3 swimmers set records

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan’s Juhn Tenorio does the breaststroke part of the 200m individual medley race in the Tsunami Saipan Mid Season Meet held last Saturday at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Three swimmers had record-breaking performances in the Tsunami Saipan Mid Season Meet held last Saturday at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan’s Juhn Tenorio was the first to establish a CNMI age group mark when he finished the 50m backstroke race in the 13 to 14 division in 31.01 seconds. The 13-year-old swimmer surpassed the Commonwealth age group mark (31.31 seconds), which he incidentally registered on Oct. 7, 2017. Tenorio’s time in last weekend’s sprint event was also the fastest among the 17 swimmers that completed the one-lap race.

Tsunami Saipan’s Aika Watanabe had the second best time at 36.49 seconds in the 50m backstroke. Other swimmers who wrapped up the race in less than a minute were Watanabe’s teammates Shoko Litulumar (44.11 seconds), Maria Batallones (44.57), Ayumi Obligacion (43.46), Saipan Swim Club’s Carol Lynn Calobong-Pierce (53.65), and Dolphin Club Saipan’s Suzy Kindel (58.51), Ivan Ilmova (58.59), and Buboy Aguilar (59.16).

In the 200m individual medley, SSC’s Jinnosuke Suzuki led the finishers in the 11 to 12 age group en route to setting a new record in the division. He clocked in at 2:33.62 to break the 2:34.15 that his brother Lennosuke posted on March 19, 2016.

Jinnosuke’s record mark was also nearly six seconds better than his previous personal best time (2:39.23) and helped him beat four other swimmers entered in his age group. The SSC member touched the wall ahead of Tsunami Saipan’s Isaiah Aleksenko (2:35.41), Alex Kim (3:28.51), Kean Pajarillaga (3:31.23), and Miguel Batolata (3:44.33).

Completing the short list of swimmers who made CNMI age group records last Saturday was Tsunami Saipan’s Nanaka Watanabe.

The 12-year-old swimmer earned a record in the last individual event of the meet—the 50m breaststroke. She completed the sprint race in 38.85 seconds to eclipse the 39.06 seconds that former Tsunami Saipan swimmer Angel Tan tallied on April 15, 2011.

Six other Tsunami Saipan swimmers raced in the 11 to 12 age group with Asaka Litulumar (39.48 seconds) coming in at second and was followed by Ashley Dangol (43.58), Michelle Chen (54.15), Ashley Jeon (54.68), Julia Jinang (1:02.15), and Sophia Heras (1:12.21).

Watanabe, Suzuki, and Tenorio’s records are waiting for certification from the Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation.