Daniel wins medals in final meet

First-year Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan swimmer Daniel Villegas finally medaled in his final competition before leaving for college in the mainland this summer.

The 17-year-old Villegas bagged bronze medals in the freestyle and medley relays after teaming up with Rezne Wong and brothers Shin and Kensuke Kimura in the 2008 Guam Swimming Championships held last May 30 and 31 in the Hagatna Pool.

Wong and the Kimura brothers all had to cut down on their participation in the meet in an effort to go all out in winning a medal for Villegas.

Tsunami Saipan head coach Hiro Kimura said that he and the rest of the club are proud of Villegas’ accomplishment in the 2008 Guam Swimming Championships.

“Daniel exemplifies tremendous fighting spirit and is an inspiration to other team members,” he said.

Aside from the relays, Villegas also competed in the 50m and 100m freestyle event. While he did not get a lifetime best in the 100m freestyle, Villegas outdid himself by recording an LTB in the 50m freestyle with an impressive 28.78.

After the race, Villegas told coach Kimura that he swam the 50m freestyle like his life depended on it—with total abandon.

Coach Kimura said his ward’s efforts impressed other teams and earned the respect of Guam coaches.

He added that he has never known a fighting spirit stronger than what Villegas possesses.

Coach Kimura said there are only four swimmers who have ever swam faster than 29 seconds in the 50m freestyle and now Villegas is one of them.

“When he started swimming only last year, his first time trial result was 35 seconds. His improvement is nothing short of impressive. Unfortunately, he is leaving Saipan this summer to go to college. We wish him the success he will surely find. Tsunami Saipan would like to thank him for the inspiration he has brought to the team,” he said.

While Villegas’ two medals in the relay were the high points of Tsunami Saipan’s stint in the 2008 Guam Swimming Championships, there were other shining moments for the other members during the meet.

As expected, Wong won the High Point trophy in the open division after winning eight medals. The Marianas High School student struck gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and 200m and 400m individual medley. He also collected silver medals in the 50m breastroke, 100m backstroke, and 50m butterfly, and a bronze in the 50m freestyle.

Incidentally, Wong’s performance in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events actually were new CNMI national and age group records, respectively.

Marystar Welch, for her part, took third place overall in the girls’ 13-14 years old age group after winning silver medals in all the events she participated in. Her best event was the 200m IM.

Coach Kimura is convinced that Welch has the ability to dominate and become the newest female swimming superstar of the Commonwealth.

“What makes her effort so impressive is that as a younger child she suffered from rheumatic fever and was on medication for years. To this day, the illness has not been overcome but her determination and skill in the pool are proof of her potential,” he said.

Shin Kimura, meanwhile, soldiered on despite badly spraining his ankle a day before the meet.

Bandaged ankle and all, he advanced to the finals of the 800m freestyle and helped Tsunami Saipan win the two bronze medals for Villegas in the freestyle and medley relays.

“Shin endured the pain in order to help win medals for his teammate, Daniel. If Shin didn’t swim, Tsunami Saipan could not take part in the relay because we only had four male swimmers. He was very satisfied because he helped Daniel earn two medals. This is the kind of close-knit team camaraderie that makes Tsunami Saipan a success,” said coach Kimura.

Shin’s younger brother, Kensuke, meanwhile, won a gold medal in 200m breastroke, silvers in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, and bronzes in the medley and freestyle relays.

He also broke the long-standing CNMI age group record in the 200m breaststroke. Last year, Kensuke broke one of the oldest CNMI records that was set in 1980 by 1998 Seoul Olympian Jonathan Sakovich, son of Bill and Jean Sakovich.

“This was a record nobody had been able to break for 27 years,” exclaimed coach Kimura. “Kensuke’s breaking this record is simply amazing. Sports readers in the community old enough to remember the glory days of Saipan swimming under the Sakoviches know how they dominated the entire Western Pacific. With athletes such as Rezne, Kensuke, Shin, Marystar, and other younger swimmers coming of age, Tsunami Saipan has a vision to once again dominate the sport throughout Micronesia,” said coach Kimura.