Tsunami Saipan members dominate Plumeria Swim

Tsunami Saipan owned the 1st Annual Plumeria Swim with the club’s swimmers taking top honors in last Saturday’s race at Pau Pau Beach.

Participants in the 1st Annual Plumeria Swim head out to the course during last Saturday’s race at Pau Pau Beach.
(Marianas Visitors Authority)

Kaito Yanai, a senior member of the group, was the overall first place finisher in the 1.5-kilometer flipper swim, completing the two-lap course in 23:54. Yanai’s fellow Tsunami Saipan swimmer, Takumi Sugie, came in at close second, as the latter also broke the 24-minute barrier with a time of 23:55. Mark Maestro, also of Tsunami Saipan, rounded out the Top 3 winners in the men’s division after submitting 26:10.

In the women’s division, Angel Marie Tan was third overall and first in her category after checking in at 24:59. Tan finished ahead of Tsunami Saipan’s Sophia Gauran and Kyona Rivera, who reached the shore together and timed in at 27:26. Aika Watanabe completed the Top 3 after logging 28:28.

Five other Tsunami Saipan swimmers topped their respective junior division age groups with Isaiah Aleksenko ruling the boys U10 division after recording 28:57 and Nelson Batallones winning the 11 to 12 age group for registering 31:10. In the girls U10, Ayumi Obligacion posted a winning time of 35:10, while fellow Tsunami Saipan swimmers Kathrine Illahi and Angel De Jesus prevailed in the 13 to 15 and 16 to 18 divisions after tallying 33:52 and 29:23, respectively.

In the other age groups, the winners were as follows: men’s 19 to 29’s Harry CHpi (28:29), 30 to 39’s Shinji Takayama (32:17), men’s 40 to 49’s Hiroshi Tanaka (33:16), women’s 40 to 49’s Haruko Furugori (39:28), 50 to 59’s Motoko Kubo (30:28), and women’s over 60’s Takachi (30:59).

Meanwhile, two other races took place last weekend with Takako Ishizuka and Yayoi Kabata winning the 500m course and 1.5K (without flippers) after clocking in at 11:00 and 24:48, respectively.

Ishizuka won over Mayumi Hinata (14:00), Reiko Kurashima (14:49), Aiko Miyajima (15:28), and Yaeko Ogane (15:28). Kabata, on the other hand, finished ahead of Satoi Mato (30:55), Claire Derey (32:14), Hiromi Matsuki (32:52), and Masayuki Hinata (37:51).

Over 50 swimmers joined the weekend tournament, which was organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Community Sports Center Foundation of Japan and supported by McDonald’s Saipan, Detry Pumping Service, Saipan Advertising, Pacific Development Inc., Department of Public Safety, Boating Safety/EMS, Emma Perez, Peter Perez, Mobby’s, Tusa Reef Tourer by Tabata, Gull, Super VAAM, Bism, SAS, Marine Diving, Northern Marianas Diving Operators Association, Let’s Go! Tour, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, and Saipan World Resort.