LIHU‘E — Micah-Kamuela Nobriga-Ferris came up 14 seconds short of his goal Friday during the Mokihana Aquatics long distance meet at Kaua‘i High School pool. Nobriga-Ferris, a standout swimmer for Kapa‘a High School during the recent Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation swim
LIHU‘E — Micah-Kamuela Nobriga-Ferris came up 14 seconds short of his goal Friday during the Mokihana Aquatics long distance meet at Kaua‘i High School pool.
Nobriga-Ferris, a standout swimmer for Kapa‘a High School during the recent Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation swim season, was attempting to best his seeded swim of 11:47.03 in the mixed 13-18 1,000 yard freestyle event.
“Fourteen seconds was the difference,” said Mokihana Aquatics coach Orlando “O” Anaya. “Micah came up 14 seconds short, but in second place, Gracie Stokes, 13, was 14 seconds better than her seeded time.”
Gracie Stoke, based on unofficial times, bettered her seeded swim of 14:16.62 for a HI-A time standard.
Friday was the first of three days for the Mokihana Aquatics timed trials, the meet continues through today, based on the results of the Friday meet.
Despite Nobriga-Ferris’ shortcoming in his first finish in the 1,000 yard freestyle, Anaya said the 16-year-old swimmer was having a good day after being notified he was selected as a cast member of a reality series based on the Kaua‘i Junior Lifeguards.
The show, with the working title “Saving Lives,” will chronicle the journey of eight young trainees as they work toward earning a spot in the 2013 Kaua‘i Junior Lifeguard squad.
“I just got a call from the producer, who said they will have a crew at the Saturday meet where they will get footage of Micah in action,” Anaya said. “It’s not the Junior Lifeguard season until this summer, but the producers said they want footage of the swimmer when he’s not doing Junior Lifeguard.”
Nobriga, following his swim down after the timed swim, said he felt he might have pushed himself too hard preparing for the swim.
“I felt like I had nothing left at the 27-mark,” Nobriga-Ferris said. “It was almost like I was going to pass out.”
But he didn’t, and finished the race with an HIAA time standard.
For the Mokihana swimmers, there were at least nine swimmers, six attempting their first times in the mixed 12 and under 200 yard freestyle.
“This is almost like swimming the 1,000 yard for the young swimmers,” Anaya said. “Trevyn Nishimura, 7, just came back following baseball season and is doing really well, going for his first recorded time in the 200 yard.”
Other swimmers trying for their first recorded times in the 200 yard freestyle included Jada Doria, 6, Noah Kelekoma, 7, Jayden Alfiler, 6, Zoe Carvalho, 8, Fiona Godsill, 7, Chloe Inouye, 6, who at a recent Sparky’s Meet in Hilo, broke four of the Mokihana Aquatics records, including several set by Kate Machorek, a sophomore at Kaua‘i High School, back in 2004.
Chris Harvey, 9, Jake Valenti, 9, Daniel Alfiler, 10, Sammy Stokes, 10, Alana Cayabyab, 10, Lily Stokes, 11, and Leigh Idica, 7, rounded out the young swimmers in the 200 free.
“It’s good to have these timed meets where the swimmers get recorded times to gauge where they’re at,” said Denise Roberts, whose son Luke, 12, was swimming against Kawehi Tamashiro, 12, Tory Taboniar, 11, and Sara Funtanilla, 11, in the 200 free.
