Suzuki marks 3-record swims

Saipan Swim Club’s Jinnosuke Suzuki, seen here competing in the 400m freestyle swim during the SSC international meet early this year at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool, earned age group marks in the Guam tournament last month. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Saipan Swim Club’s Jinnosuke Suzuki more than made up for his muffed bid for the top honors in the 2017 Guam Swimming Championships after earning three age group marks in the boys 11 to 12 division of the competition held late last month at the Hagatna Pool.

In his first event in the meet that took place last May 19 and 20, Suzuki timed in at 18:49.63 in the 1,500m freestyle to surpass his own record of 19:04.79, which the SSC swimmer posted on March 23, 2017 during the 2017 SSC International Meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. The 11-year-old finished about 3 seconds ahead of 12-year-old and Tsunami Saipan’s Chuckie White, who clocked in at 21:40.65.

Then in the 200m freestyle, Suzuki submitted 2:14.29, which eclipsed the 2:17.20 his older brother Lennosuke logged on March 19, 2016. On top of setting the new mark in the four-lap race, Suzuki finished way ahead of 11 others swimmers in his age group. He won by more than eight seconds against Tsunami Saipan’s Isaiah Alekseno (2:22.89) and was over 14 seconds faster than White (2:28.93). The last finisher in the race timed in at 3:49.71.

In the 400m freestyle, Suzuki’s 4:43.52 did not only bested five others swimmers, but also crushed the 4:46.40 he registered on March 25, 2017 during the SSC-organized tournament. Suzuki was the only swimmer to break the five-minute barrier in the eight-lap race, as runner-up Ty Leon Guerrero of Tsunami Saipan only timed in at 5:27.37. The four other finishers in the 400m freestyle clocked in between six minutes and seven minutes and change.

Meanwhile, the Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation acknowledged SSC’s Kento Akimaru and Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan’s Ashley Dangol for matching records in their respective age groups.

Akimaru submitted 27.57 seconds in the 15 to 16’s 50m butterfly event, duplicating the mark that Tsunami Saipan’s Kensuke Kimura posted on April 20, 2013. The SSC swimmer, who got the top honors in his age group, defeated five other swimmers in the sprint event, winning over Manhoben’s Tanner Poppe (29.22 seconds), Tsunami Guam’s Caleb White (31.14), and Manhoben’s Santiago Poppe (33.11), Gabe Giovenco (34.00), and Gray Harvey (38.91).

Dangol did the same event in the 9 to 10 division swim and her 32.37 matched the best time she tallied on March 27, 2017. Then in the 100m freestyle, the Tsunami Saipan member recorded 1:08.14, the similar mark that Dangol’s former teammate Miku Tammy earned on Jan. 12, 2013. Dangol went on to take the high-point award in her age group.