Tsunami Saipan bets stand out

A Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center member races in the 100m breaststroke event during the 2018 SSC International Meet held last Saturday at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan earned the most first place finishes in the high-point competition in last weekend’s 2018 SSC International Meet held at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

Five Tsunami Saipan members topped their respective age groups for a mission accomplished in the March 23 to 24 tournament hosted by Saipan Swim Club. In the girls division, four Tsunami Saipan swimmers were ranked first with Sari Barman ruling the girls U8, Maria Batallones in the 9 to 10 age group, Ashley Dangol in the 11 to 12, and Aika Watanabe in the 13 to 14 class. Ashley’s brother, Aasish, was the lone Tsunami Saipan swimmer to place first in the boys division.

Actually, Aasish tied Tsunami Guam’s Luke Leon Guerrero for the No. 1 ranking in the boys 9 to 10 as the two swimmers collected 80 points each. Points were given to swimmers based on how they finished each race. Nine points are awarded to the top finisher and 7 to 1 for the No. 2 to No. 8. Kouki Watanabe joined his Tsunami Saipan teammate in the podium after placing second, as the former tallied 60 points, while Palau’s Jion Hosei rounded out the Top 3 after getting 43 markers.

Tsunami Saipan’s Shuman Barman (38), Palau’s Jace Borja (15), and SSC’s Takeru Jim (26), Wataru Kadokura (16), and Christian Newman (3) were the other competitors in the boys 9 to 10 class.

In the girls 9 to 10, Tsunami Saipan also had two swimmers making it to the podium after Batallones earned a division-high 88 points and Fiona Regan recorded the third-best 51 points. SSC’s Savita Sikkel shared the No. 3 spot with Regan, while the former’s teammate Kaithlynn Chavez finished second after registering 72 points.

Sophia Tarr (30), Julie Ann Chavez (27), Cassie Regan (18), Sakura Hara (9), Elengoi Gibbons (7), Nagisa Litulumar (5), Kessie Adams (4), Arwen Bartolata (1), and Cortni Brown (1) rounded out the participants in the girls 9 to 10 division.

In the girls U8 age group, Sari bested four other competitors after logging 61 points. She was way ahead of SSC’s Kaya Braxton (16), Katie Manglona (4), and Allie Braseel (11), and Tsunami Saipan teammate Kim Elin (11).

In the girls 11 to 12, Ashley led Tsunami Saipan’s 1-2-3 finish after she scored 90 points or won all her nine events in this year’s tournament. Nanaka Watanabe (79) and Asaka Litulumar (66) joined Ashley in the Top 3. Palau’s Klei Andrei’s missed the podium as she settled for fourth place after getting 50 points—the same output Tsunami Saipan’s Shoko Litulumar posted. Ten other swimmers raced in the division.

In the girls 13 to 14 class, seven fought for the high-point award with Aika narrowly beating Tsunami Guam’s Risa Hendrix for the top honors. Watanabe delivered 77 points, just one marker ahead of Hendrix. SSC’s Sophia Gauran completed the Top 3 after tallying 71 points, while Pohnpei’s Kestra Kihleng (64) and Nicole Adams (48), Andersen Marlins’ Ally Giovencio (41), and Palau’s Lolmei Uong (36) were ranked No. 4 to 7, respectively.