Tsunami Saipan starts season with loaded cast

Coach Hiroyuki Kimura and Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center will welcome the new 2024-2025 season with over 50 swimmers spread across six classes—Sensyu, Jyun Sensyu, Ikusei, Beginner, Fitness, and Star-up.

The many time CNMI national swimming coach said the Sensyu Class is Tsunami Saipan’s top group.

“Everyone has a chance to be a CNMI national swimmer. The purpose of the group is to be national representatives and along the way break the CNMI national record,” he said.

The 12 swimmers that populate the Sensyu Class are Kevin Guerrero, Kouki Watanabe, Justin Ma, Richard Zhao, Shoko Litulumar, Maria Batallones, Sari Barman, Maria Guerrero, Haoyang Song, Catalina Frink, Sera Guerrero, and Gwen Retardo.

“We have testing to become a member of Sensyu Class. Swimmers who cannot follow workouts or swimmers who have low practice attendance will fail and go back to the lower class,” said Kimura.

For the Jyun-sensyu Class, the eligibility is swimmers must get a BB time or better. The goal of swimmers in this class is to progress to Sensyu Class and endeavor to compete in off-island meets.

Currently there are only three members of the group and they are Seungwoo Lee, Eva Shin, and Yoonmin Cho.

The purpose of the Ikusei Class, meanwhile, is for swimmers to brush up on the four swimming strokes in competition—freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke—and to learn swimming rules and ways to win in races.

Included in the group are Xingchen Wang, Apollo Arriola, Yubo Lin, Leo Li, Chris Arriola, Angelo Pepito, Andrea Ryu, Hyeyun Kim, Lucy Shin, and Xingyu Wang.

The Beginner Class’ purpose is to teach swimmers the aforementioned four swimming strokes as well as how to turn, touch the goal, and learn swimming skill in what Kimura likes to call how to swim faster than yesterday.

Minjoon Choi, Yo Suzuki, Jonathan Park, Aiden Velasco, Evan Zhang, Milana Sablan, Emily Kang, and Jesse Concepcion make up Tsunami Saipan’s Beginner Class.

Swimmers in the Fitness Class are drilled to learn rules, social manners, and group work. “It’s not swim practice yet, but more like a fun activity,” said Kimura.

It makes up the biggest group in Tsunami Saipan’s six classes with 19 members, namely Darren Wu, Chaz Asuncion, Jiwon Li, Alex Jung, Elijah Cabrera, Timothy Park, Hiro Suzuki, Alonzo Petito, Chad Asuncion, Ched Asuncion, Owen Li, Ryan Jung, Clover Cha, Chez Asuncion, Luna Li, April Nie, Jane Choi, and Hyeju Kim.

Last but not the least, the Start-up Class consists of Ajun Jang, Ziah Bellas, Kai Seok, Aaron Ko, Ethan Ko, Jia Kim, Jenny Xu, and Suah Kim.

“Swimmers in this class are taught class rules, social manners, and group work. They train on swim kicking skills. It’s just a fun class with play time also. We can accept only 6 years old and younger to enroll in the Start-up Class. If 7 years old and older kids and have swimming experience, there is a possibility to enroll in our Fitness Class, but it depends on their skills,” said Kimura.

“Ikusei Class and Beginner Class can’t go to off-island meets. Only Jyun-sensyu and over can go. Tsunami Saipan also has a rule where there’s no age limit for each class. If there is a very fast swimmer but still 8 years old, that swimmer practices in the Sensyu Class. If there is a high school swimmer but is very slow, that swimmer stays in Beginner Class,” he added.

Several Tsunami Saipan swimmers said they’re excited to begin the new season.

“I am most definitely excited about the new captain and vice-captain, Shoko Litulumar and Kouki Watanabe, to lead this new generation to improvement, as well as myself. I look forward to improve my weaknesses and overall times yet still help the new senior class swimmers to brush up their swims. I also look forward to achieving my goals, as I have multiple such as representing the CNMI in the Pacific Mini Games,” said Maria Guerrero.

For Haoyang Son, the new season brings a new set of challenges and goals.

“Every time when I tried my best and got a faster record than before, I got excited. I’m also excited when I master a new swimming technique. I hope I can swim faster and learn more swimming techniques in the new season because I want to catch up with our top swimmer.”

Yoonmin Cho, meanwhile, wants to improve some more to go up a class.

“I’m looking forward to seeing myself to join the more advanced class and making many new friends on the team.”

The Arriola brothers also chimed in about the new season.

“I am very excited to do this season’s new workouts. I hope to be a fast swimmer,” said Apollo, while Chris said, “I hope to break my personal records, most especially backstroke.”