Fourth in a row for Saipan International

If there’s a dynasty in the history of the All School Swimming Championships it has to be Saipan International School.

The As Lito-based learning institution bagged its fourth straight junior high title during the 2004 edition of the Championships held last Saturday at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool.

Betty Johnson, local kids triathlon organizer and team coach, attributed Saipan International’s win in the 14-and-under ranks to its strong core of Saipan Swim Club swimmers and contributions from other athletes not part of the SSC.

“All I can say is that the kids did a great job and did their best. The kids get satisfaction [from] participating and competing, and [they] will be acknowledged at our weekly assembly on Friday,” she said.

No doubt, all the credit belongs to the swimmers who did everything that was asked from them in the pool.

A review of the meet’s records showed that three swimmers from Saipan International outdid themselves in the Championships.

Amanda Johnson, Chicha Newman, and Selena De Leon Guerrero each hacked out two first place finishes during the meet. Johnson blazed the way in the girl’s 100-meter butterly as well as topped the competition in the 200m freestyle.

Newman, who took a break this year from SSC to concentrate on volleyball, didn’t miss a beat and won the girl’s 50m freestyle and was first in the 100m backstroke.

Guerrero, for her part, dominated the girl’s 100m freestyle and took the plum in the 400m freestyle.

Annie Camacho, Katy Johnson, Cooper Graf, and Tommy Baik also contributed their fair share in the victory.

Camacho was first in the girl’s 200m individual medley and was runner-up to Newman in the 100m backstroke. Katy duplicated Camacho’s feat with a first-place swim in the 100m breastroke and a second place effort behind Amanda in the girl’s 200m freestyle.

Graf, for his part, came in first in the boy’s 400m freestyle and was third in the 200m IM. Non-SSC member Baik then impressed everyone with a strong first-place performance in the boy’s 400m breastroke.

Saipan International then picked up two more first-place ribbons in the team events, winning both the girl’s and boy’s 200m freestyle relays.

Coach Johnson said the secret for the school’s continued success in the water is plain and simple—“the kids are just happy swimming.”

Johnson also was pretty happy herself not only for the performance of the school’s junior high team but also the effort put out by the elementary team. She said, considering they only had 14 or so kids in the division, Saipan International still wound up in second place.