Akimaru crushes swim records

Saipan Swim Club’s Kento Akimaru now owns four records in the 9 to 10 age group after shattering three marks in pre-2011 All Schools Swimming Championships events at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.

The 10-year-old SSC bet started his record splash on Sept. 29 when he finished the 200m breaststroke race in 3:12.21. Based on the copy of CNMI swim records Saipan Tribune has (updated as of May 21, 2011), Akimaru’s time crushed the 3:17.90 Ryosei Toda of Tsunami Saipan made on May 28, 2011.

A week after his record swim in the 200m breaststroke, Akimaru returned to the Marpi pool and eclipsed two more marks. His second record in a week came in the 50m freestyle where he clocked in at 31.28 seconds, passing the 31.67 of Tsunami Saipan’s Kaito Yanai (Feb. 20, 2010). Akimaru’s third mark was also in the freestyle race, as he posted 1:08.35 in the 100m free, surpassing anew Yanai’s record by around one second. Yanai’s previous mark stood at 1:09.34 and was logged on May 22, 2010.

Akimaru first made it to the 9 to 10 record books on April 6, 2011 when he completed the 50m backstroke race during the All Island Invitational 3 in 39.05 seconds, erasing the 31-year record of Keith Ludwick. Ludwick held the then 50m backstroke mark at 39.50 seconds set on March 28, 1980.

According to SSC’s Lisa Kimball, the club hosted two short meets late September and early this month to prepare their swimmers for the All Schools, which will be held tomorrow at the Marpi pool.

“We had many first timers taking part in the meet, including sisters Coume and Conatsu Kaga, Louis Henley, David Boyer, Christian Villacrusis, and Allen Stafford. Also taking part in shorter races for the first time were beginners Hans Xu and Andrew and Alyssa Stafford,” Kimball said.

Meanwhile, races in the All Schools meet will start at 8am, while warm-ups will begin at 7am. Around 120 swimmers from various public and public schools will compete in the weekend event.

Participating schools include six-time elementary division champion Whispering Palms School, Saipan International School, Grace Christian Academy, Saipan Community School, Mt Carmel School, Saipan Southern High School, Marianas High School, Hopwood Junior High, Chacha Junior High, Garapan Elementary School, San Vicente, Dandan, Kagman, and Gregorio T. Camacho.

The Top 3 schools in the elementary, high school, and junior high will be recognized after the meet. The winning schools will be determined using a point system. Points will given to schools based on how their swimmers finish the race.

For more information, contact Kimball at coach@saipanswimclub.com.