Tsunami Saipan swimmers deliver

It was mission accomplished for Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan members as they won several high-point awards in last weekend’s 2015 Guam Championships at the Hagatna Pool.

Tsunami Saipan swimmers pose with their medals during the awards ceremony for the 2015 Guam Championships held last weekend at the Hagatna Pool. (Contributed Photo)

The visiting club recorded Top 3 finishes in eight divisions and bagged four top high-point awards as Kaito Yanai, Nanaka Watanabe, Ashley Dangol, and Hans Xu ruled their respective age groups.

Yanai placed first in the boys 15 to 16 age group as he collected 70 points and nosed out Manhoben Swim Club’s Tommy Imazu, who tallied 68 markers. Points were awarded based on how swimmers finished in each races.

Yanai topped seven events, starting his run with a field best 33.09 seconds in the 50m breaststroke race. His other victories came in the 400m individual medley (5:14:53), 50m butterfly (28.74 seconds), 200m breaststroke (2:35.42), 50m backstroke (32.37 seconds), 100m breaststroke (1:12.41), and 200m IM (2:27.34). The 15-year-old swimmer, who was runner-up in the 400m freestyle (4:43.44), also joined the 200m freestyle relay with teammates Takumi Sugie, Nelson Batallones, and Mark Maestro and the quartet combined for 2:02.51, the third fastest time among the eight squads.

Nanaka duplicated Yanai’s points to stun two Tsunami Guam bets—Esabelle Eldridge (65) and Risa Hendrix (56)—and beat five other participants in the girls 9 to 10 division. She prevailed in the 50m breaststroke (46.66 seconds), 100m freestyle (1:21.63), 50m butterfly (42.13 seconds), 200m breaststroke (3:33.77), 400m freestyle (6:10.64), 100m breaststroke (1:40.58), and 200m IM (3:15.51). Nanaka took the runner-up honors in the 50m backstroke (44.65 seconds) and was also part of the team that finished second in the 200m medley relay in the girls 9 to 10.

In the U8 age group, Tsunami Saipan had a sweep with Dangol and Xu getting the high-point awards in convincing fashions. Dangol was the runaway winner in the girls division after she gained 63 points, 14 more than the 49 of Tsunami Guam’s Sydney Packbier. In the boys division, Xu earned 61 points to finish way ahead of Manhoben Swim Club’s Israel Poppe (44) and Tsunami Guam’s Luke Leon Guerrero (19) and Kayen Toh (5).

Dangol won all her seven events, starting off with the 50m breaststroke (53.47). Her six other races were the 100m freestyle 1:24.17), 50m butterfly (37.64 seconds), 200m freestyle (2:52.08), 50m backstroke (43.51 seconds), 50m freestyle (36.36 seconds), and 200m IM (3:13.76). Xu, on the other hand, registered six first place finishes and one runner-up. He ruled the 50m breaststroke (50.45 seconds), 100m freestyle (1:21.67), 50m butterfly (40.96 seconds), 200m freestyle (2:55.97), 50m backstroke (43.83 seconds), and 200m IM (3:17.14) and came in at second in the 50m freestyle (36.25 seconds).

Meanwhile, seven other Tsunami Saipan swimmers made it to the Top 3 in their respective age groups.

In the boys 9 to 10, Anthony Camacho Deleon Guerrero (62 points) and Juhn Tenorio (58) finished second and third, respectively, behind Tsunami Saipan’s Chuckie White (66). Tsunami Saipan’s Isaiah Aleksenko (41), Kenta Tomie (6), and Arman Rechucher (2) were also entered in the group.

In the girls 11 to 12, Sophia Gauran notched 68 points, just 2 markers behind champion Roxanne Mikel of Tsunami Guam, while the former’s fellow Tsunami Saipan bet Aika Watanabe totaled 56 points to complete the Top 3.

In the boys 13 to 14 division, Mark Maestro was ranked second after getting 62 points. Manhoben’s Tanner Poppe won the division with his 72 points, while Tsunami Saipan’s Caleb White and Manhoben’s Santiago Poppe placed third and fourth after recording 60 and 30 points, respectively.

In the 15 to 16 age group, Tsunami Saipan’s Angel De Jesus and Takumi Sugie clinched third place honors. De Jesus scored 57 points to join Tsunami Saipan’s Anabelle Alba (69) and Rosalyn Mikel (67) in the Top 3, while Sugie posted 57 markers to place third behind teammate Yanai and Imazu.