Swim records fall in All Schools

 Four records were shattered during the 18th SSC All Schools Swimming Championships held last Saturday at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.

First to fall was the record in the boys 9 to 10 200m freestyle with Saipan Swim Club’s Kento Akimaru completing the four-lap race in 2:28.04. Akimaru’s time eclipsed the 2:29.37 Kaito Yanai recorded on May 29, 2010 during a tournament in Guam.

The boys 10 to 13 200m freesyle race last Saturday featured only two swimmers with Akimaru of Saipan Community School defeating Grace Christian Academy’s Kosei Toda (2:58.95).

The SSC bet broke two age group marks in the weekend competition with the second one coming in the 100m backstroke event. He timed in 1:25.57 in the 100m backstroke, crushing the 21-year record of Keith Ludwick, who submitted 1:26.08 on Oct. 5, 1980.

Ten-year-old Akimura battled two other swimmers in the 100m backstroke race and won over Toda (1:38.25) and Whispering Palms’ Jesse Leon Guerrero (1:43.70).

The two other records made in this year’s All Schools competition came from Tsunami Saipan swimmers.

Angel Marie Tan logged 34.39 seconds in the 50m butterfly (girls 11 to 12) to surpass the 34.48 seconds Amanda Johnson of SSC posted on March 28, 2004. The 12-year-old competed in the girls 12 to 13 50m butterfly race last Saturday against fellow Tsunami Saipan swimmer Angel de Jesus (37.27 seconds).

Lukas Kang also has new a new mark in the 50m butterfly, U8 division, after tallying 37.36 seconds. He broke the 38.68 seconds Ryuto Yanai recorded on May 21, 2011.

Besides making a record in the 50m butterfly race last Saturday, Kang also defeated Lennosuke Suzuki (48.16 seconds), Naoki Kasai (1:03.40), Michael Villagomez (1:04.55), and Ichiro Borja (1:07.34).

Kang now owns seven of the 11 records in the U8 division. His other records are in the 50m backstroke (40.82 seconds), 100m backstroke (1:26.54), 50m breaststroke (47.57 seconds), 100m breaststroke (1:40.77), 100m butterfly (1:28.95), and 200m individual medley (3:04.92).

Akimaru has six after his two record-breaking swims last weekend. His four other age group marks are in the 50m freestyle (31.28 seconds), 100m freestyle (1:08.35), 50m backstroke (39.05 seconds), and 200m breaststroke (3:12.21).

Tan is credited for three records in the girls 11 to 12 age group with her two other marks coming in the 50m breaststroke (39.06 seconds) and 400m IM (6:01.04).