Former Saipan tanker making splash in US

Xenavee Pangelinan continues to train hard in hopes of becoming the region’s top female swimmer and possibly one of the top in the world of swimming. Formerly with the Saipan Swim Club, she now competes for her Colonial Forge High School swim team and her US Swimming Club team, the Occoquan Swim Club.

She is preparing to graduate this spring from Colonial Forge High in Stafford, Virginia, and wants to attend college in the states at a university yet to be selected. She has three colleges interested in having her on their team, and at this time her choices are Virginia Tech, East Carolina University and TCU. All have offered her partial scholarships.

A few months back during a series of Senior Meets, she was selected as Most Outstanding Swimmer during the circuit which included the states of Virginia, Maryland and the Washington DC area and Delaware.

At the Potomac Valley Short Course Championships in Maryland, Xen won the 100 and 200 Butterfly, and the 200 Individual Medley, and placed high in four other events, swimming PB’s in all but two. Her relay team swam Top 16 National times which helped lead her team, Occoquan, to their first Women’s and Combined Men’s and Women’s team Potomac Valley Championship.

Two weeks later at the Eastern Sectionals at George Mason University, she placed top 10 and set four Occoquan Swim Club Team records. Her next competition was the eastern Zones where she placed second twice, 4th and 12th, broke a zone record in the trials only to be out touched in the final for a new record in the 200 Butterfly. At this meet she represented the Potomac Valley Swim League, which for the first time, won the men’s and women’s zone championships. Xen was then selected as Most Valuable Swimmer in her country.

Xenavee won her Varsity letter in high school swimming and was selected Honorable Mention for her school district by the Washington Post newspaper.

To remain competitive on the mainland, she must train hard. A typical schedule for Xenavee is morning training at 4:30 am four days a week at a pool 45 minutes away from her cousin Capt. Vaughn and Remy Pangelinan’s home, then back to Colonial Forge HS which is about 5 minutes from home. Then after school on four days a week it is a 20 minute drive to another pool for afternoon workouts. Saturday mornings carry a 4 hour training session when they are not somewhere else competing. Since January she has had meets about every other weekend.
Bill Sakovich just returned from visiting Xenavee and attended her training sessions and was impressed with her progress, training and coaches. They are definitely looking out for her best interest, he commented. She is really committed and has tremendous support from her cousin and parents back here on Saipan to carry out a rigid schedule. Xen is expected back on Saipan in June and July to train for the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan late July.
It was also learned last week that another former SSC swimmer Tracy Feger, will also graduate this spring from Morris HS in Minnesota, where she competed, and was selected as Swimmer of the Year and broke three Morris High School records. Tracy has been accepted at South Dakota State University to swim and play waterpolo for the University.

Both Xenavee and Tracy have been invited by USA Swimming, assisting by USA Swimming President Dale Neuburger, to participate in a Regional Select Camp at the end of May, Xen in swimming and Tracy in Waterpolo. Both sessions will be held in New Jersey.