SSC gets a boost from DFS-Saipan
DFS Saipan continues to support local programs and recently contributed $3,000 to the Saipan Swim Club for its ongoing program.
The team was started by Jean and Bill Sakovich in 1974 with training in the lagoon first near the Saipan Community School and later in Garapan. During the early years and once hotels were built, the team was occasionally able to utilize the hotel pools for training when there were not many tourists using the hotel pool.
The first time SSC swimmers competed on Guam for the first time was in 1975, although most of their training was not in a pool. Kan Pacific Swimming Pool was not completed until 1987, just prior to the New Caledonia South Pacific Games that same year.
The swim club currently coached by Bill Sakovich, and assisted by Bob Winkfield, Stan Good, Mike Villagomez and Val Welch has been very successful winning numerous medals in international competition including the Micronesian and South Pacific Games and other off island competitions.
The team’s 43 swimmers just completed the 2000/2001 swimming season this weekend on Guam at the A Championships, the national age group championships for this area, and several will participate in the upcoming Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia May 20-26, 2001.
This will be the third time swimmers will compete in Darwin. Also, two to three swimmers will compete in the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan the end of July, and this depends upon their performances at the Arafura Games and the recent A Champs on Guam.
At present, several former Saipan swimmers continue to compete in the United States, Andrew and David Perry are competing for Hawaii Swim Club in Maui and both have qualified for State and Zone Championships.
Their younger brother and sister have also started swimming for the club, Cyrus and Shekinah. Xenavee Pangelinan, Tracy and Carlos Feger are also swimming on the mainland.
With the support from businesses such as DFS, which remains very active in CNMI sports, the Saipan Swim Club is able to provide a very competitive program for its swimmers, and over the past few years has introduced Water Polo for cross training. Alan Buchanan and Colin Thompson, two former USA waterpolo players have assisted in training the swimmers.
The swimmers are also learning how to compete in triathlons and the swim club is coordinating events with the NMI Triathlon Federation. This coming June, SSC swimmers will again provide swim lessons to children and adults at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool as soon school is out for vacation.
Its tanks to DFS that the Saipan Swim Club is able to continue offering such as program for the islands youth and the club very much appreciates the contribution.
