Tsunami Saipan fetes outstanding swimmers

Tsunami Saipan coach Hiro Kimura, back row right, poses with the eight swimmers recognized for their attendance in the 2013-2014 season during the awards ceremony early this month at Paupau Beach. (Contributed Photo)

Eight-year-old Nanaka Watanabe led the honors list, as she was handed the Rookie of the Year award for topping several tournaments last season, including the Guam meet last month, and for setting age group marks. Watanabe holds five age group marks in the girls U18 age group, earning four new records during the 2014 Guam Swimming Championships and matching another one in the same competition. Her four records are in the 100m freestyle ( 1:25.97), 200m freestyle (3:10.30), 50m breaststroke (49.27 seconds), and 100m breaststroke (1:46.56), while the fifth one is the 200m IM (3:34:03), the same mark Amanda Johnson of Saipan Swim Club registered on March 30, 2000.

Besides Watanabe, Tsunami Saipan recognized another club newcomer—Anthony Camacho-Deleon Guerrero—for his impressive showing in his debut season with the group. Camacho capped his opening season for Tsunami Saipan with a runner-up finish in the boys U8 competition in the Guam tournament. He ruled the 50 and 100m butterfly races in Guam and placed second in the 50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle, fifth in 50 backstroke, and third in the 200m IM.

Meanwhile, Tsunami Saipan handed out more awards in four categories.

Miku Tammy and Kaito Yanai split the High Performance Award for their notable showing in the 2014 Tokyo Junior Sprints in March. Tammy entered the girls U11 division of the annual competition and bagged the gold medal in the 50m butterfly race. Kaito Yanai won a gold medal in the 100m IM and silver in the 50m breaststroke events of the boys U14 age group.

Kaito’s younger brother Ryuto also received recognition from the club, sharing the Coach’s Award with three others. Ryuto was selected for setting three age group marks (100m, 50m backstroke, and 200m butterfly) in the 9 to 10 division.

Kenta Tomie, Ashley Dangol, and Sophia Gauran were the three other recipients of the Coach’s Award. Tomie was cited for his high attendance percentage and consistent good behavior during practices and competitions, while Dangol earned coach Hiro Kimura’s nod for becoming the youngest member of the club to set an age group record. Dangol timed in at 1:58.06 in the 100m butterfly race in the 2014 SSC International Invitational Meet and her time was considered as record in the girls U8 age group. Then just last month, she eclipsed her own record, posting 1:53.71 in the Guam competition. Gauran missed making it to the record list in the 9 to 10 age group, but won her division in both the Saipan and Guam tournaments this year.

Gauran was also recognized for her most attendance in the club’s training sessions. Getting the same award were Dangol, Tammy, Camacho-Deleon Guerrero, Juhn Tenorio, Jhota Yoshino, Takumi Sugie, and Kensuke Kimura.

Kimura was cited, too for his record-breaking swims in the SSC meet and 2014 Oceania Swimming Championships in New Zealand.