NMI swimmers end pool stint with a bang

The CNMI National Swimming Team pretty much ended the pool competition in the 2024 Micronesian Games the way they started it after winning almost all events yesterday in the Kwajalein Pool in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.

The last day of pool competition—today they will tackle the ocean swim—yielded much like the pattern of the last four days: 11 gold medals, three silver, and three bronze.

The NMI Team started things off by sweeping the opening relay events as Kean Pajarillaga, Michael Miller, Kouki Watanabe, and Isaiah Aleksenko won the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:28.68.

Moments later, Frances Raho, Shoko Litulumar, Maria Guerrero, and Maria Batallones topped the women’s 200-yard freestyle relay after clocking in at 1:45.77.

Pajarillaga then started the individual events by winning the men’s 100-yard freestyle in 8:03.68 with Justine Ma taking bronze in 8:28.51.

Raho followed with another gold in the women’s 100-yard freestyle (9:30.10) with Sari Barman winning bronze (10:00.31).

Aleksenko and Watanabe finished 1-2 in the men’s 200-yard individual medley with times of 1:53.19 and 2:06.04, respectively, while Litulumar won her first individual gold in the women’s 200-yard individual medley (2:23.75). Guerrero bagged a bronze in the same event with a time of 2:31.05.

Aleksenko dominated again in the men’s 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.55, before Battalones fell to a familiar rival in host Marshall Islands’s Ann-Marie Hepler (25.36-25.60).

Watanabe added another gold in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke with a swim of 2:11.02, while Batallones returned to winning form in the same event in the women’s division by touching the wall in 2:31.30. Litulumar was second in 2:44.77.

The CNMI ended the day and the pool competition with back-to-back relay wins as Pajarillaga, Miller, Watanabe, and Aleksenko were golden in the men’s 400-yard medley relay in 3:35.51. Ditto for Raho, Litulumar, Guerrero, and Batallones women’s 400-yard medley relay (4:15.29).

CNMI National Swimming coach Hiroyuki Kimura said Team NMI’s domination in the pool was expected.

“I think it’s natural. We’ve been practicing that much.”

Aleksenko, for his part, said doing well and winning all his events was good preparation for college swimming.

“Because I can compare my times to their records and see how close I am to them,” said the incoming freshman at Keiser University.

He also said his toughest race was the 400-yard individual medley. “Because I don’t do that event.”

Watanabe, who got the Kimura’s nod as the best performance of the day, said he believes his coach picked him because of the relays.

“I had a very important role of keeping the gap between us and the Palau team as small as possible so that our anchor, Isaiah, can finish first place.”

On winning another gold, Watanabe again remained level-headed.

“I am very happy about the gold I got in the 200 breaststroke, but like in the 100-yard breaststroke and 50-yard breaststroke, I was not able to get the time I wanted. Although me and the second place were about 8 seconds apart, there are people out there that are way faster than the time I got. Overall, this gold, and all the gold I got was a great experience for me.”

On her first individual gold, Litulumar said she’s glad all her hard work paid off.

“I’m really proud of myself and my hard work paid off. I would like to dedicate it to my family, friends, coaches, team mates, and my chaperone from the Marshalls, Ms. Karen.”