By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

KENSUKE Kimura broke the 200m freestyle record in the 9-10 age group, while 11 swimmers earned slots for the Japan tournament after their impressive performance in the Saipan Swim Club’s 2nd Annual Heptathlon Meet on Feb. 2 and 3 at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.
Kimura posted two minutes, 35.13 seconds in the 200m freestyle shattering the 26-year old record of Jon Sakovich.
The mark is the third new record Kimura set in the last six weeks. He made new marks in the 400m and 800m freestyle swims during the Guam International Meet in December last year.
SSC coach Michael Stewart was impressed with Kimura’s recent achievement and is confident that the young swimmer could still break a couple of records before he turns 11.
Kimura was the top point winners in the heptathlon meet in the boys’ 9-10 age group collecting 575 points. He was tied with Soujyu Usua of Guam. Guam swimmers held a similar event simultaneously with SSC’s tournament and sent the results to Stewart.
Rezne Wong ruled the 15-and-up division getting 610 points. Cooper Graf dominated the 13 to 14 age group with 420 points, Misaki Iijima of Guam won the 11 to 12 age group with 525 points and Maxi Braig topped the 8-and-under division with 225 points.
SSC and Guam swimmers joined in various events and received points based on how they finished in each event.
Meanwhile, eight other swimmers will be joining Wong, Graf and Kimura in two tournaments in Japan in late June, as they made the grade in the heptathlon meet.
They are Kai Staal, Blair Nicholls, Sarah Johnson, Jellian Majors, Grace Kimball, Amanda Johnson, Selyna Leon Guerrero and Dominique Austin.
But before the Japan trip, three SSC swimmers will be participating in the FINA World Championship, which will be held in Melbourne, Australia from March 4 to April 1.
Training for the FINA meet are Wong, Graf and Sarah Johnson.