Tsunami Saipan swimmers set 7 records

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan set seven records in the Saipan Swim Club-hosted Heptathlon Swim Meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.

Kai Staal led Tsunami Saipan’s record-breaking swims in the two-day meet held on Feb. 6 and 7, as the 14-year-old swimmer shattered three age group (boys’ 13-14) marks.

Staal recorded 56.83 seconds in the 100m freestyle swim, shattering his own mark of 57.36 seconds posted on Jan. 9, 2009 at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Guam.

In the 400m freestyle swim, Staal also eclipsed his own record (4:34.13) clocking in at 4:33.99. His previous mark in the 400m freestyle event was recorded on Dec. 28, 2008 during a meet in Guam.

Staal’s third record swim was in the 100m breaststroke, as he timed in at 1:15.77. Again, the Saipan International School student crushed his won record (1:16.17) made in a tournament in Guam in December last year.

With Staal’s three age-group marks, he ruled the boys’ 13-14 age group competition, earning 625 points against Lester Lapuz’s 370 points. Staal swam in four other events, namely the 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, and 50m breaststroke.

Tsunami Saipan’s four other marks were courtesy of Kensuke Kimura and Rezne Wong.

Kimura timed in at 4:52.68 in the 400m freestyle event to break the boys’ 11-12 age group record of 4:54.33, which he himself set on Nov. 22, 2008

In the 200m backstroke swim, Kimura smashed the seven-year record of Juan Camacho after clocking in at 2:40.79. Camacho held the previous record of 2:48.56, which was set on March 21, 2002.

With two records in his belt, Kensuke topped the boys’ 11-12 rankings in the SSC meet, collecting 500 points. He beat teammate Kaisei Toda (385 points) and SSC’s Andrew Kimball (280 points).

Wong posted 33.03 seconds in the 50m breaststroke swim en route to setting new marks in the boys’ 17-18 age group and the open division.

Wong owned the previous age group and open records in the 50m breaststroke event with his 33.18 second swim in a Guam tournament on Dec. 28, 2008.

The Marianas High School student competed in five other events and scored 575 points to finish on top of the field in the boys’ 17-18 age group. He defeated teammates Shin Kimura (506 points) and Cooper Graf (495 points).

In the women’s division, Tsunami Saipan’s Myana Welch took first place with her 395 points, downing Keanna Villagomez (130).

Myana’s younger sister, Ashley Welch, ruled the girls’ 11-12 age group after gaining 270 points and downing four others swimmers.

Another Tsunami Saipan swimmer, Angel Tan, finished on top of her age group (girls’ 9-10) after collecting 410 points in seven events.