Previous Story
Meek & Mighty set for Feb. 15
|
Posted on Jan 30 2020
The Saipan Swim Club will hold its 2020 Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim on Feb. 15 in the waters off Pacific Islands Club Saipan. (Contributed Photo)
The Saipan Swim Club will host the 2020 edition of the Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim on Feb. 15 in the waters off Kanoa Resort in Susupe.
SSC coach Richard Sikkel said registration is at 7am with the open water swim starting at 8am. There will be three distances for the 2020 Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim—a 1-kilometer, a 3K, and a 5K course.
“‘Meek’ means gentle (for the 1K gentle swim) as opposed to the ‘mighty’ swimmers who will take on the 5K,” said Sikkel when asked about why the event is called the Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim, which actually was introduced by former SSC coach Michael Stewart about 14 years ago.
Sikkel said this marks the first time in two years that SSC will be holding the Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim. He said it was cancelled last year as the island was still reeling from the effects of Super Typhoon Yutu, which devastated Saipan and neighboring Tinianin October 2018.
“SSC invites all swimmers, young and old, competitive or recreational, experienced or novice to come out and enjoy the cool lagoon waters in front of Kanoa Resort for a classic amongst the Saipan swimming events,” he said.
In 2018, the last time SSC hosted the event, club stalwarts Kento Akimaru and Jinju Thompson topped the event in the waters off Pacific Islands Club Saipan.
Kento was the No. 1 overall finisher in the longest race of the day, completing the three-loop course (nearly 3 kilometers) in 32 minutes flat for his third straight victory in the Mighty course. In the women’s division, Thompson was the first out of the water and seventh overall after recording 35:12.
In the so-called Meek two-loop course (about 2K), youth swimmer Wataru Kadokura was the first male and No. 1 overall finisher as he made it to shore at the 33:50 mark. He was about a minute ahead of women’s champion and fellow SSC member Kaithlynn Chavez, who lost a few seconds after heading the wrong direction on the way to the finish line and ended up timing in at 33:51.
For more information on the Meek & Mighty Ocean Swim or the SSC, email saipanswimclub@gmail.com or message them on their Facebook page.
