SSC swimmers bring home trophies from Palau

The CNMI’s Victoria Chentsova, right, joins Hawaii’s Aulea Swim Club’s Lyon Cameron, left, and Abbey Mitchell for a group photo during the awards ceremony for the 1st Annual Palau Invitational held at the Meyuns National Swimming Pool last Friday. (Palau Swimming Photo)

Three Saipan Swim Club swimmers came home with trophies from last week’s 1st Annual Palau Invitational held at the Meyuns National Swimming Pool.

Kento Akimaru and Jinnosuke Suzuki finished second and third in the men’s division, while Victoria Chentsova was ranked third in the women’s race. Rankings were based on total points swimmers earned from the various events they completed at the 25-meter pool.

Kento collected 56 points from the eight of the nine races he joined in to finish just two points behind champion Noah Faurot of Aulea Swim Club (Hawaii). The 14-year-old swimmer placed first in the men’s 11 and over’s 100m breaststroke (1:20.98) and 200m backstroke (2:34.61) and runner-up in the 400m individual medley (5:27.05), 800m freestyle (9:41.59), 400m freestyle (4:41.37), 200m freestyle (2:12.85), and 100m butterfly (1:12.89). Kento also participated in the 100m freestyle (1:01.46) and the exhibition (no points awarded) 25m freestyle (13.12 seconds).

Jinnosuke joined Kento and Faurot in the Top 3 after getting 54 points from six of his seven events in the men’s 10-and-under division. Jinnosuke topped the 100m freestyle (1:15.15), 200m IM (3:08.91), 50m butterfly (40.15), 100m IM (1:30.62), 100m butterfly (1:31.16), and 200m freestyle (2:39.17), notching 9 points apiece in each event. In the 25m freestyle, which he also ruled, the 9-year-old timed in ay 16.39 seconds.

Six other male SSC members entered the tournament held last Thursday and Friday with Kento’s younger brother Taiyo placing fifth out of the 26 participants in the men’s division, Jinnosuke’s older sibling Lennosuke finishing 10th, and Salofi Welch, R.J. Pierce, and David Boyer notching the No. 13, 16, and 21st spot, respectively. SSC Coach Jacoby Winkfield was the seventh member of the men’s squad, as he joined two races.

Taiyo got 48 points for winning the men’s 10-and-under 50m freestyle (36.25 seconds), 50m backstroke (47.97 seconds), and 50m breaststroke (52.84 seconds) and ranking second in the 100m freestyle (1:23.06), 200m IM(3:37.35) and 50m butterfly (42.16 seconds). He also came in at second in the 25m freestyle (16.55 seconds).

Lennosuke bagged 33 points for swimming in the men’s 11 and over 800m freestyle (10:26.54), 400m freestyle (5:00.06), 100m freestyle (1:05.69), 100m breaststroke (1:28.82), 200m freestyle (2:24.00), 50m breaststroke (41.37 seconds) and 100m butterfly (1:21.41). In the 25m freestyle, he clocked in at 14.17 seconds.

Welch, Pierce, and Boyer also participated in the races for 11 and over age group and gained 23, 15, and 11 points respectively. Welch did the 800m freestyle (11:33.75), 100m backstroke (1:27.78), 100m freestyle (1:07.28), 50m freestyle (29.97 seconds), 100m breaststroke (1:27.81), 200m freestyle (2:38.22), 25m freestyle (13.47 seconds), and 100m butterfly (1:26.25). Pierce swam in the 800m freestyle (11:52.10), 100m freestyle (1:20.53), 100m breaststroke (1:42.41), 100m IM (1:33.94), 50m freestyle (36.91 seconds), 200 freestyle (2:53.00), and 25m freestyle (16.58 seconds). Boyer also had seven events: 400m IM (6:53.48), 100m freestyle (1:10.07), 200m IM (3:10.50), 50m butterfly (36.88 seconds), 50m freestyle (32.97 seconds), 200m freestyle (2:42.66), 25 freestyle (14.06 seconds), and 100m butterfly (1:33.82), while Winkfield raced in the 50m butterfly (31.69 seconds) and 25 freestyle (12.97 seconds).

In the women’s division, Chentsova totaled 51 points to join Aulea’s Cameron Lyon (61) and Abbey Mitchell (56) in the Top 3. Seventeen other female swimmers competed in the inaugural tournament.

Chentsova, who returned to Saipan with the rest of the team last Saturday, had first place finishes in the 100m freestyle (1:07.50) and 200m backstroke (2:50.97). She also competed in the 800m freestyle (10:34.19), 400m freestyle (5:06.85), 100m backstroke (1:20.79), 50m freestyle (31.09 seconds), 200m freestyle (2:29.22), and 25m freestyle (15.95 seconds).