16 Tsunami Saipan bets make grade for Guam meet

Sixteen members of Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan have earned qualifying times for next month’s 2015 Guam Swimming Championships.

Isaiah Aleksenko is one of the Tsunami Saipan swimmers who met the qualifying times for the 2015 Guam Swimming Championships. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The Pacific Games-bound Takumi Sugie and Angel De Jesus lead the list, which could still grow as Tsunami Saipan swimmers will still be competing in a Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation-sanctioned event early in May. Swimmers must get at least BB times (U.S. age group motivational time standard) to qualify for the Guam tournament.

Sugie, who will be racing in the 15-and-over age group, has reached qualifying times of 15 (out of 17) events, posting A, AA, and BB marks. De Jesus, who will also enter the 15-and-over division, has gained 12 qualifying times, while Kaito Yanai is the only Tsunami Saipan swimmer who has compiled at least BB times in all 17 events in the 15 to 16 age group.

In the 13 to 14 division, Tsunami Saipan has three swimmers who made the grade. Mark Maestro is one of them, having registered qualifying times in four events. Miku Tammy made the cut in 13 events, while Kyona Rivera hit the qualifying marks in one event.

In the 11 to 12 age group, four are already assured slots in next month’s competition. Ryuto Yanai qualified for earning the standard times in 13 events. He will be joined by Nelson Batallones and Aika Watanabe, who posted qualifying times in eight and six events, respectively. Sophia Gauran rounded out the list for earning qualifying marks in 10 events.

In the 9 to 10 division, there are also four swimmers who have secured entry to the Guam meet. Juhn Tenorio has the most qualifying times in the group with 12, while Anthony Camacho-Deleon Guerrero has set 11. Nanaka Watanabe and Ayumi Obligacion completed the roster, having achieved qualifying times with the former doing it in 10 events and the latter in one race.

In the U8 age group, only three have so far made the grade. Hans Xu and Ashley Dangol qualified for getting at least BB times in nine events each, while Isaiah Aleksenko hit the target in seven events.

With his swimmers marking or even surpassing the standard times for the Guam Meet, Tsunami Saipan head coach Hiro Kimura is confident of their chances for the high-point awards in the various age groups. He added Tsuami Saipan swimmers will do their best to keep up with the favored Tsunami Guam in the battle for the top honors in the different divisions.

Tsunami Guam bagged seven top high-point awards in last month’s 2015 Saipan Swim Club International Invitation Swim Meet, besting teams from Guam, Saipan, Palau, and Marshall Islands. Tsunami Saipan won two with Dangol and Xu ruling the U8 age group.