Alana Cayabyab may be only 10 years old, but the Mokihana Aquatics swimmer is making a splash in the pool. Cayabyab did not just place “in the Top 10 overall” at the 34th annual Ken Suenaga Invitational swim meet on
Alana Cayabyab may be only 10 years old, but the Mokihana Aquatics swimmer is making a splash in the pool.
Cayabyab did not just place “in the Top 10 overall” at the 34th annual Ken Suenaga Invitational swim meet on Oahu Saturday, as her coach Mokihana Aquatics coach Orlando “O” Anaya predicted she would.
“What she did do was place third overall in the 10 and under category,” Anaya said. “This was behind the top 10-and-under girl in Hawaii, and a really fast 10-and-under girl from Boston who finished by winning high-point honors.”
Anaya said these results are only after one day of the planned two days of competition. The second day’s competition on Sunday was canceled due to the persistent and constant thunder, lightning and rain.
Overall, Cayabyab finished with three best times in five events, her best swim coming in the 100 meter backstroke, where she touched at 1 minute, 18 seconds for a 1.04 second improvement over her seeded time.
Other best swims under Cayabyab’s belt include the 50 meter fly (34.05) for a .38 second improvement and a first-place finish, and the 50 meter breaststroke (41.58) for a .16 second improvement.
Anaya said Cayabyab’s two other times were “only a snap of the finger slower, or less than half-a-second.”
“Ironically, her best two races were the 100 freestyle (1:10.41) and the 200 individual medley (2:45.79) — the two races in which she swam a blink of an eye slower,” Anaya said. “While we coaches would have really loved to get 10 times for Alana this past weekend, what she did at Ken Suenaga puts her right on track for an amazing state championship later this month. It was crazy.”
Anaya said Cayabyab’s family made a commitment following her performance at the Long Course Championships to see how far the swimmer could go as a 10-and-under swimmer.
At that time, she had just six QUAL, or qualifying times and just one Top 10 time.
“In just four-and-a-half months, she is one of the top 10 and under girls in the state,” Anaya said. “She proves my quote, ‘Ye who works the hardest, swims the fastest.’”
