7 Tsunami Saipan swimmers to join Tokyo Junior Sprint

Isaiah Aleksenko is one of the Tsunami Saipan swimmers who will debut in the Tokyo Junior Sprint 2016 this March. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Tsunami Saipan is sending seven swimmers to the Tokyo Junior Sprint 2016 this March at the Tatsumi International Swimming Arena in Japan.

Head coach Hiro Kimura said the club will be represented in the March 5 and 6 tournament by Nelson Batallones, Aika and Nanaka Watanabe, Juhn Tenorio, Anthony Camacho-Deleon Guerrero, Isaiah Aleksenko and Ashley Dangol.

“This year, Tsunami Saipan will turn to a young team. The oldest members of the team (Aika and Batallones) are 12 years old,” said Kimura, who in the past tournaments fielded swimmers from the U15 and over age group.

Dangol, one of the youngest member of the squad at 9 (the other one is Aleksenko), is returning to the Tokyo Junior Sprint after making it to the finals of the 50m butterfly. She will still race in the 50m butterfly, while her second event is the 100m individual medley. Dangol hopes to make the finals again and win the gold medal.

“If she will be able to cut 35 seconds (in 50m butterfly), it will be a dream come true,” Kimura said.

Dangol timed in at 37.86 second to place sixth in last year’s finals.

Other Tokyo Junior Sprint returnees—Tenorio, Camacho-Deleon Guerrero, and Nanaka—aim for a better performance this year.

The 11-year-old Tenorio will be participating in the 100m IM and 50m backstroke. He was ranked at No. 28 in last year’s 100m IM (1:29.88) and No. 32 in the 50m backstroke (40 seconds). Tenorio’s target times this year are 1:25:00 in the 100m IM and 37 seconds in the 50m backstroke.

Camacho-Deleon Guerrero will try to barge into the finals of the 50m freestyle and shoot for 31 seconds in that event. He clocked in at 32.97 seconds in the Guam tournament last year. The 10-year-old swimmer’s other event is the 50m butterfly.

For Nanaka, her goal is to make it to the finals of the 50m breaststroke and time in at 41 seconds. She will also join the 100m individual medley race in the girls 9 to 10 age group.

Meanwhile, Batallones, Aika, and Aleksenko will debut in the Tokyo Junior Sprint and are hoping to have a notable showing in their first appearance in the annual tournament that features over 3,000 youth swimmers from around the world.

Batallones is competing in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly and aims to set 30 seconds in his first event and 34 seconds in the other race.

Aika, who Kimura believes is ready for the challenge in Tokyo after wining high-point awards in the Guam Championships for two years, will swim in the 100m IM and 50m backstroke. In the 100m IM, Aika is gunning for 1:25.00, while her target time in the 50m backstroke is 37 seconds.

Aleksenko, who gained a slot on the Tokyo-bound team for his impressive performance in Guam in the past three tournaments, will race in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly. He hopes to enter the finals in the 50m freestyle and clock in under 33 seconds. He swam in the 50m freestyle event in a local meet early this month and timed in at 33.99 seconds.