By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE Saipan Swim Club ended their campaign in the 2006 Guam Swim Federation International Meet at the Hagatna Swimming Pool last Thursday with a bang posting three new CNMI age group records.
Kensuke Kimura had a record-breaking swim in the 400m freestyle after clocking five minutes 29.67 seconds, 11 seconds ahead of his own mark in the 9 to 10 age group.
The 10-year old Kimura won the 400m and grabbed one more gold and two silver medals on the last day of the two-day tournament.
Kimura’s second record-breaking performance was in the 800m freestyle swim with his time of 11:42.61. He eclipsed Rezne Wong’s previous mark by more than 24 seconds.
After the meet, Kimura went home with four gold medals (50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle) and three silver (50m and 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley).
Duplicating Kimura’s feat was Wong, who shattered his own mark in the 50m breaststroke.
The Marianas High School student timed in at 34.21 seconds breaking his 35.29 mark.
Wong wrapped up the tournament with one gold (200m individual medley), a silver (100m breaststroke) and five bronze (100m, 200m, 400m and1500m freestyle and 50m breaststroke).
Grace Kimball led the SSC girls’ push in the annual event collecting three gold medals, two silver and a bronze.
The 11-year old Kimball won the 100m, 400m and 1500m freestyle, placed second in the 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle and third in the 50m freestyle.
“Grace battled a cold this past week. But she never allowed that to get her down in any of her races. She proved that hard work can overcome a lot,” SSC coach Michael Stewart said in an email to the Variety.
Kai Staal, who debuted on the International meet, also had an impressive performance grabbing a silver and a bronze in the 50m breaststroke and 100m freestyle, respectively, on the final day.
Also notching a medal in the last day was Cooper Graf, who nailed a bronze in the 1500m freestyle and had a new lifetime best swim in that event.
Overall, SSC, which fielded 15 swimmers in the tournament, earned eight gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals. SSC swimmers competed in 82 events.
“We had many outstanding weekend performances. Rezne had 9- for-9 LTBS and Cooper had 7-for-7. Although they are not in the medal count, three other swimmers had perfect LTBS. Andrew Kimbal was 10-for-10, Shin Kimura was 9-for-9 and Rafael Jones was 3-for-3,” Stewart said.
Other medallists for SSC were Blair Nicholls and Emily Jones.
Nicholls won silver medals in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke and placed third in the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.
Emily Jones, the youngest on the team at seven, was runnerup in the 50m butterfly.