SSC acknowledges accomplishments

Just before the end of September the Saipan Swimming Club held the first of its four developmental meets on Thursday, Sept. 29, as the pollywogs with potential presented their progress as they waded through the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.

Having just completed a month and a half in the pool with SSC coach Michael Stewart in which they learned all four competitive strokes and flip turns, the Sweet 16 took to the lanes like veterans.

Seven-year-old Alina Yoon was the swiftest swimmer in the 8-and-under division’s 25m freestyle and 25m backstroke events with respective times of 34.89 and 43.14, while six-year-old Cassidy Majors bagged all three 8-and-under double distance events with times of 1:10.51 in the freestyle, 1:32.83 in the back stroke, and 1:24.41 in the backstroke.

Nine-year-old Raina Klaver swept the 9-10-year-old division with a 1:10.26 in the 50m freestyle, 1:21.61 in the 50m backstroke, and a stunning 1:23.06 in the 50m breaststroke.

Liam Majors took top honors on the boy’s side of the 8-and-under division with a 1:05.64 in the 25m freestyle and a 1:34.84 in the 25m backstroke, while seven-year-old Maxi Braig took the 50m freestyle in less than a minute (50.07), and the 50m backstroke in 1:11.31. Hunter Jewell won the division with a time of 1:41.22 in the breaststroke, but Sam Park blew the 9-10-year-olds away in all three strokes with times of 1:04.21 in the 50m free, 1:18.56in the 50m back, and 1:30.30 in the 50m breast.

The top swimmers of the 11-and-above division jockeyed for position in the lanes with different winners in each of the four events as Joseph Yamada sprinted to victory in the 50m freestyle in 48.82, Joseph Martin took the 50m Butterfly in 1:46.02, and Yong Park bagged the 50m breaststroke in 1:24.2850 before flipping over to win the 50m backstroke in 1:06.49.

The developmental swimmers are currently afloat in the second fall session and their seven-week program has them on track for their next meet on Thursday, Oct. 20.

The future stars weren’t the only ones in the fish bowl as the SSC coaching staff disseminated a number of special awards based on outstanding achievements for the 2004-2005 season.

The staff agreed that the Blue Team’s Grace Kimball, the Junior Team’s Salyna Leon Guerrero, and the Senior Team’s Michael Camacho were worthy of the Most Improved Swimmers Awards, while Andrew Kimball of the Blue Team, Kensuke Kimura of the Junior Team, and the Senior Team’s Nina Mosley received the Coaches Awards for Outstanding Achievement.