Swimmers, runners end 2008 with a bang

The last week of 2008 saw Tsunami Swimming Center Saipan swimmers and CNMI distance runners making record-breaking performances.

Tsunami Saipan shattered 11 CNMI records in the Guam International Swim Meet held at the Hagatna Swimming Pool from on Dec. 27 and 28.

Rezne Wong owned six of those marks, while Kai Staal had four, and Shin Kimura made one.

Wong timed in at 33.18 seconds in the 50m breaststroke to break the boys’ 17-18 age group record of 33.35, which he himself recorded in October 2008 during the Tsunami Saipan-Saipan Swim Club dual meet.

In the 100m breaststroke race, the 18-year-old Wong posted 1:10.21 eclipsing his 1:10.62 mark in the same age group in November last year.

The 17-18 age group record in the 200m breaststroke also fell with Wong finishing the race in 2:30.54, breaking Justin Pierce’s 2:30.56 mark on June 5, 1999.

Rezne’s time in the three breaststroke swims are also new CNMI National records.

Kai Staal broke four records in the boys’ 13-14 age group. Less than two months after posting a mark in the 200m freestyle (2:07.16), Staal crushed his own record, timing in at 2:07.15 in Guam.

Staal’s set his second record-breaking swim in the 400m freestyle timing in at 4:34.13 and passing Joshua Taitano’s 4: 35.37 set on Aug. 17, 1995.

The Saipan International School student also reset his own record (35.97 seconds) in the 50m breaststroke, when he finished the same event in Guam in 35.33 seconds.

Staal also competed in the 100m breaststroke and timed in at 1:16.07 to eclipse Wong’s record of 1:16.48 (Feb. 17, 2006).

Kimura set a new record in the 15-16 age group’s 800m freestyle when he posted 9:46.04. The Grace Christian Academy student past Robert Jordan’s 9:54.61 mark on Jan. 27, 1996.

While Tsunami Saipan conquered the Hagatna Swimming Pool with their record-setting swims, the Road Rulers reigned in the flat course of the 13.7-mile 2008 Christmas Island Relay.

The Road Rulers, who were composed of Champ Untalan, Matt Mancao, Nate Mateo, Robin Sapong, and Yvonne Bennett, finished the race that started at Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio and ended at the Last Command Post in Marpi in one hour, 30 minutes, 41 seconds.

The Road Rulers’ time shattered the 1:33:04 set by 2007 champion We Are Legends.

Also making it to the end of the year winners’ list were bowlers Emi Williams, Simon Manacop, and Raphael Zapanta, and Ghasias Brothers.

Manacop won his fifth monthly competition of 2008 following four 200-plus rolls in the December roll-offs.

The Department of Public Safety officer had 203 pinfalls in Game 1, 212 in Game 2, 221 in Game 3, and 225 in Game 4 for a total of 861and a 215.25 pinfall average. He won the roll-offs in March, June, September, and October last year.

Williams got her third straight Queen of the Lanes winning the October, November, and December editions of the competition. She topped the last monthly tournament of 2008 after collecting 722 pinfalls.

Zapanta had the most monthly wins in 2008 with nine adding the December victory to the list.

The youth bowler totaled 647 pinfalls in four games to edge Leanne Yarobwemal (643) for the December Bing Energy Drink Prince/Princess of the Lanes title. Zapanta previously prevailed in the February, March, May, June, July, August, October, and November roll-offs.

Ghasias Brothers made a comeback in the 2008-2009 season of the World Organized Rocball Community League after several years of absence and had a successful return following their finals victory over the Fanians.

Ghasias swept the Fanians in the best-of-three title series winning Game 1 in double overtime, 113-105, and nailing a juiced-out win in Game 2, 93-85.