Swim Kaua‘i Aquatics swimmers Yasmine Ware, 13, and Anya Littlefield, 16, had phenomenal swims at the Long Course Senior Championships at the University of Hawai‘i complex over the weekend.
Ware picked up a first finish and a Senior Sectional time in her performance that saw her walk off with a perfect meet, improving in all six of the events she swam in.
Littlefield, coming off a strong Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season as a Kapa‘a High School swimmer, pocketed two first finishes and had a near-perfect meet, improving in five of her six events.
Kathleen Littlefield, Anya’s mom and an official during the SKA meets, said in the Senior Championships, everyone swims against each other rather than in age groups.
“Anya destroyed the field with her first long course sectional time in the Mile while winning the event by 15 seconds,” Kathleen said in an e-mail. “Anya had some great swims throughout the meet, but what stood out was her 200 Butterfly.”
“As the top four girls came into the wall at the 100-mark, Anya turned and never looked back.”
With split times of 34.6, 38.3, 38.3, 38.6, Anya cruised to a new Sectional time in the event by more than two seconds and winning the event by five seconds. Her official time in the event was 2:29.83 for first place, improving on her previous time by 5.26 seconds.
In the 1500 Freestyle, or the Mile, Anya stopped the clock at 18:28.48 for first place and an improvement of 30.77 over her previous swim, ending with a Sectional time, her second of the meet.
“Yasmine swam a phenomenal meet with finals in five of her six events,” Kathleen said. “She swam an amazing 100 Back, up against two college girls and other great swimmers. She out-touched the University of Hawai‘i swimmer for her first Senior Championship title and qualified for the Senior Sectionals.”
Kathleen said in addition to those achievements, Ware’s points pushed her into first place for High Point Standings for the women.
Ware’s official time for the first finish 100 Backstroke was 1:10.30, an improvement of 0.88 over her previous swim. Her biggest improvement came in the 200 Back where she stopped the clock at 2:34.35, an improvement of 5.02.
SKA head coach Billy Brown accompanied the pair to the University of Hawai‘i swimming complex.
The next event for SKA swimmers is the Age Group Long Course Championships where qualifiers will be swimming at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center on O‘ahu, July 16-19.
Visit www.swimkauai.com for more information on SKA programs.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
