Familiar winners in Meek and Mighty

Moshe Sikkel runs out of the water, while his father Richard chases him during last Saturday’s 2017 SSC Meek and Mighty Ocean Swim held in the waters off Kilili Beach. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Swimmers expected to win in the 2017 SSC Meek and Mighty Ocean Swim delivered in last Saturday’s competition held in the waters off the Pacific Islands Club.

Kento Akimaru, who topped last year’s three-loop race (mighty division), made it two in a row after completing the nearly three-kilometer swim in 29:26, which was faster than his 2016 time of 34:05. He finished ahead of 14 other swimmers who did the longest race of the day.

Jinnosuke Suzuki was the second overall finisher with a time of 30:07, beating his older brother and last year’s runner-up Lennosuke Suzuki, who clocked in at 30:43. Last year’s third finisher Christian Villacrusis dropped to fourth in the 2017 edition of the race after making it to the finish line at the 31:50 mark, while Taiga Sato rounded out the Top 10 following his 31:54.

Jinju Thompson was the first female finisher and No. 8 overall in the three-loop course after registering 34:58, which was better than her 39:10 last year. Joining Thompson in the Top 10 are David Boyer (32:55), R.J. Pierce (34:56), Colin Thompson (36:53) and Caleb Wang (37:46), while other finishers were Carol Lynn Pierce (42:26), Alex Aldan (43:34), Adam Hardwicke (45:42) Chris Mojar (47:46), and Brad Ruszala (52:14).

Meanwhile, other top finishers in their respective races were Taiyo Akimaru, Jinie Thompson, Mark Jainier and Kaith Lynn Andrei Chavez, and Jan Marini Milo.

Taiyo ruled the two-loop course after timing in at 28:34, while Jinie was the first female finisher in the same course and second overall following her 29:32. Dino Sato (34:43), Gemmilie Ann Eugenio (41:37), John Moreno (45:20), and Michael Hidalgo (52:11) also completed the nearly two-kilometer race.

In the almost one-kilometer swim (meek division), the Chavez siblings were the first finishers in the girls and boys categories with Kaith Lynn nosing out her brother Mark Jainier in the sprint to the finish line as the former submitted 16:53 against the latter’s 16:54 in the one-lap race.

The third member of the Chavez family—Julie Anne—was fifth overall with her 18:52, while Savita Sikkel completed the Top 3 after registering 18:00. Other finishers in the one-loop course were Wataru Kadokura (18:22), Matthew Milo (21:19), Sanny (24:05), Scott (48: 19), and Moshe (24:57) and Richard (24:58) Sikkel.

In the shortest race of the day (200m), Jan Marini’s 6:04 bested the times of three other swimmers.