6 events await Tsunami Saipan swimmers

Tsunami Saipan swimmers have six remaining events before completing the 2011-2012 season, leaving more room for improvements and records.

“Our swimmers still have several meets left for the season. Breaking records is only one of their goals and the others are to do their best in every practice, keep a good attitude on and off the pool, and build a strong team,” Tsunami Saipan head coach Hiro Kimura said in an email to Saipan Tribune when asked what’s up for his wards this year.

Tsunami Saipan swimmers will start the year with the All Island Invitational 1, which is set for Jan. 21 at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi. Northern Marianas Swimming Federation will sanction the first meet and two more will follow with the second one scheduled for Feb 18 and the last for April 28. The series are also expected to draw swimmers from Saipan Swim Club and Guam.

The club will also organize a 20-meter short course meet for beginners on March 10. Tsunami Saipan hosted the same short course event for the visiting Hong Kong Sword Fish Swim Club in August last year. Fifty-six swimmers joined the race, including six from Hong Kong.

A week after the short course meet, a few Tsunami Saipan swimmers will be going to Japan for the Tokyo Junior Sprint, which is set for March 17 and 18. This is the same event where Kensuke Kimura, Ryuto and Kaito Yanai, and Lukas Kang were scheduled to compete, but the short course meet (25-meter pool) was cancelled after tsunami and earthquake hit Japan in March.

Tsunami Saipan’s last off-island tournament for the 2011-2012 season will be the Guam Championships slated for May 25 and 26.

“We have yet to decide how many swimmers we will sending to Guam, but the qualifying time is BB and we set up more strict regulation for the Guam meet. Tsunami swimmers need more than three BB times,” Kimura said.

Once the 2011-2012 season is completed, the club will have its annual recognition day, honoring the rookie of the year, top swimmer, best in attendance, and other achievers.

For the 2010-2011 season, 9-year-old Miku Tammy was the top newcomer, while Kang claimed the top swimmer plum. Brothers Kaito, Ryuto, and Hiroto Yanai, Ryosei Toda, and Kensuke Kimura were also recognized for recording 90 percent in practice attendance and Rezne Wong, Kai Staal, and Shin Kimura for their contribution to the CNMI swim team that competed in the 2010 Micronesian Games in Palau