CNMI swimmers return victorious from Guam
The Saipan Swim Club sent 17 swimmers, including 10 first-year swimmers and two participants from Tinian, to Guam to compete in the First ABC Invitational Swim Meet of the season.
All seventeen swimmers went home victorious since everyone placed at least twice in the top of their respective age groups to earn ribbons. The maximum each could swim was five events.
The only seasoned veterans to make the trip were Natasha Good, who improved her times in three events, and Myana Welch who won five events with one quadruple A time and all personal bests.
Second year swimmers John Cabildo, Seiji Hirabayashi, Alejandro and Andrea Negrete, and Arthur Welch also competed, each placing in the top six in most of their events with A or B times. John, Seiji, Alex and Andrea each swam Personal Best Times in all five events they entered.
The freshmen swimmers also broke into top eight placings and were led by 8-year-old Sarah Johnson, surprising all by winning two second places in the 50m and 100m Freestyle and one B time. Tyler Sinclair, SSC’s youngest swimmer took one 3rd and two 5th places including a B time in his 50m Breaststroke.
In the 9-10 year-old divisions, Taylor Dunlap, Seth Manglona, Cory San Nicholas and Mitchell Sinclair each made a couple top eight finishes showing marked improvement since their first competition last November in the All Schools Swimming Championships.
Alejandro Hernandez, Michael Kim and Nina Mosley also showed great improvement by each swimming one B, one B and one A, and 3 B times respectively in the 11-12 year old age group, Saipan and Tinian swimmers also won five 2nd places and one 4th in relays during the two day successful competition.
The SSC thanks the swimmers’ parents who joined their children, providing support and encouragement during the events and also helped as official timers during the meet, and also Continental Airlines for providing a special fare package for the participants from the CNMI.
The next competition for the swimmers will be the Pentathlon Championships on Guam in Feb. 17, 2001, a one day competition with each swimmer competing in five events — Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle and the 200m Individual Medley.
Swimmers must have a B Time in the 200IM to compete.
On Jan. 27, 2001, the Viento Cup Masters Swim Meet will be held at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool with masters swimmers expected from Japan, Guam, Tinian and Saipan.
