Coach Stewart gives kudos to kids

Though their time underwater in the Land Down Under is under wraps, the magnificent seven members of the Saipan Swim Club earned a well deserved rest from their hard work and successful finishes at the 2005 Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia.

According to their coach Michael Stewart, the underrated overachievers accomplished stellar lap times in the Casuarina Pool, as he explained that his team will be able to build upon their experiences to post better results in upcoming events.

“I think our kids did a great job, where we did not send the strongest team we could have, due to school and costs, but those we did take made great strides for future championships meets,” he said.

The club definitely took their strongest individual, as Nina Mosely left the Games with two gold and two bronze medals—and she did so in record-breaking fashion by setting three new age group records as well as two CNMI National records.

“Nina, of course, was awesome in her swims dominating the 50m freestyle and butterfly,” said the coach.

Of all of the swimmers who made the trip, coach Stewart said that Myana Welch’s finishes were the most satisfying.

“She has struggled since double-shoulder surgery about four years ago, and this was the first meet since then she has been able to achieve lifetime best times. Three of the swims were her best ever in the 50/100m backstroke and 50m butterfly. All of the others were her best times of the season and very close to her lifetime bests. I couldn’t be happier for her, I know it has been a long road back,” he said.

While Welch may have had the most difficult journey to the Arafura Games, Amanda Johnson provided the drama, as Stewart explained,

“[Johnson] made our SPG relays a bit faster with some impressive swims in the 100m and 50m butterflies, and had one of the most dramatic time drops of the meet by cutting more than nine seconds from her best 200m breaststroke.”

Before leaving for the Games, Stewart mentioned that cutting nine seconds from a lap time equates to a quantum leap in the world of swimming. He also honored the dedication of 16-year-old Natasha Good who has been pulling double duties for the last several months by training for the SSC as well as preparing to represent the CNMI Triathlon team in Palau this July.

“[Good] swam great in a number of events, and she bettered her time in both the 50m and 100m butterfly and the 200m IM.”

Stewart paid homage to the youngest swimmers as well by noting the accomplishments of 12-year-old Cooper Graf and 13-year-old Ben Babauta.

“The biggest leaps were made from the two youngest swimmers we brought, Cooper Graf and Ben Babauta where all but one of their swims were lifetime best swims. I awarded them both Most Outstanding Swimmers of the meet for our team,” he said.

The only other boy representing the SSC also had a strong showing in Darwin, as Stewart lauded the efforts of Michael Camacho.

“The most exciting, and in a way disheartening, swims were turned in by Michael Camacho’s 50m and 100m backstroke. He finished in fourth in both races—just getting touched out from the medal race, in both swims. We were very happy with his times, just sad he didn’t get to medal, but that’s the beauty of this sport, you can be successful without medaling,” he said.

Overall, the coach said that both he and his swimmers gained some validation through their results at the Games, and that he looks forward to the progress that they will make in the near future.

“I have been on Saipan for exactly one year now, and a meet like this gives these kids confidence in themselves, as well as my system of coaching. Only great things can come from this experience by these kids,” he said.