PUHI — Ninety-five swimmers from Kauai, Oahu and Canada wrapped up two days of swimming competition at the 9th annual Kauai Classic which wrapped up Sunday at the YMCA pool in Puhi. During the two days of competition, the athletes
PUHI — Ninety-five swimmers from Kauai, Oahu and Canada wrapped up two days of swimming competition at the 9th annual Kauai Classic which wrapped up Sunday at the YMCA pool in Puhi.
During the two days of competition, the athletes combined for 289 personal best times, including 54 new Hawaiian Swimming time standards, states a release from Swim Kauai Aquatics, host of the Kauai Classic.
“What an exceptional meet,” said SKA Head Coach Doc Ludemann. “Kudos to all of our athletes for a first-place finish, with outstanding swims all around. The diligence and hard work of our swimmers is well noted as we prepare to move into our Long Course season.”
Joining swimmers from Punahou Aquatics and the Santa Clara Swim Club/American Renaissance Academy were 19 Canadian swimmers from the Killarney Swim Club of Calgary, Alberta, which made its fourth appearance at the Kauai Classic under the lead of former Olympian Mike Meldrum.
“The Kauai Classic is a fantastic opportunity for us to compete while away at our training camp,” said Meldrum. “This year has been an amazing experience for our athletes. We can’t thank SKA, Coach Doc and Dan Britzmann enough. The training trip provides the Canadians with the vacation of a lifetime, great camaraderie amongst the teams, as well as fast competition in the pool.”
SKA fielded 54 athletes, resulting in 38 new time standards and 176 new personal best swims.
Malia Splittstoesser and Juliana Tampus posted perfect meets for SKA, finishing with new best times in every event they swam over two days.
Evah Cline, Kai Mottley and Giordyn Riopta added to the excitement as they took the water for their first-ever swim meet.
T Koerte, Kassy McCoy, Asha McGinnis, Xaveria Rodriguez, Sadie Sterans and Luna Trevino came up near-perfect, getting new best times in all but one event over two days.
Alana Cayabyab (50-yard breaststroke, 100- and 500-yard freestyle), Hayley Kaeo (50-yard breaststroke, 100-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle), Lucas McSweeny (50-yard breaststroke, 100-yard freestyle), Xaveria Rodgriguez (50-yard butterfly), Henry Scherer (500-yard freestyle) and Splittstoesser (200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle) picked up new Hawaii QUAL times.
Dutch Fairbanks (100-yard freestyle), Saber Fairbanks (400-yard individual medley), Mao Fukada (200-yard freestyle), Kaeo (200-yard freestyle), McCoy (50-yard and 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard freestyle), McGinnis (50-yard backstroke), Splittstoesser (100-yard butterfly, 100-yard individual medley), Stearns (100-yard and 200-yard freestyle), Tampus (50-yard freestyle) and Luna Trevino (100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard freestyle) earned Invitational AA time standards.
