The competition included a two-day pool meet – held last Friday and Saturday – at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool and an ocean swim – held Sunday – near the tanks north of Saipan World Resort.
SSC’s very own Akimaru marked the fastest time in the boys’ 9-10 50-meter backstroke event with 40.67 seconds, followed by Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan’s Hiroto Yanai (42.79). Akimaru took first place in the boys’ 100m backstroke (1:32.83), 100m butterfly (1:23:87), 50m butterfly (36.40), 100m freestyle (1:10.79), 50m breaststroke (42.66), 50m freestyle (32.58), and 200m individual medley event (2:58.30).
He surpassed Tsunami Saipan’s Ryosei Toda by 13 seconds to top the boys’ 9-10 1-kilometer open water event with 14 minutes and 49 seconds.
Tsunami Saipan’s Angel Tan ruled the girls’ 11-12 50m backstroke event with 37.17. She dominated the girls’ 100m breaststroke at 1 minute and 25.43 seconds, beating Danielle Atoigue (1:36.55) of Guam’s Manukai Athletic Club. Tan claimed first place in the girls’ 200m backstroke (3:00.16), 50m butterfly (35.48), 100m backstroke (1:26.77) and 50m breaststroke (40.67).
Tan also joined the girls’ 11-12 1.3k open water category, topping fellow Tsunami swimmer Angel De Jesus and Atoigue at 20 minutes and 36 seconds.
Pilar Shimizu was one of eight Tarakito Swim Club members who flew from Guam to join the meet. Shimizu tackled the girls’ 13-14 100m breaststroke at 1:22.68, passing Tsunami Saipan’s Daime Rivera (1:45.22).
The Guam-based swimmer bagged the girls’ 13-14 200m freestyle event with 2:20.53. Following her were Victoria Chentsova (2:36.42), Taloani Atoigue (2:57.99), Jessica Jones (3:05.07), and Rivera (3:33.86). Shimizu earned first place in the 50m butterfly (33.93), 100m freestyle (1:06.05), 50m breaststroke (37.48), 200m breaststroke (2:59.87), 200m IM (2:48.49), and girls’ 13-14 2.5k open water event (39:13).
Shimizu, Akimaru, and Tan scored 72 points – the highest among their age groups – in the meet’s individual rankings.
Other high ranking swimmers included: Miku Tammy (54 points, girls’ 8-and-under category), Lukas Kang (54 points, boys’ 8U), Tarakito’s Bailey Amelia (68 points, girls’ 9-10), Angel De Jesus (68 points, girls’ 11-12), Justin Fell (68 points, boys’ 11-12), Kaisei Toda (70 points, boys’ 13-14), Jenina Cruz (68 points, girls’ 15-and-over), and Thomas Lee (50 points, boys’ 15-and-over).
