Kento, Jinju win anew

Saipan Swim Club’s Kento Akimaru, left, and Jinju Thompson head to the finish line to complete the three-loop race in the 2018 Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim held last Saturday in the waters off Pacific Islands Club. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Saipan Swim Club’s Kento Akimaru and Jinju Thompson led the finishers in the 2018 Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim held last Saturday in the waters off Pacific Islands Club.

Kento was the No. 1 overall finisher in the longest race of the day, completing the three-loop course (nearly three kilometers) in 32:00 for this third straight victory in the same event. Kento crossed the finish line less than a minute ahead of Jinnosuke Suzuki, who clocked in at 32:34 to beat his older brother Lennosuke Suzuki (33:59). Christian Villacrusis and David Boyer, who timed in at 34:19 and 35:02, respectively, completed the Top 5 in the men’s division.

In the women’s division, Jinju was the first out of the water and seventh overall after recording 35:12. Her mark in last weekend’s race was faster than her 2017 winning time (34:58). Joining Jinju in the Top 3 in the women’s field were Sophia Gauran (37:66) and the former’s sister Jinie (41:19).

Seven other swimmers completed the three-course lap and the list included Anthony Camacho-Deleon Guerrero (35:03), Hessel Yntema (46:26), Taiyo Akimaru (39:38), Jon Turner (49:34), Emily Northrop (48:03), Manny Sitchon (58:10), and Mark Isip (1:02:10).

Meanwhile, in the two-loop course (about 2K), youth swimmer Wataru Kadokura was the first male and No. 1 overall finisher as he made it to the shore at the 33:50 mark. He was about a minute ahead of women’s champion and fellow SSC member Kaithlynn Chavez, who lost a few seconds after heading to the wrong direction on the way to the finish line and ended up timing in at 33:51.

Adult swimmer Florence Antonio of Dolphin Club Saipan came in at third overall after checking in at 35:04 and was followed by Matthew Milo (36:22), Leo Wania (36:53), Mark Chavez (38:09.05), Savita Sikkel (38:09.07), Buboy Aguilar (40:33), John Moreno (44:04), Julia Aleksenko (46:08), and Chan Wang Jang (59:10).

In other results, Kaithlynn and Mark’s sister, Julie Ann, was the top finisher in the one-loop race (nearly 1K) after completing the swim in 19:32. Marini Milo came in at second with her 20:19, while Jonathan Wilberscheid rounded out the Top 3 overall after registering 22:57. Other finishers in the division were Dolphin Club Saipan’s Gemmilie Anne Eugenio (24:20) and Michael Hidalgo (24:28), and father and son Richard (25:02.70) and Moshe Sikkel (25:02.68).