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8 Tsunami Saipan bets off to Guam
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Posted on Jan 06 2014
Eight Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center members are leaving Saipan this weekend to compete in the Guam Short Course Championships in Hagatna.
Representing Tsunami Saipan in the 25-meter race are Hans Xu, Anthony Deleon Guerrero, Arman Rechucher, Isaiah Aleksenko, Nanaka Watanabe, Ashley Dangcol, Natsuki Nagata, and Kana Suzuki. All swimmers are in the 8-and-under age group and Tsunami Saipan decided on giving its young swimmers the opportunity to compete in the short course to improve their times.
“It (tournament) will be a big challenge to them and a great opportunity to get faster,” Tsunami Saipan head coach Hiro Kimura said in an email to Saipan Tribune.
Xu and Deleon Guerrero are Tsunami Saipan’s top bets in the backstroke and freestyle races, respectively. Kimura added that with the way Xu and Deleon Guerrero performed in the past tournaments, it will not surprise him if they may break Ryuyo Yanai and Lukas Kang’s records in the boys U8 age group.
Rechucher will take charge of Tsunami Saipan’s bid in the breaststroke events and Kimura said the 7-year-old’s diligence in practice sessions will help him have a fruitful swim in Guam and in the coming tournaments.
Aleksenko is Tsunami Saipan’s other bet in freestyle races and Kimura hopes the 8-year-old swimmer uses his great athletic ability to record an impressive performance in Guam and other competitions.
In the girls division, Kimura considers Watanabe and Dangol as future record holders. The two swimmers will be competing in individual medley and freestyle races. In the breaststroke category, Tsunami Saipan is pinning its hopes on Nagata, while the club will rely on Suzuki in freestyle events.
“Natsuki and Kana will go to Guam to gain experience which will help them in future tournaments this season,” Kimura said.
Fifteen events are lined up in Guam’s short course competition. The list includes the mixed 200m IM, 100m breaststroke, mixed 8U 25m butterfly, mixed 100m freestyle, mixed 50m backstroke, mixed 8U 25m breaststroke, mixed 100m butterfly mixed 50m breaststroke, mixed 8U 25m backstroke, mixed 100m backstroke, mixed 50m butterfly, mixed 8U 25m freestyle, mixed 100m IM, mixed 50m freestyle, and mixed 100m freestyle relay.
