PBs across the board in Tsunami Saipan time trials

Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center swimmers pose for a group photo in the pool after their recent time trial.(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center swimmers are priming up for next month’s selection trials for the 2023 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan by resetting their personal bests in a recent time trial.

National swimmer Isaiah Aleksenko reset his personal bests in all his swims—the 40m and 80m butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, freestyle, and 160m freestyle.

In becoming the best swimmer in the time trials, the Marianas High School student beat teammate Jinnosuke Suzuki’s top time of 1:22.14 in the 160m freestyle by swimming in 1:18.66. 

“Jinnosuke is the CNMI national record holder in the 200m freestyle and he set that mark last year in the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. To beat his time means that Isaiah’s 200m freestyle level has improved considerably,” said Tsunami Saipan coach Hiroyuki Kimura.

Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center coach Hiroyuki Kimura has a teaching moment with younger swimmers during their recent time trial. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Kean Pajarillaga also impressed in the time trial by posting PBs in the 40m and 80m butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, and 160m freestyle and backstroke. 

“Finally, Kean beat Juhn Tenorio’s top time of 1:30.51 in the 200m backstroke. Kean marked 1:29.36 in this time trial. It’s the first time for Kean to closely match Juhn’s time,” said Kimura of his ward from Grace Christian Academy.

A rising star in Tsunami Saipan’s constellation is 14-year-old Kouki Watanabe, who has emerged as the club’s best swimmer in the breastroke. During the time trial’s 160m breastroke, the MHS student posted a time of 1:43.32. 

“Tsunami Saipan’s top 160m  breastroke swimmer is Jinnosuke Suzuki. Jinnosuke is a great breastroker and still holds the CNMI age group record, and he swam the breastroke part in the medley relay in the last World Champs in Melbourne. However, Kouki already beat Jinnosuke’s time and he was already 17 years old then. This is so amazing!” said Kimura.

Kimura said Justin Ma of GCA and Richard Zhao of Saipan Community School also gave good accounts of themselves during the time trials.

Kimura said the two 13-year-old boys marked their best times in every event. 

“Justin’s best event was the freestyle and he showed very high performance in all his events in that stroke.”

Zhao’s forte is the breastroke and Kimura said Zhao has never beaten Maria Batallones in any races in that stroke until the recent time trial.

“This time he finally won against Maria in all the breastroke events (40m breastroke kick and 40m, 80m, and 160m breastroke swim). Maria is a CNMI national swimmer and a CNMI record-holder, so it’s not easy for the younger Zhao to win against her,” said Kimura.

Leo Li also surprised the Tsunami Saipan coach during the time trials as the 7-year-old Garapan Elementary School student got a higher ranking than older swimmers.

“Especially in the breastroke, he is a once-in-a-decade talent. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Leo’s breastroke evolves in the future.”

Kimura saved his best praise for two of Tsunami Saipan’s youngest swimmers in  6-year-olds Lucy Shin from Brilliant Star School and Juwon Park of GCA. 

“Despite being the youngest, both of them showed their best performance. Lucy in particular got a higher rank than many of our older members. As the next generation that follows Leo, I want them to continue to do their best,” said Kimura.