The Kauai Classic swim meet, which wrapped up Sunday at the YMCA pool saw 230 swimmers emerge with new personal best times, according to a Swim Kauai Aquatics spokesperson. Hosted by SKA, the two-day meet was bolstered by the addition
The Kauai Classic swim meet, which wrapped up Sunday at the YMCA pool saw 230 swimmers emerge with new personal best times, according to a Swim Kauai Aquatics spokesperson.
Hosted by SKA, the two-day meet was bolstered by the addition of three Oahu swim clubs — the Aulea Swim Club, Sunshine Aquatics, and Santa Clara Swim Club-HI — adding an additional 26 swimmers to the pool’s normal population.
“It was great to have three Oahu teams compete with us this weekend,” said SKA coach Curt Colby.
According to the SKA spokesperson, the 230 new personal best swims accounted for 60 percent of the total swims spread out over two days. Swimmers also posted numerous new Hawaiian time standards including three AAAA, five AAA state qualifying time standards, four AA invitational times, 15 A time standards, and eight B times.
Of note, the AAAA times are impressive because it is a motivational time standard representing the average 10th-best time in a respective event and age group over a four-year span.
SKA swimmers making the AAAA cut included Kai Norman, 12, and Ryden Williams, 12.
Norman, a current state champion in the 200 yard butterfly, clinched a cut in the 400 yard Individual Medley while swimming it for the first time, stopping the clock at 5 minutes, 24.20 seconds. He also grabbed two new AAA cuts in the 100 yard backstroke and 100 yard breaststroke events to finish with a total of five new personal bests.
Williams, also finishing with five new personal bests, earned his AAAA cut in the 500 yard freestyle (5:49.11).
Pulama Ka‘eo, 9, finished as one of the SKA swimmers with a perfect meet, or improving in all of her seven events she swam over two days, earning A times in her 50 yard and 100 yard breaststroke, 200 yard freestyle, and 50 yard backstroke events.
Sanoe Grijalva, 13, and Tia Trovato, 12, were limited to Saturday-only swims, but made perfect times in all of their events, Grijalva getting a B time in her 50 yard freestyle and Trovato locking in a AA time in the 100 yard backstroke and adding an A time in the 200 yard freestyle.
Pulama’s older sister, Hayley, 12, was just short of perfect, finishing on seven of her eight events topped by her swim in the 400 yard IM (5:15.04) where she pocketed a AAAA time in her first time swimming the event.
Chelsey Choy, 12, was in Hayley’s circle, finishing with six of seven events being bettered, including securing an A time in the 100 yard breaststroke.
Jack Machorek, recently returning from a strong showing in a Seattle meet, posted a personal best in the 1,650 yard freestyle (17:17.59) to set a new Swim Kauai Aquatics record.
Alana Cayabyab, 13, posted a AAA state qualifying time in the 200 yard breaststroke to lead the SKA swimmers earning AAA cuts. T Koerte set an AAA pace in the 100 yard butterfly, Zach Safford, 16, got his in the 200 yard backstroke.
Alana also pocketed a AA cut in the 200 yard backstroke while Koerte added AA cuts in the 50 yard breaststroke and 200 yard IM.
SKA next readies to send its qualifying swimmers to the Mamizuka Invitational swim meet on Oahu, April 30 through May 1.
