s Isaiah Aleksenko (200m butterfly); and 13 to 14’s Nelson Batallones (200m butterfly). Nanaka Watanabe has two records in the 9 to 10 division (50m and 100m breaststroke) and she is expected to earn new marks in the 11 to 12. Juhn Tenorio is also encouraged to go for age group marks in the 13 to 14 division after getting four (50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke and 50m butterfly) in the 11 to 12.

“Ashley and Isaiah will be competing in two big swim meets in Japan. One is the Tokyo Junior Sprint in spring and the other is the Tobiuo Cup in summer. Tobiuo Cup is the top championship meet for swimmers in the 12 and under. It is the highest level competition in Japan,” Kimura said.

For the local meets, the Tsunami Saipan head coach said Aleksenko aims to keep up with Saipan Swim Club’s Jinnosuke Suzuki.

“Jinnosuke is a very fast swimmer. In local or Guam meets, Isaiah and Jinnosuke will surely compete for first place,” Kimura said.

As for Tenorio and Watanabe, Kimura said the two swimmers training in Japan last summer will really help them gain records this season.

“They worked so hard during the summer and showed significant improvement when they returned to Saipan. Juhn’s style is backstroke, but we are challenging him to do well in freestyle and butterfly, too, and the long distance events. Nanaka, on the other hand, is the best female swimmer in breaststroke, but we are also encouraging her to go long distance in freestyle,” Kimura said.

Tsunami Saipan swimmers continue to prepare for the new season, holding regular training sessions at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. They will have their first test on Oct. 7 when they compete in the timed NMISF Opening Meet.