Yasmine Ware led the five Mokihana Aquatics swimmers to an explosive showing at the Hawai‘i Short Course Age Group Championship on Maui. Ware, 10, finished all of her eight events in the top 10 of each event. But, more importantly,
Yasmine Ware led the five Mokihana Aquatics swimmers to an explosive showing at the Hawai‘i Short Course Age Group Championship on Maui.
Ware, 10, finished all of her eight events in the top 10 of each event. But, more importantly, Ware garnered a first place and two second place finishes while setting six new Mokihana Aquatics team records and earning 40 points in the process.
Hot on her heels, Evan Hamamoto, 12, finished with a second place in his 50 meter freestyle event while establishing a new Mokihana records in the process.
Hamamoto finished the event with a 25.76 swim for a Zone qualification while bettering his previous performance by .59 second.
“In Evans’ race, only .02 separated second and third place,” said Orlando Anaya, head coach for Mokihana Aquatics, in an e-mail.
Kaitlin Santos, 12, also made a splash for Mokihana, setting a new Mokihana standard for the 50 meter backstroke despite a 14th overall finish at states. Her swim of 32.92 in the event was 1.94 better than her previous performance.
Ware’s gold medal performance came in the 50 meter backstroke where she finished the finals with a 32.30 swim, a .36 improvement over her previous performance and earning a zone qualification.
Anaya said, “There were four lead changes in less than 30 seconds. Incredible!”
She set new Mokihana records in the 100 meter backstroke (1:12.08), the 50 meter butterfly (32.74), the 50 meter backstroke (32.30), the 100 meter freestyle (1:03.46) and the 50 meter freestyle (28.29) while earning either zone or qualifying ratings in those events. Throughout the meet, Ware failed to improve in just two of her eight events in the three-day event on Maui.
In addition to the pace setters, Mokihana Aquatics got strong showings from Kelsey Tanaka, 17, whose best event was the 200 meter breaststroke where he finished with a 2:40.29 swim and a qualifying ranking.
Justin White, 10, competed in three events with his best swim coming in the 100 meter breaststroke where he stopped the clock at 1:42.61 for a 1.28 improvement.
Off the blocks in the 100 meter backstroke finals, Ware, rated third, stayed underwater until the 15-meter mark with a clear mark over the field, said
Anaya in an e-mail.
At the 50-meter mark, Ware was the decisive leader, splitting at 36 seconds, almost a full second ahead of the field.
Despite a turn that came a bit close to the wall, Ware still held the lead, but a strong finish by the Aloha Aquatics swimmer gave Ware a silver medal, her first of two at the state meet.
That finish set the stage for Ware’s swim in the 50 meter backstroke where she finished as only the fifth swimmer in Kaua‘i’s swimming history to bring home a state championship, Anaya said.
“Yasmine’s 50 meter backstroke was one for the ages,” Anaya said in his e-mail.
“First off the block, farthest underwater swim, first into the wall, first out of the wall and first to finish.”
Anaya said the other gold medalists include Sue Ibara (Arquette) who brought home the first followed by Dane Kane, Cory Carroll who had more championships than any other swimmer, and Keenan Anaya who currently swims with the University of Hawai‘i team, and Ware.
But Anaya’s highlight came afterwards when Ware jumped off the podium with her gold medal, and with a hug and a smile that went from ear to ear, said to him, “Thank you, Coach O.”
“I couldn’t help it. I started to cry,” Anaya said. “Everything that Mokihana Aquatics tries to promote — class, respect, loyalty, dedication and commitment was there.”
Anaya said teaching values is more important than teaching swimmers to swim fast because without values you can never be a champion.
Mokihana Aquatics will begin its Winter Swim Fest program for swimmers starting Thursday through Jan. 10.
For more information, call 821-0587.
