Rezne tops two races in Guam

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan mainstay Rezne Wong won two of four events he competed in during the 2008 GSF All Island Invitational Swim Meet held last Saturday morning at the Hagatna Pool in Guam.

The Marianas High School student finished first in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:17.46 and also topped the 100m backstroke after touching the tile in 1:08.38. He competed in the open division.

According to Tsunami Saipan head coach Hiro Kimura, although Wong failed to break any CNMI records, he came awfully close.

His time in the 200m IM was just a second and change off the CNMI age group record of 2:16.56 set in 2003 by Dean Palacios.

Wong’s 100m backstroke, meanwhile, was just tenths of a second off Juan Camacho’s record-setting pace of 1:07.03 he recorded in 2006.

Runner-up finishes in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle by Wong were also nothing to sneeze at, according to Kimura.

He said his ward’s 29.18 in the 50m butterfly was just .17 off the 29.01 Seung Jin Lee swam in 2001 and the 26.18 Wong recorded in the 50m freestyle is comparable to the 25.68 set by the immortal John Sakovich way back in 1987.

The Tsunami Saipan head coach said after the GSF All Island Invitational Swim Meet, Wong’s next meet is the Guam Championship scheduled at end of next month.

For his part, Wong himself admitted that his performance last weekend was under-par for his standards.

“Well, I didn’t swim great. That’s basically the down to reality point. I was exhausted from schoolwork and extracurricular activities. [Add to that] it was so hot and arid on meet day, and I tried to get as much shade, water, and rest.”

Wong said he had a lot of training prior to the meet and in fact missed just one practice in two months after the Saipan Invitational Meet last March

“And I really did swim my hardest, but my body just didn’t feel that precise and energetic. I’m just picking myself up again, and start training again,” he said in an email to the Saipan Tribune.

Aside from Wong, eight other junior swimmers—Kaisei Toda, Takumi Sugie, Ritsuki Umeda, Daisuke Fitial, Kosei Toda, Kaito Yanai, Ryosei Toda, and Fumika Umeda—also flew to Guam over the weekend. They competed in the afternoon’s 2008 Guam Short Course Championships and scooped up a total of 19 medals.

Wong had good words for the youngest of Tsunami Saipan’s swimmers.

“I’m really glad the smaller group that ranged from 7-12 year old did really well. They are really motivated and into the sport. I just want to be the best example for them to follow. They motivate me.”

Kimura, meanwhile, extended the club’s thanks to Judi and Tony Mosley, Tsunami Guam coach Toshi Iijima, Bob Yoshida, and Katsunori Usui for all their support during their stint in the 2008 GSF All Island Invitational Swim Meet Guam.

Kimura added that aside from the competition, Wong and company were also able to practice with members of Tsunami Guam swimming team at the Leo Palace Resort on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.