Sakamoto Invitational 2018

Sakamoto Invitational has become my favorite meet of the year. It is held Memorial Day weekend every year at the Coach Soichi Sakamoto Pool located next to the War Memorial Stadium & Gymnasium and Baldwin High School in Wailuku. 

The meet honors the legendary coach who trained numerous swimmers from Hawaii that were selected to represent the United States in several Olympics. Many of the swimmers won medals at

collegiate, national, international, and Olympic competitions.

There is always and opening ceremony. The National anthem and Hawaiian anthem are sung as boy scouts raise flags. A Hula dancer dancing on a floating platform. Senior swimmers are honored to light a caldron that stays lite throughout the meet. All the coaches are brought to one end of the pool and adorned with leis. I seriously get a tear in my eye every year.

This is an invitational meet so you have to have Hawaii A, AA, AAA times to participate.

 

My pictures are in no particular order below. 

Koa and Keile always finding things to play with. I'm not even sure what it is. Haha!

Coach Malcolm swims sometimes. Ha! 

Koa's getting so advise from Coach Sandy.

 

Look at the nice streamline with that head down and arms out!

 

Focus! 

 The kids rocked it at the meet!

Afton swam in the 13-14 age group. This is here last year swimming in this age group as she'll age up on her birthday in June.

Afton's events:

200 Breast- 4th (3:16.14) dropped 12 sec.

200 IM- 3rd (2:50.48)

100 Back- 1st (1:14.12)

50 Free- 5th (31.39)

200 Free- 5th (2:31.08)

200 Back- 1st (2:39.54)

100 Free- 3rd (1:07.55) Dropped .34 sec.

100 Fly- 1st (1:13.68)

100 Breast- 9th (1:35.75)

Koa just aged up to the 11-12 age group

Koa's events:

50 Breast-13th (45.89) Dropped 2.04 sec.

100 Free- 13th (1:17.36) Dropped 1.38 sec.

200 IM- 13th (3:36.65)

50 Free- 17th (35.32)

50 Back- 19th (52.96)

100 Breast- 15th (1:45.93)

200 Free- 13th (2:54.97)

Koa was a little bummed that he didn't medal in anything, but we had to remind him that that happens when you age up into the next age group. 

It was a fun Meet and I'm so grateful to be a part of it every year.