Tsunami Saipan swimmers mark 66 PBTs

A Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan member races in the 100m breaststroke event during an earlier meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan put on a show in the Tsunami Saipan Open after registering 66 personal best times during the Dec. 9 meet at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

The host club got the most PBTs (23) in the 50m freestyle event with Nelson Batallones leading the finishers after clocking in at 28.94 seconds, which was better than his old mark of 29.77 seconds. Batallones raced in the 13 to 14 age group, along with fellow PBT getters and Tsunami Saipan teammates Joseph Zhang (30.93 seconds) and Dan Illahi (37.08).

Other Tsunami Saipan swimmers who earned PBTs were Kevin Guerrero (34.84 seconds), Alex Kim (35.69), Kean Pajarillaga (35.70), Miguel Bartolata (37.48), Andrew Nunez (50.12), Sari Barman (1:07.99), Shoko Litulumar (35.49), Maria Batallones (36.91), Sakura Hara (46.69), Arwen Bartolata (48.74), Asaka Litulumar (33.14), Ayumi Obligacion (39.56), Julia Jinang (43.44), Ashley Jeon (46.64), Michelle Chen (49.81), Raven (45.69) and Rafael (49.83) Pascual, Aasish Dangol (33.20), Kouki Watanabe (37.59), and Shuman Barman (47.21)

In another sprint event—the 50m breaststroke—10 Tsunami Saipan swimmers got PBTs. The list includes Arwen (1:03.48), Sakura (1:06.27), Jeon (52.60 seconds), Chen (57.43), Kim (47.39), Pajarillaga (54.01), Nunez (1:02.13), Miguel (1:03.45), Guerrero (46.86), and Jinang (1:03.08).

Jinang recorded her third PBT after timing in at 51.88 seconds in the 50m butterfly. She was in the same heat with other PBT getters Ashley (31.68) and Jeon (55.76). Six more Tsunami Saipan swimmers listed PBTs in the one-lap race: Raven (56.87 seconds), Isaiah Aleksenko (33.15), Kim (41.12), Miguel (46.47), Nunez (1:06.72), and Illahi (49.57).

There were nine swimmers, too, who notched PBTs in the 50m backstroke. Kim led the group with his 48.28 seconds and were joined on the list by Miguel (48.35), Nunez (1:01.14), Guerrero (43.14), Shuman (58.28), Jinang (50.95), Chen (58.90), and Jeon (1:00.04).

In the 400m freestyle, Maria (6:13.25), Shoko (6:14.43), Obligacion (6:56.18), Aasish (5:38.21), and Kouki (6:03,58) achieved PBTs, while Juhn Tenorio (1:03.30) and Zhang (1:12.48) had the same feat in the 100m freestyle.

Maria and Zhang also earned PBTs in the 100m breaststroke after completing the two-lap race in 1:43.18 and 1:33.99, respectively. Shoko (1:43.67) and Nanaka (1:25.78) were the other PBT getters in the 100m breaststroke event.

In the 800m freestyle, there were four swimmers, too, who marked PBTs. Nelson topped the list with his 10:25.16 and was followed by Asaka (12:02.26), Aasish (11:52.12), and Hans Xu (11:05.54).