Tsunami Saipan marks first anniversary

Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan celebrated its first anniversary last Sunday with a recognition banquet and a water park party at the Pacific Islands Club.

More than 70 of the fledgling club’s swimmers, parents, and supporters crammed Charley’s Cabaret during the recognition banquet where Tsunami Saipan honored the team’s medalists, top performers, most improved swimmers, and other accomplishments of the past year.

The Most Outstanding Swimmer award went to Rezne Wong after the Marianas High School student was hands down Tsunami Saipan’s best swimmer in 2007-2008.

Wong collected five gold medals in the Guam International Meet last December and then added first place finishes in the Saipan Heptathlon and Saipan International Meet in February and March, respectively.

He also came in first in the 2008 Saipan Ocean Swim and had a four gold, three silver, and a bronze medal haul in last month’s 2008 Guam Swimming Championships.

On top of that the 17-year-old also broke two age group records (15-16 100m breastroke and 16-17 100m breaststroke) and one CNMI national record (100 breaststroke) this past year.

Tsunami Saipan also presented Daniel Villegas with the Tsunami Citizenship Award after the first-year swimmer inspired Saipan and Guam teams alike in his perseverance against long odds during the season.

Head coach Hiro Kimura said Villegas was presented the award because the swimmer was loved and trusted by everyone in the team.

“His positive thinking toward practice and doing his best at the swim meet impressed many people. Not only that, but he always kept promises and whenever he was unable to attend the practice, he always contacted the coach. He was the best example for the younger swimmers.”

Villegas will leave for Hawaii this summer to pursue his college education.

Other swimmers that received annual awards were Marystar Welch (Best Effort Award), Kensuke Kimura (Funniest Swimmer Award), Shin Kimura (Sportsmanship Award), and Louie Nigh and Joey Night (Healthy Swimmer Award).

Tsunami Saipan also gave Hard Worker awards to Coloma Castro (beginners), Blessilda Maratita (tryout), Kaito Yanai (advance).

Named Most Improved Swimmers, meanwhile, were Mary Grace Maglalang, Daniel Camacho, Angel De Jesus, Arthur Sondhei, Kentaro Kitagawa, and Phillip Yoon (freestyle), Salofi Welch, Takumi Sugie, Angel Tan, and Ryosei Toda (breaststroke), Thea Minor, Alina Yoon, and Ritsuki Umeda (butterfly), Moena Takagi and Hiroto Yanai (backstroke), Fumika Umeda, Ashley Welch, and Edward Minami (diving), and Sam Park, Kaisei Toda, Daisuke Fitial, and Kosei Toda (kicking).

Last but not the least, Marianas Resort and Spa employee Gary De Guzman was given a Certificate of Appreciation for all his hard maintaining the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool clean and conditioning it.

Aside from head coach Kimura, the event was also graced by Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation president Bobby Winkfield, his daughter and former national swimmer Tamiko, Tsunami Saipan president Stan Good, and club officials Yuko Kimura and Millet Wong. Wong served as the banquet’s emcee.