Tanapag, MHS triumph in All Schools

Marianas High School’s Kento Akimaru does the butterfly stroke in the individual medley race in last Saturday’s SSC All Schools meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Tanapag clinched the middle school championship after collecting 128 points and besting seven other schools. Tanapag banked on Miku Tammy, Taiga Sato, Lennosuke Suzuki, Rinto Takahashi, Megumi Yoshino, Aika Watanabe, Sami Nimura, and Mark Norita in ruling the division.

Watanabe gave Tanapag 18 points when she finished first both in the girls 11 to 13’s 50m breaststroke event (49.75 seconds) and 50m butterfly (41.87 seconds), while Miku Tammy also chipped in 18 for prevailing in the 50m backstroke (35.84 seconds) and 100m backstroke (1:18.56)

Yoshino finished second to Tammy in the 50m backstroke to notch 7 points and the former gained 5 more in the girls 11 to 14’s 50m freestyle where she finished fifth (42.08 seconds). Nimura came in at fifth in the girls 11 to 14’s 50m freestyle to earn 4 points and collected 7 for a runner-up finish in the 50m breaststroke (53.03 seconds).

In the boys division, Takahashi was awarded 18 points for swimming in the 11 to 13’s 50m butterfly (41.88 seconds) and winning the 100m breaststroke (1:44.04). Sato, on the other hand, contributed 14 points to Tanapag with his first place finish in the 12 to 13’s 100m backstroke (1:32.320 and fourth place in over 11’s 100m freestyle (1:14.74). Suzuki chipped in 7 points for his runner-up swim in the 11 to 14’s 50m freestyle (31.41 seconds), while Norita tallied 6 for rounding out the Top 3 in the 12 to 14’s 50m backstroke (1:09.53).

In the relay, Tanapag gained 18 points, as Sato, Takahashi, Tammy, and Suzuki completed the 200m medley relay in 2:36.24.

Tanapag won the middle school division convincingly, as its closest pursuer—Whispering Palms—gathered only 78 points. Last year’s champion Hopwood Junior High School completed the Top 3 after getting 73 points, followed by Saipan International School (24), Eucon International School (19), San Antonio Middle School (18), Saipan Community School (16), and Grace Christian Academy (10).

In the high school division, Marianas High School was the runaway winner after collecting 121 points. SIS and Mount Carmel School were the two other schools to join the division and earned 59 and 25 points, respectively.

The Dolphins, who finished third last year behind GCA and SIS, were composed of Angel Marie Tan, Angel De Jesus, David Boyer, Daime Rivera, Kaito Yanai, Kento Akimaru, Salofi Welch, Gabrielle Race, and Negahr Rastguiy.